Guest stars galore on “Hacks”: Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder preview Tony Goldwyn and Christina Hendricks' roles

The cast of the Max comedy previews Deborah's plan to secure a coveted hosting job — plus, Hannah Einbinder teases Ava's fling with Christina Hendricks.

Tony Goldwyn is trading the Oval Office for the corner office.

The Scandal alum guest stars in episode 6 (May 16) of Hacks’ current season as Bob Lipka, a media conglomerate CEO, who Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance is trying to win over in her bid to snag that open late-night host job.

During a weekend golf retreat, Deborah — with Ava (Hannah Einbinder) in tow as her caddy — schmoozes with network affiliates to convince them that she, not another guy, should have the job.

In fear she might intimidate the guys with her incredible golf skills, Deborah dials back her game on the fairway…which didn’t prove difficult for Smart, who gives a firm “no” and laughs when asked if she plays in real life. “Thank God in a couple of the scenes I’m supposed to be golfing badly because I’m trying to cozy up to cute little Tony Goldwyn,” the actress, who’s won two Emmys for the comedy, tells Entertainment Weekly, adding that she got some lessons from famous friends — Hacks costar Christopher McDonald and The Morning Show’s Joe Pacheco — who showed her the basics.

Hacks serves as a reunion of sorts for Smart and Goldwyn: He guest-starred on a 1987 episode of her hit sitcom Designing Women. “He was in his 20s, and he played a young man who comes to us to ask us to help design a funeral. And I finally ask him, ‘Is it okay if we ask whose funeral?’ And he says, ‘It's for me. I have AIDS,’” Smart recalls. “Linda Bloodworth-Thomason wrote such a beautiful episode. To this day, men still come up to her on the street and say, ‘You have no idea how that episode changed my life. My family saw the show. We were able to talk about the fact that I was gay for the first time.’ I mean, all this amazing stuff. And he was just wonderful on the show.”

Related: Deidre Hall to appear on 'Hacks' season 3— check out first-look photos of her and guest star Christopher Lloyd

Goldwyn isn’t the only guest star who’s hitting the links in the episode: Mad Men alum Christina Hendricks also appears, catching Ava’s eye in the process. Einbinder admits being a “huge fan” and was rightfully excited upon hearing the casting news. “I did die, obviously,” she says, deadpan. “I’m speaking to you from beyond the grave.”

Once she came back to life and it was time to film their scenes, Einbinder was ready to dig into her hot-and-heavy moment with Hendricks. But not for the reasons you may be thinking.

“The thing about intimacy on Hacks is that it's only truly intimate for a couple seconds, and then it's hilarious,” Einbinder says. “The joke quickly kind of saves the day. It is always fun to have that to break up the energy and keep it in the comedy zone.”

Related: Watch Deborah and Ava's awkward reunion in the Hacks season 3 premiere

As for how and why that scene turns funny, Einbinder was, “very pleased to see the reveal and just how extreme it gets.”

Episodes 5 and 6 of Hacks premiere Thursday, May 16, on Max.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.