Is Hacks’ Deborah Vance Based on a Real Comedian?

Max’s Hacks indulges audiences with a refreshingly non-saccharine satirization of womanhood within the entertainment industry. As a fictional panoply of several real trailblazing female comedians, Deborah Vance serves as the perfect catalyst to explore these themes. But is Hacks‘ Deborah Vance based on a real comedian?

Is Hacks’ Deborah Vance Based on a Real Comedian?

It doesn’t take a behind-the-scenes deep dive to notice the transparent parallels between Hacks‘ Deborah Vance and the late Joan Rivers. The Vegas and QVC mainstays both revel in similar aesthetics and attitudes, particularly when it comes to maintaining their hyper-femininity. Much like Rivers, Vance’s longevity in the entertainment industry has earned her the status of an elder stateswoman and garnered her a loyal fanbase within the queer community, particularly among gay men. These comparisons continue well into Hacks’ third season, which recently featured Deborah Vance’s roast, a format strongly associated with River’s comedy brand.

However, Hacks star and executive producer Paul W. Downs has cited Rivers as just one of Deborah Vance’s many inspirations. For instance, Deborah’s public divorce mirrors that of I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Elaine May, Phyllis Diller, Elayne Boosler, Rita Rudner, and Paula Poundstone ranked among the other comedians Downs listed in a conversation with The Wrap. Despite their varied comedic sensibilities, Downs determined that these women were all connected by a shared struggle to step out of the shadows of their male peers.

The cast of Hacks further informs the real-life legacy that bore Deborah Vance, with her writing partner Ava Daniels portrayed by the daughter of pioneering Saturday Night Live cast member Laraine Newman. Both Smart and her counterpart Hannah Einbinder bring storied Hollywood histories to their characters, making them both a part of the vibrant tapestry that is Deborah Vance.

Related: Who Does Helen Hunt Play on Hacks?

Fans Have Compared Deborah Vance to Holland Taylor

Though Holland Taylor isn’t listed as one of Deborah Vance’s many real-life inspirations, Hacks fans across social media beg to differ. Smart’s ceaseless dry wit certainly bears similarity to Taylor’s (particularly her role as The L Word‘s Peggy Peabody), but the impetus behind these comparisons is not motivated solely by performance. The 81-year-old Taylor’s beloved romantic partnership with Sarah Paulson has provided shippers of Hacks‘ duo Deborah and Ava a nonfictional benchmark to optimistically consider. While Hacks explores the creative partnership between the two women of different generations, the hard-earned trust and intimacy of Deborah and Ava’s relationship has a vocal faction of fans pointing to Taylor and Paulson as a lighthearted “what if?” alternative.    

And that’s whether Hacks‘ Deborah Vance is based on a real comedian.

Hacks is streaming now on Max.