Roger Guenveur Smith

Roger Guenveur Smith is a renowned American actor, director, and writer, known primarily for his frequent collaborations with Hollywood director Spike Lee. He was born on July 27, 1955, in Berkeley, California, the child of dentist Helen Guenveur and Judge Sherman Smith. Smith's educational pursuits saw him attend Loyola High School in Los Angeles, graduate from Occidental College Los Angeles getting Bachelor of Arts and Yale University, Connecticut for Master of Fine Arts, where he skillfully auditioned for Drama School, deviating from his original choice of a graduate degree in history. Additionally, he studied at the Keskidee Arts Centre in London, England, amplifying his expertise in his field.

Smith's extensive career in the film industry involves significant partnerships with Spike Lee, including roles in films like School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, among others. He had a recurring role on A Different World during the 90s. Smith took center stage in 1996 in his self-written, self-produced one-man theatre show, A Huey P. Newton Story, which marked the life of Black Panther Party founder Huey P. Newton. His work in major studio productions and independent film projects have received much acclaim. Apart from films, Smith also left his mark on television and video games, having a crucial role in Steven Soderbergh & George Clooney's TV series K-Street on HBO and voicing Bao-Dur in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II The Sith Lords. More recently, he played the role of 'Isaiah' in the 2016 film The Birth of a Nation. His versatility even extended to bring life to history's prominent figures like Booker T. Washington in the 2020 Netflix miniseries Self Made.