Entertainment
Los Angeles, October 10 - The Summer I Turned Pretty star Christopher Briney has officially joined the cast of HBO's Hacks for its highly anticipated Season 5, currently in production.
The Emmy winning comedy, starring Jean Smart as legendary comedian Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as her sharp Gen Z writer Ava Daniels, will return with new faces, and Briney's addition is already generating buzz online.
A Quirky Reveal by HBO Max
Briney's casting announcement came in true Hacks fashion, through a witty Instagram post by HBO Max. The streamer shared a paparazzi-style photo showing Briney on set with Smart, captioned simply, "anon pls".
In the picture, Briney appears in a partially unbuttoned shirt, revealing tattoos and a neatly groomed beard, while Smart's Debborah Vance clings to him, laughing as they exit what looks like a hotel. Fans immediately flooded the comments with speculation about his role.
Character Details Still Under Wraps
While HBO has kept quiet about Briney's character, a behind-the-scenes image from Warner Bros. Discovery shows him with his arm around Deborah's waist- both smiling widely. The shot suggests a charming or possibly mischievous new addition to Deborah's orbit.
The series' creators, Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello, and Jen Statsky, continue to lead as showrunners. Hacks has been a consistent award magnet, previously winning the Emmy for Best Comedy Series, with Smart earning four consecutive Emmys for her performance and Einbinder taking home her first earlier this year.
Briney's Expanding Hollywood Portfolio
For Briney, this marks his second major TV role after playing fan-favorite Conrad Fisher in Amazon Prime Video's The Summer I Turned Pretty, based on Jenny Han's bestselling novels. The young actor will reprise his role in Han's upcoming film adaptation, alongside Lola Tung and Gavin Casalegno.
Briney also appeared as Aaron Samuels in Paramount's 2024 Mean Girls musical movie. Represented by Industry Entertainment, CESD and Vision PR, the actor continues to diversify his career with both YA drama and adult comedy projects.
What's Next for Hacks?
Created by Downs, Aniello, and Statsky, Hacks explores the darkly funny mentorship between Deborah and Ava as they navigate the entertainment industry. The ensemble cast also includes Downs, Megan Staller, Rose Abdoo, and Mark Indelicato.
Season 5 is expected to dig deeper into Deborah's comeback era and Ava's evolving creative independence, and now with Briney's mysterious new character adding to the dynamic.
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