Roger Guenveur Smith

Roger Guenveur Smith (born July 27, 1955) is an American actor, director, and writer. --- Smith was born in 1955 in Berkeley, California, the son of Helen Guenveur, a dentist, and Sherman Smith, a judge. He attended Occidental College (American Studies) in Los Angeles and Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where he successfully auditioned for the Drama School, switching from his pursuit of a graduate degree in History. Additionally, Smith studied at the Keskidee Arts Centre in London, England. Smith received an Obie Award for his signature solo performance in A Huey P. Newton Story on stage. In film, Smith has had a successful collaboration with Spike Lee on several works. He has appeared in films such as School Daze, Do the Right Thing, King of New York with Christopher Walken, Panther, Malcolm X, Get On The Bus, Eve's Bayou, He Got Game, and Summer of Sam. During the 1990s, he had a recurring role on A Different World and Homicide: Life on the Street. In 1996, he starred in the self-written and produced A Huey P. Newton Story, a one-man performance based on the life of Black Panther Party founder Huey P. Newton. A performance was later filmed by Spike Lee and released in 2001. In addition to his performances in major studio productions, Smith continues to work in and support independent film projects. In 2003, Smith had a starring role in the Steven Soderbergh/George Clooney TV series K-Street on HBO. --- Smith works and resides in Los Angeles, California. He also resides in New York City and also appeared in the acclaimed HBO Series, OZ, Season One, the film Tales from the Hood with Corben Bernsen, Final Destination, and a multitude of other film, television and stage appearances. He is divorced from Carolina Smith, the mother of his grown daughter.