Paul W Downs Interviewed By Celeb Representatives

Following the conclusion of the Emmy-winning Hacks – centred on tormented Hollywood manager Jimmy LuSaque Jr – real-life celebrity representatives grill the star and co-creator on saying goodbye.

“I’m screaming, crying, throwing up,” says Paul W Downs. The conclusion of Hacks – the five-season comedy-drama tour-de-force, in which he served as co-writer and star – is the source of his physical unease. “Leaving these people feels like the craziest breakup of my life, and I’m not enjoying it at all. But also, I am getting better sleep, so there is that.”

Since its 2021 premiere, Hacks has followed fictional old-school Vegas stand-up performer Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) as she attempts to find her way back to career health, with the help of shunned millennial comedy writer, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). One thing the two characters have in common, from their first turbulent meeting, is their manager: the long-suffering Jimmy LuSaque Jr, played with stoicism by Downs, as he grapples with tumultuous temperaments, boundary invasions and the gambles of advocating for clients that, at times, seem hard to defend.

Lu Saque Jr’s consummate professionalism deserves the real-life acclaim the show has had – no less than twelve Emmy wins, including one for ‘Outstanding Comedy Series’ in 2024, four Golden Globes and five Writers Guild of America awards.

Through it all, Downs has immersed himself fully in the mind of the fictional agent, setting out, as he tells Man About Town, with a central priority: “To come off sexy, strong and spiritual.” As he travelled through the series’ run, the process altered the actor’s perception of his own representatives. “I guess if anything, it’s made me expect more of them, because Jimmy would literally do anything for his clients,” he explains. “Short of boofing cocaine for them. But, if boofing cocaine would help my career, I hope they would do that for me.”

To mark Hacks’ final bow, we gather four real-world celebrity representatives to table questions to the man who, with laughs aplenty, gave their profession its own turn in the spotlight.

Jen, talent representative, LA

What’s one real-life thing your own manager or agent does or says that you worked into the role of Jimmy?

I cannot give away their secrets. Their secrets are my secrets.

Katerina, talent representative, London

Over the course of writing Hacks’ five seasons, what direction did you take with a character that you wouldn’t have expected when the show started?

Because I started as an actor, I love writing for performers. And when there is a performer we love, it’s hard not to want to write for them more. So there were characters that weren’t meant to return as much or as often, like Mayor Jo, Wilson or Weed. But Lauren Weedman, Johnny Sibilly, and of course Laurie Metcalf were just so inspiring to write for, we wanted to find ways to work them in whenever it made sense for the story.

Do you have an evening ritual or routine before going on set the next day?

10,000 sit ups and pushups. Sometimes I forget though.

Alice, talent representative, London

What’s the most chaotic or worst fictional PR crisis Jimmy could realistically survive?

Jimmy and Kayla getting caught at the Coldplay concert canoodling. His official response: ‘She was just complaining about being cold, and I was trying to warm her up platonically, so we didn’t have to leave early and miss “Yellow”!

As someone who works with talent professionally, what do you think Hacks gets most right about the relationship between artists and the people managing them behind the scenes?

I think a lot of the time, the work that’s done by reps is invisible to talent, because it involves so much more than just putting someone up for a job.

Which type of client would Jimmy fear most: a legacy rockstar, a Gen Z TikTok popstar or an awards season actor?

A Gen Z TikTok star. One storyline we toyed with that never made it to script was Kayla signing a TikTok prankster named Da Dookie King, who drove Jimmy insane. He posed as a police officer to harass him, covered him with silly string, you know, normal stuff. I think finding his office filled to the brim with packing peanuts would have pushed Jimmy to the brink.