Jean Smart's husband, Richard Gilliland, died unexpectedly during production of the first season. Smart was about a week away from wrapping her role and stayed on to finish the show.
The actor who plays Jimmy (Paul W. Downs) is co-creator and writer for the series along with his wife, Lucia Aniello.
Many people assumed the character of Deborah Vance was based solely on the late Joan Rivers. Creators of the series stated she was an amalgamation of many people. According to Paul W. Downs, "She started as a stage act with her then partner, kind of like a Nichols and May. So there's Elaine May in there. She had a famous sitcom and then very public divorce, not unlike Lucille Ball. We also threw on Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers and Elayne Boosler and Rita Rudner and Paula Poundstone. So many female stand-ups that didn't get the recognition that some of their white male counterparts did. And obviously Jean also brought a lot of herself to the role."
Jean Smart was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 25, 2022, just a few weeks before the second season premiere.
Ava's parents are heavily based on co-creator Jen Statsky's parents; particularly her mother, who suffered from severe agoraphobia.