Smart Objects in Character Animator

Perhaps there is a better way of doing this, but it is eluding me. I am making a character that needs to be mostly hidden behind a clipping mask. The face has many layers that are included for expressions, etc. However, Since I can't use a clipping mask on a group, I would have to put the mask on each layer inside the group. That is cumbersom to say the least. Simple solution is to make a smart object out of the group and clip the mask to that. However, it seems Character Animator doesn't show smart objects. It will import fine, but nothing is shown.