J. Smith-Cameron is giving Emmy voters several reasons to consider her this season.
Back in 2024, when Variety spoke with Smith-Cameron, the actor had made a cameo on HBO’s “Hacks” as Deborah Vance’s (Jean Smart) younger sister, Kathy. “It feels to me like there’s more,” Smith-Cameron had said.
She was right — there was more. This season, she manifested a return to the comedy series, appearing in two episodes, and continued to be the thorn in Deborah’s side.
On the episode “D’Amazing Race,” Deborah and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) hunt Kathy down to get the rights to “Who’s Making Dinner?,” the sitcom that Deborah and her former husband starred in and wrote. Kathy actually owns the rights to the show. But she’ll give Deborah what she wants — but only in exchange for something she knows Deborah won’t give up: their late mother’s salt and pepper shakers that are in Deborah’s possession.
Later in the season, Kathy returns — this time in Deborah’s dreams, or should that be nightmares? When Deborah steps on stage at her Madison Square Garden show, she looks down to see that she’s completely naked, and the audience is filled with versions of her sister laughing and mocking her.
