It’s been over a decade since the pilot of Smash aired on NBC, and honestly, the show still lives rent-free in the heads of musical theater fans everywhere. You remember the vibe. It was 2012. We were all obsessed with the idea of a "prestige" Broadway drama produced by Steven Spielberg. But when people talk about the cast of Smash season 1, they usually get stuck on the Karen vs. Ivy rivalry.
There was so much more happening.
The show wasn't just a singing competition; it was a bizarre, high-stakes experiment that mixed actual Broadway royalty with Hollywood heavy hitters and American Idol survivors. Looking back from 2026—now that the Smash musical has finally conquered the Imperial Theatre on Broadway—the original TV cast feels like a fever dream of "before they were famous" moments.
💡 You might also like: Why Never See Me Again Lyrics Still Haunt the Internet
The Power Struggle: McPhee vs. Hilty
Basically, the entire first season hinged on one question: Who is Marilyn?
On one side, you had Katharine McPhee as Karen Cartwright. Fresh off her American Idol run, McPhee was the "ingenue" from Iowa. Critics at the time were sometimes harsh about her acting, but you can’t deny the girl had pipes. She was the outsider, the one the show wanted us to root for, even if she was occasionally written as a bit too naive for the cutthroat world of 42nd Street.
Then there was Megan Hilty as Ivy Lynn. If you’re a theater person, you already knew Hilty from Wicked and 9 to 5. She was the "pro." The veteran ensemble member who had paid her dues and was finally ready for her close-up.
The brilliance of the cast of Smash season 1 was that the "villain" (Ivy) was actually the person most of the audience was secretly—or not so secretly—rooting for. Hilty brought a desperate, fragile humanity to Ivy that made her more than just a rival. When she loses the role to Karen in the Boston previews? It still hurts to watch.
The Writers and the "Villain" We All Hated
While the girls were fighting for the wig, the adults in the room were creating the chaos.
- Debra Messing (Julia Houston): Coming off Will & Grace, Messing was the big name. She played the lyricist with a serious scarf obsession and a messy personal life. Her affair with Michael Swift (played by Will Chase) was the subplot that launched a thousand "why is she doing this?" tweets.
- Christian Borle (Tom Levitt): Borle is a literal Broadway legend (two Tonys!), and his chemistry with Messing was the show’s emotional anchor. He played the composer who hated the director, and honestly, his witty barbs were the best part of the script.
- Jack Davenport (Derek Wills): He was the "difficult" director. Davenport played him with this oily, British charm that made you understand why everyone was terrified of him but also why they wanted his approval.
And then... there was Ellis.
Jaime Cepero played Ellis Boyd, the assistant who everyone loved to hate. Seriously, the internet’s collective rage toward Ellis was a bonding experience for fans. He was the conniving, peanut-smoothie-sabotaging villain that the show eventually had to fire because he was just too annoying. Cepero actually talked about this in a 2020 reunion, mentioning how people still come up to him on the street to tell him they hate his character. That's a job well done.
The "Before They Were Superstars" Ensemble
If you look at the background of the cast of Smash season 1, you’ll see faces that are now massive stars.
Most notably: Leslie Odom Jr. Before he was Aaron Burr in Hamilton or an Oscar nominee, he was Sam Strickland, a dancer in the ensemble who eventually dates Tom. He didn’t have a huge role in season 1, but every time he sang, you could tell he was destined for something bigger.
We also had Ann Harada as Linda, the stage manager. Harada is a Broadway icon (Avenue Q), and she brought that dry, "I’ve seen everything" energy that every real stage manager has. It gave the show a much-needed dose of reality amidst all the melodrama.
Why the Season 1 Cast Still Matters
The casting wasn't just about finding people who could sing. It was about creating a bridge between the niche world of the Tonys and the mainstream world of NBC.
When Anjelica Huston walked on screen as producer Eileen Rand, it gave the show instant gravitas. Watching an Academy Award winner throw drinks in her ex-husband’s face (a running gag with Michael Cristofer as Jerry) was the high-camp energy we didn't know we needed.
✨ Don't miss: Nicki Minaj Songs: Hey Mama and the Truth About Who Really Sang That Hook
Cast Career Highlights Post-Smash
| Actor | Smash Role | What They Did Next |
|---|---|---|
| Megan Hilty | Ivy Lynn | Tony nomination for Noises Off, starred in Death Becomes Her (2024-2025) |
| Katharine McPhee | Karen Cartwright | Starred in Scorpion for 4 seasons, Broadway debut in Waitress |
| Christian Borle | Tom Levitt | Won a Tony for Something Rotten!, starred in Some Like It Hot |
| Leslie Odom Jr. | Sam Strickland | Hamilton (Tony win), Glass Onion, Purlie Victorious |
| Brian d'Arcy James | Frank Houston | Spotlight (Oscar-winning film), Into the Woods revival |
The Guest Stars That Broke the Internet
Season 1 wasn't just about the regulars. They brought in the big guns.
Bernadette Peters showed up as Ivy’s mom, Leigh Conroy, a faded Broadway star. When she sang "Everything's Coming Up Roses" during the workshop, it was a meta-moment for theater geeks everywhere. Then you had Uma Thurman as Rebecca Duvall, the movie star who can’t actually sing. It was a risky move, but Thurman’s "terrible" performance was actually pretty brilliant in its awkwardness.
What Most People Miss About the Casting
The show faced a lot of "hate-watching" toward the end of its run, but the cast of Smash season 1 was remarkably solid. The issues weren't with the talent; they were with the writing.
Theresa Rebeck, the creator, wanted a gritty look at the industry. After she was pushed out, the show got a bit "poppier" in season 2 (hello, Jeremy Jordan and Jennifer Hudson), but season 1 remains the purest version of that original vision.
The fact that Krysta Rodriguez (who played Ana Vargas in season 2) is the only original TV cast member currently starring in the 2025 Broadway musical production of Smash is a wild full-circle moment. She actually plays a version of the Julia/Tracy character now, rather than the "Diva" role she had on screen.
How to Revisit the Smash Magic
If you’re looking to dive back into the world of Bombshell and the cast of Smash season 1, here’s the best way to do it:
- Stream the Pilot: It’s still one of the best-constructed pilots in TV history. The ending with "Let Me Be Your Star" is iconic for a reason.
- Listen to the Soundtrack: Skip the covers and go straight to the Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman originals. "The 20th Century Fox Mambo" and "History Is Made at Night" are genuine theater classics.
- Watch the 2015 Bombshell Concert: If you can find the footage, the cast reunited for a one-night-only concert at the Minskoff Theatre. It shows just how much this cast loved the material, despite the behind-the-scenes drama.
- Check out the 2025 Broadway Show: If you're in New York, the new stage version is a complete reimagining. It’s funny, meta, and fixes a lot of the plot holes that plagued the TV series.
The legacy of the Smash cast isn't just a cancelled TV show. It's a group of incredibly talented people who proved that Broadway belongs on a national stage. Whether you were Team Karen or Team Ivy, you have to admit—they really did make us stars for a little while.
Next Steps for Fans:
Go find the 2020 pandemic reunion on YouTube. Seeing the whole cast, including a very happy-looking Jack Davenport and a hilarious Leslie Odom Jr., reminds you why we fell in love with this messy, beautiful show in the first place. Once you've done that, compare the original "Bombshell" tracklist to the new Broadway cast recording to see which songs actually made the cut.