Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Smith.
Christopher, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Birmingham/Bessemer, Alabama, as the oldest grandchild. I was always quiet and never said much growing up and it seemed as if I was in my own head a lot and always thinking. I grew up with two sisters and later discovered I had more siblings on my Dad side of the family and I’m forever grateful to have more blood out there to love and to take care of. Majority of my childhood was taken away from me due to foster care. I had to mature at a faster rate than any other child because with me and my sisters being in foster care, the situation felt severe and even life-threatening (mentally) in a way because we could never see our mother on a consistent basis. She fought so hard for us and she won and we were able to start over here in Atlanta, where we stayed in the projects and I took on new challenges.
I had to learn to embrace my adversity because when I got out of the system, it changed me in a positive way. I had a strong imagination, which made me more creative. It taught me to value family because I was always away from them. It allowed me to be independent and think on my own, even at such a young age. I continued to reflect and use these lessons and it gave me a high school diploma from South Atlanta High School, a bachelor’s degree (Business Management) from Georgia College, and an acting career that I’m humbled to even have a passion for.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I first realized I wanted to do acting on a professional level, it instantly became a bumpy road because I didn’t know where to begin. I started doing research and learned that I needed headshots first, so I got them and just applied to different roles. Frustration played a lot in my journey because I started to get emails and calls to audition and would never make the cut. One of the struggles I started realizing was that this isn’t theater anymore so I had to separate that skill set and learn to perform in front of a camera. Later on down the road, I finally got a supporting lead role in a short film called “A leg Up”.
After getting this role, I started to gain motivation and embrace the no’s and be grateful to have had a call to audition in the first place. Another struggle I encountered that I think really changed me as a whole was my battle with anxiety. When I studied characters, some reminded me of myself and certain characters brought back memories of my past that I never wanted to come back. It was hurting me mentally, so I had to learn to fuel those emotions into my actual character because I know I’m not the only one that goes through these types of things and hopefully, one day, I can inspire someone going through the same thing while trying to pursue their dreams.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I started acting my Sophomore year of college and since my first ever performance, I was very attracted to entertaining. I enjoy it because acting takes me out of my own reality and helps me understand the reality of others. My first performance was for the play, The Ballad of Emmett Till and it was an incredible yet mourning experience because his reality is what sparked everything regarding racism and its even hitting home now with the Black Lives Matter movement; so I told myself I’m going to entertain with a purpose and change the narrative on certain issues by acting and writing my own content because I believe that I’m playing my most important role in my entire career which is being a person of color.
What sets me apart from other actors that I believe is important is my facial expressions when developing a character. Whenever I show my family or friends my reels, they would always comment on that in a positive way. They’re the ones that encouraged me to keep going, which is what I’m most proud of. Not being able to give up with the help of your day ones is always an accomplishment for me because I value them so much.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
In my first ever short film called “A Leg Up,” I won best supporting actor at the Toronto short film festival and nominated at several film festivals all over the world. This film was screened at over 20 film festivals. This milestone motivated me to get better and I started taking acting classes, started writing my own content more often, and observing other people’s experiences to bring my characters to life. Once I started improving, I was getting more opportunities, whether it was huge or small, in order to build my portfolio to find an agent. I did a flashback scene with Dead Pool’s Brianna Hildebrand in the film, “The Time Capsule” and learned a lot by just observing and listening. Earlier this year, I was the supporting character in a short film called “You Owe Me,” which is releasing soon. I know my journey is far from ending, so I have to be patient and continue to work on my craft.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.backstage.com/u/ChristopherRSmith
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cs1_smith
Image Credit:
Zabian Productions
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