SMITH, Roger Guenveur 1959(?)–

(Roger Smith, Roger G. Smith)

PERSONAL

Born July 27, 1959 (some sources say 1960), in Berkeley, CA; son of Sherman (a judge) and Helen (a dentist) Smith; married Carolina; children: Luna Rae. Education: Occidental College, B.A., American Studies, c. 1982; Yale School of Drama, M.A.; apprenticed at the Keskide Arts Centre, London, England.

Addresses:

Agent—Don Buchwald & Associates, 6500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 2200, Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Manager—Steven Adams Entertainment, 2018 N. Vine St., Los Angeles, CA 90068. Publicist—Perception PR, 13333 Ventura Blvd., Suite 203, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423.

Career:

Actor, writer, and director. Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art Performance, artist–in–residence, 2001.

Awards, Honors:

NAACP Awards, best playwright and best actor, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1995, L.A. Weekly Award, best solo performance, 1996, and Obie Award, Special Citation, 1997, for A Huey P. Newton Story; Image Award nomination, outstanding actor in a television movie, miniseries, or dramatic special, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 2002, for A Huey P. Newton Story; L.A. Weekly Award, best two–person show, for Inside the Creole Mafia; Barrymore Award, for A Huey P. Newton Story.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

(As Roger Smith) Yoda, School Daze, Columbia, 1988.

Smiley, Do the Right Thing, MCA/Universal, 1989.

Tanner, King of New York, Seven Arts Entertainment, 1990.

Eddie, Deep Cover, New Line Cinema, 1992.

Rudy, Malcolm X (also known as X), Warner Bros., 1992.

Heywood, Poetic Justice, Columbia, 1993.

Pruitt, Panther, Gramercy, 1995.

Rhodie, Tales from the Hood, Savoy Pictures, 1995.

Gary, Get on the Bus, Columbia, 1996.

Lenny Meraux, Eve's Bayou, Trimark Pictures, 1997.

Big Time Willie, He Got Game, Buena Vista, 1998.

Detective Curt Atwater, Summer of Sam, Buena Vista, 1999.

Agent Schreck, Final Destination, New Line Cinema, 2000.

Henson, Facade (also known as Death Valley), 2000.

Julian Ramose, All about the Benjamins (also known as All about the Money), New Line Cinema, 2002.

Charles Blocker, MVP, 2003.

(As Roger G. Smith) Marlo, Shade, Dimension Films, 2003.

Craig, Lesser of Three Evils, 2003.

Carter, Justice, 2004.

Solomon, God's Waiting List, 2005.

Television Appearances; Series:

Professor Howard Randolph, A Different World, NBC, 1990.

Miles Christopher, All My Children, ABC, 1997–98.

Francisco Dupre, K Street, HBO, 2003.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Laertes, Hamlet, Odyssey, 2000.

Television Appearances; Movies:

(As Roger Smith) Professor Ford, The O. J. Simpson Story, Fox, 1995.

(As Roger G. Smith) Mac McGhee, The Color of Courage, USA Network, 1999.

Quinn Mathis, Incognito, Black Entertainment Television, 1999.

Napoliano, The Warden, TNT, 2001.

Title role, A Huey P. Newton Story, Black Starz!, 2001.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Workfare video person, Override, Showtime, 1994.

"Space Traders," Cosmic Slop, HBO, 1994.

The 12th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, syndicated, 1997.

Love Letter to New York (documentary), PBS, 2000.

Reader, Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives (documentary), HBO, 2003.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Man in gallery, "Eldin Imitates Life," Murphy Brown, CBS, 1991.

Forbes, "The Last Hurrah," New York Undercover, Fox, 1997.

Prisoner #97M688 Huseni Mershah, "To Your Health," Oz, HBO, 1997.

Prisoner #97M688 Huseni Mershaw, "Plan B," Oz, HBO, 1997.

Terry Pennington, "A Farewell to Arm," City of Angels, CBS, 2000.

"The Next Life," The Guardian, CBS, 2002.

Stage Appearances:

Sky, That Serious He–Man Bull, American Place, New York City, 1987.

First citizen, senator, soldier, and Tullus Aufidius, Volscian general, Coriolanus, Joseph Papp Public Theater/Anspacher Theatre, New York City, 1988.

Frederick Douglass Now, La Mama Theatre, New York City, 1990.

Inside the Creole Mafia, 1991.

Christopher Columbus, New York City, 1992.

A Huey P. Newton Story, 1993, then Los Angeles, 1996, later Joseph Papp Public Theater/LuEsther Hall, New York City, 1997.

Iceland: A Work in Progress, Walker Art Centre, Minneapolis, MN, 2001.

Iceland, Arden Theatre Company, Philadelphia, PA, 2002, then PS 122, New York City, 2004.

Two Fires, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Philadelphia, PA, 2003.

Also appeared in The Birthday Party; Agamemnon; The Task; Suecnos; It's a Man's World.

Major Tours:

A Huey P. Newton Story, U.S. cities, 1997—.

Iceland, U.S. cities, 2002—.

Stage Work:

Director, A Huey P. Newton Story, Joseph Papp Public Theater/LuEsther Hall, New York City, 1997.

WRITINGS

Television Movies:

A Huey P. Newton Story, Black Starz!, 2001.

Plays:

Frederick Douglass Now, produced at La Mama Theatre, New York City, 1990.

Inside the Creole Mafia, produced 1991.

Christopher Columbus, produced in New York City, 1992.

A Huey P. Newton Story, produced 1993, then Los Angeles, 1996, later Joseph Papp Public Theater/LuEsther Hall, New York City, 1997, and other U.S. cities.

Iceland: A Work in Progress, produced at Walker Art Centre, Minneapolis, MN, 2001.

Iceland, produced at Arden Theatre Company, Philadelphia, PA, 2002, then PS 122, New York City, 2004.

Two Fires, produced at Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Philadelphia, PA, 2003.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 12, Gale Research, 1996.

Periodicals:

American Theatre, January, 2003, p. 52.

Essence, June, 1991, p. 36.

Jet, May 28, 2001, p. 64.