Jean Smart, Tony Goldwyn Recall His 1987 Guest-Starring Role on 'Designing Women's' AIDS Episode
By Gina Vivinetto
Published on April 16, 2026.
Jean Smart and Tony Goldwyn starred in a groundbreaking "Designing Women" episode about the AIDS crisis in 1987. The pair recalled the episode during a visit to TODAY to promote the final season of "Hacks." Goldwyn had previously appeared in a guest-starring role in a Season 2 episode titled "Killing All the Right People." The episode marked one of the earliest mentions of AIDS on primetime television. Smart praised Goldwyn's portrayal and the episode's creator, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, for handling the serious subject matter. She also revealed that her mother, Claudia Bloodworth, died of AIDS in 1986 from a blood transfusion.
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