The College of Entertainment and the Arts hosted the annual event, “Artist Talk,” with actor Jason Matthew Smith on Wednesday night in Shamblin Theater.
Smith started his Hollywood career in the movie Airborne released in 1993. Since then he has worked in several popular shows including ER, Bones, CSI and Sons of Anarchy. He also worked with Harrison Ford in Hollywood Homicide released in 2003.
Smith is best known for his role as “Cupcake” in the Star Trek reboot directed by J.J. Abrams.
The Midwest-football-star-turned-actor shared his journey in the entertainment industry and gave advice to students pursuing careers in acting, directing, writing and animation.
Though he originally started his acting career to impress a girl, Smith’s first play, The Wizard of Oz, turned into a serious profession.
“I couldn’t decide on what I wanted to do, so I did everything,” Smith said. “That’s why I became an actor.”
Smith detailed his experience moving across the country to pursue acting, and how much of a culture shock it was living in a place so different from home.
“When I got to Los Angeles, I was freaked out,” Smith remembered. “It is like the biggest market you can ever imagine. It it overwhelming for someone from the Midwest.”
With 17 years of Hollywood acting under his belt, Smith did not hesitate to stress the difficulties in the industry and the low points that come with the profession.
“You think that you’re unique, but you walk into a room out in Los Angeles for a role that is being cast, and you’re going to see people who look just like you, and it’s really weird.”
Growing up with a preacher as his father also impacted Smith and the way he formed his career in a secular field with a Christian background.
“I have had to turn down roles because of my beliefs, and it limits you,” Smith noted.
Along with sharing the struggles and successes of his career, Smith also gave advice to students looking to pursue careers in the entertainment business. He detailed the importance of networking and making connections, and he also gave basic tips on where to live in Los Angeles and how to get around.
Smith advised students that the most important step is to create a plan for achieving their goals.
Freshman Animation student Tyla Foster found Smith’s advice very helpful, and she connected it to her current classes.
“I liked what he said about having two jobs and being able to do more than one thing,” Foster said. “I thought that was really cool because that is what Tom Bancroft (Artist in Residence at Lipscomb) is teaching us.”