Thursdays are fantastic for several reasons: they signal the approaching weekend, they’re synonymous with Thanksgiving, and they’ve become a must-watch TV night thanks to the return of Hacks for its fourth season. The Max series, created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, is laugh-out-loud funny—and increasingly layered with psychological depth.
If you’re a true Hacks fan, you’re already familiar with the show’s central duo: the glamorous, aging comedy legend Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and her beleaguered millennial bisexual writer (and sometimes frenemy) Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). But this season introduces a fresh batch of characters—from Michaela Watkins as an overbearing HR rep to Robby Hoffman playing… well, herself. Below, here’s everything you need to know about the characters in Hacks Season 4.
### Team Deborah
Damien Asada Agosto (Mark Indelicato)
Deborah’s personal assistant—best known for scoring her those prized Verdure tapestries on eBay—is embracing LA life after moving from Vegas for Deborah’s new gig. That includes getting tipsy with his boss at a fancy restaurant and handing her poppers while she dances in a gay bar cage.
Josefina (Rose Abdoo)
As Deborah’s estate manager, Josefina is the closest thing to a stabilizing force in Deborah’s chaotic world. This season, she attends the taping of Deborah’s new talk show, with Abdoo telling Us Weekly: “You can see how worried Josefina is for Deborah, who’s under immense pressure and trying to control everything—while Josefina herself is also controlling.”
Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins)
Sadly, Deborah’s longtime advisor and COO isn’t around as much this season—he’s stepping back to focus on his own career after Deborah’s late-night promotion. (Deborah isn’t thrilled, but I get it.)
Diana (Polly Draper)
Deborah’s psychic is now a consulting producer on Late Night with Deborah Vance—because of course she is.
Kiki (Poppy Liu)
Deborah’s former blackjack dealer is still in Vegas, so she’s mostly absent this season—though we do catch up with her in Episode 3. Still the best character on TV, hands down.
DJ (Kaitlin Olson)
Yes, Deborah’s daughter is listed last—fitting for their strained relationship. DJ is an aspiring jewelry designer (depending on who you ask), married to an MMA fighter, and expecting a baby. We haven’t seen her yet this season, but here’s hoping that changes!
### The Agents
Jimmy LuSaque (Paul W. Downs)
Often mocked for not fitting the typical Hollywood-agent stereotype, Jimmy is a sweetheart with deep ties to Deborah—his late father was her agent before him. He’s still devoted to Ava, too, and his growing partnership with former assistant Kayla is one of the season’s most heartwarming arcs.
Kayla Schaefer (Megan Stalter)
Oh, Kayla. A Hollywood nepo baby with unshakable confidence and HR-defying quirks. (Jimmy once clarified they knew each other as kids, but he did not change her diapers.) This season, she’s in full girlboss mode—landing Ava an apartment (at the mall, but still) and getting shows greenlit via text.
Randi (Robby Hoffman)
When you’re Kayla Schaefer, hiring someone like Randi—a comedian playing herself—makes perfect sense.You couldn’t find someone more random than Randi to be your assistant. A brand-new Los Angeles resident, she admits, “I’ve never been anywhere. Last week, I was a Hasidic Lubavitch Jew in Crown Heights, New York. Now I’m in LA, I’m gay, and probably an atheist.” The role was tailor-made for Hoffman. Here’s hoping her real-life wife, Gabby Windey, makes a cameo later this season.
### The Late Night with Deborah Vance Staff
The Writers (Katy Sullivan, Danny Jolles, Jasmine Ashanti, Gavin Matts, Sandy Honig, Matt Oberg, Holmes, Grover Whitmore III):
Until the show fleshes out their personalities more, I’ll group them together. So far, we know they love partying in Vegas, they’re a bit snitchy (good for HR, but still!), they’re exhausted from prepping the show’s premiere, and they refuse to hang out with Ava at Bar Lubitsch. Fair enough.
Rob (Dan Bucatinsky):
As the show’s executive producer, Rob is stuck in the middle of Deborah and Ava’s feud. He also has a husband—assuming the wedding photo in his office is real (though he dryly notes, “You don’t know who that man is”).
Stacey (Michaela Watkins):
Stacey’s entire job as HR is mediating between Deborah and Ava. No one could play this role better than Watkins.
### The Network Brass
Winnie Landell (Helen Hunt):
The network exec overseeing Deborah’s show is cheerful yet cutting—the kind of edge only a longtime Hollywood veteran has. She’s got a nice house, a kid who loves gummy worms, possibly had an affair with Jimmy’s dad, and is putting massive pressure on the show to succeed.
Bob Lipka (Tony Goldwyn):
The media CEO who helped land Deborah the late-night gig also… slept with her at the end of Season 3 (despite being married), which Ava is now using as blackmail. Classic Hollywood power move.
### Everyone Else
Miss Loretta (Luenell):
A comedy legend and friend of Marcus’s mom, she returns in Season 4—this time in a strip club, admiring Deborah’s “ample bosom.”
Mayor Jo (Lauren Weedman):
The delightfully unhinged, gun-loving, news-ignoring mayor of Las Vegas makes a brief comeback in Season 4 to help Deborah dodge a DUI. Bless the writers for this.
Carol Burnett as Herself:
Deborah runs into the comedy icon at a Beverly Hills cardiologist (fitting for a 91-year-old!). Watching usually stoic Deborah geek out over her idol is a rare, heartwarming moment.
Merrill Markoe as Herself:
A real-life Late Night with David Letterman head writer and three-time Emmy winner, Markoe joins Deborah’s writers’ room—when she’s not busy in France.
Jake Shane as Himself:
Of course this TikTok star wants a photo with Deborah. Know your place, kid.
Randy Newman as Himself:
With Episode 4’s tribute to wildfire victims and first responders, seeing Newman perform is a fitting touch.The piano at the end of Deborah’s first late-night show was especially moving. We truly love LA!