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A lot went down on Thursday’s new episode of Hacks, but one of the most memorable moments was when Deborah Vance (played by Jean Smart) had an unexpected night out with her dutiful and high-strung assistant, Damien (played by Mark Indelicato). What began as an impromptu dinner quickly escalated into a playful heart-to-heart, followed by Damien and Deborah deciding to stop at a gay club, where dancing and a minor accident ultimately ensued.
Reflecting on the episode titled “I Love LA,” Indelicato, 30, opened up about his character Damien finally getting to “let his hair down” and have some fun on the hit Max comedy series.
Indelicato said, “One of the greatest joys of even filming that club scene was when they said to Jean Smart – Okay, we’re going to have to put you in the cage. You know, just hearing that being said to the actress Jean Smart is kind of hilarious. We’re going to do ‘the poppers thing,’ Jean. You’re going to pass out from poppers right now. I really have always dreamed about having a slow-motion dance moment. I was very jealous of Jean and Hannah [Einbinder]
last season, when Hannah got to have her slow-motion dance moment. I was like – I want that! – and I got it.”
Having now worked alongside Smart for multiple seasons, what is it about the 3-time Emmy winner for Hacks that makes her such a quality scene partner?
“I don’t necessarily think that her being an amazing scene partner is necessarily derived from her having such a huge legacy in Hollywood,” Indelicato said. “I think that there are seasoned actors that are not very good scene partners. I think that like fame and celebrity and notoriety could yield maybe not being as good of a scene partner, but she shows up. I think that one of the things that – and this extends beyond Jean – but I think that Jean being the actress that she is – number one on the call sheet vibes – is like she wants everyone to win. Everyone wants everyone to get a laugh. Everyone wants everyone to feel good about the work that we’re making. I think that Jean leading the charge in that is extremely palpable. I find her to just be a great scene partner because she wants to win, and that’s implicitly understood.”
Prior to joining Hacks, Indelicato was no stranger to television productions. For four seasons, he played America Ferrera’s nephew Justin on Ugly Betty (2006-2010), though I wondered what it is for him that makes this Hacks production, with the show’s creators Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, as well as his cast and crew, a truly different group within entertainment television today.
Indelicato said, “Hacks is the closest that I’ve ever come to like an Ugly Betty situation, where we are all still genuinely friends – where we were in a situation where everyone was encouraged to win and wanted everyone else to win in the process. When you’re crafting comedy, I think that setting each other up for the laugh or for the moment, you see that on-screen. Especially with television shows that are so beloved, I think that people can tell if you like each other, you know? I’ve been on shows where people don’t like each other. I think that is part of the demise of any kind of program, especially in making comedy. I think that Paul, Lucia and Jen are just extremely incredible collaborators between the three of them, of course, but also in encouraging our own ideas are also heard. Perhaps not accepted, but heard – and that’s okay, because by the way, they’re always right.”
With 48 Emmy nominations and 9 wins so far, the evolving Hacks storyline continues to turn heads and grab the attention of audiences from all walks of life. So, how does Indelicato feel that the show keeps raising the bar, while bringing something new and fresh to keep viewers engaged?
“Gosh, I’m just such a fan of the show,” Indelicato said, “So sometimes, it’s almost a moment where I’m like – Oh my God, I would be watching this show, especially if I wasn’t on it. It’s hard for me to watch myself act, but I think that women, just the generational gap between Deborah and Ava, and the ways in which they fight and they argue – but yet, they need each other. There’s something about this kind of weird female friendship is something that I think that we are, as a culture, like really interested in and powerful women taking control of their lives. I’m just really stoked to be a part of it, to be honest. Literally, every time that we watch the episodes, I’m like – You guys are doing an amazing job. Wow, I can’t believe that I’m in this show.”
Being a show that is largely centered around the funny, touching and sometimes rocky friendship between Deborah, a veteran comedian, and Ava, a rising star writer, I had to bring up with Indelicato the consistent chatter across social media from many loyal Hacks fan, whom often question (and some vocally hoping for) more to this female bond than meets the eye.
Indelicato said, “Listen – I think that it was [Stephen] Colbert that asked Hannah Einbinder this recently. Do I want them to kiss again? Yes, I do – and not in a dream. Of course, I do. That would be hot – but do I think that it actually pushes the story forward? Absolutely not. I think that platonic love is something that’s also really interesting to watch, and the tumultuous nature of their platonic love. Yeah, no – I don’t see that being a thing, but if it was, I’m locked in!”
At the very end of this latest Hacks “I Love LA” episode, the show took a moment to honor the victims and first responders of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Being a television production that films a majority of its scenes across the Southern California region, I was curious what it means to Indelicato to support his entertainment community and film in an area that needs to see more production jobs returning.
“I grew up most of my life in Los Angeles and I think that everyone, every single Los Angelino, whether or not your house burnt down or anything of the like, we were all affected by the fires. We all know people, even if we still have our home, we know people that lost their home – and watching our city burn, literally, was probably the most harrowing experience of my life. In terms of rebuilding Los Angeles, we need productions to be here. We need to support the main industry of Los Angeles, which is Hollywood – which is production. I love shooting in Los Angeles – not to say that other places are not perfectly lovely, in terms of production, but I love being home – and I think a lot of people love just being home. I guess that’s such a simple sentiment, like I love LA. It’s like enough – I love Los Angeles.”
Concluding the conversation with Indelicato, I left the Hacks actor with one final question – What would you say to your character, Damien, if only you could? What does he need to hear, that you are seeing from the outside in?
Indelicato said, “You know, it’s funny because I feel like he kind of gets it in this episode of just like – Loosen up, dude. Jesus! Calm down – just hang out. I think that’s what I would say to him. Cool off, dude. You’re doing a lot right now.”
