Gregory Smith

Interview By: Andrea Tuccillo
AndreaTuccillo@TheCinemaSource.com

Gregory Smith enters a room like any other normal guy. Easy-going, down-to-earth, and without a smidge of entitlement, he's a young actor refreshingly free of arrogance. One might not even expect that he starred for four years on the critically-acclaimed cult favorite WB show Everwood, where he played an angst-ridden young teen trying to reconnect with his father. It was a show that inspired such devotion from fans, that even after it was cancelled in 2006 they still rallied together, renting a giant Ferris wheel and planting it right outside The WB offices as a defiant symbol of their undying support. So no matter how unassuming Gregory Smith appears, never underestimate his power to engage and affect people with his acting.

Since breaking away from the demanding routine of filming a television show, Smith is pursuing roles on the big screen. His latest project, the fantasy film The Seeker: The Dark is Rising, was one he was drawn to for numerous reasons. In it he plays the main character's older brother, Max.

'I liked the character right away because most of the roles I've played I've been the little brother,' he says. 'As I grew up, I was always the little brother and this was kind of'to be the big brother looking down was another rung up that ladder of being a full-fledged adult actor. So that was kind of fun. The script was really, really great. It's a kid's movie, it's a family movie, but it was written by the same guy who wrote Shallow Grave and Trainspotting, if you could believe it. He's just a great writer so it was a really cool, interesting adaptation; very different from the book. And then getting out there, being able to go to Romania and shoot and do that sort of thing. And I'd seen some of the director's work and it was really cool. I got to do this cool, quasi-action scene. It gave me a chance to act out all sorts fantasies I've been harboring since I was like six years old.'

Directed by David L. Cunningham, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising is based on a series of children's books about a young man who discovers he is part of a group of magical warriors. He must realize his destiny and face-off against evil forces. 'My part is important, but it's not huge,' Smith explains. 'The movie really follows Will, a 13-year-old, the seeker, a young man. I wasn't there when they shot a lot of that stuff so I had no idea what stuff was going to look like, what to expect and so it was really cool to see the way David put it all together and I really enjoyed it.'

He also has his own ideas for categorizing the film. 'For me, everyone keeps comparing it to Harry Potter which is fair because on the surface it's a young protagonist, magic, and based on a popular children's novel,' he says. 'But if I had to compare it to something it felt a lot more like a young guy's Matrix to me.'

Filming in Bucharest, Romania was an exciting experience for Smith, but also a bit of a culture shock. 'It was pretty intense,' he says. 'You get there and it's like ok, I'm not in Kansas anymore. It was cool because they could build all these huge, practical sets that they wouldn't be able to build anywhere else but like days off, taking walks around the city'it's a little bit different, but an adventure. I'd spent the last four years living and working in Salt Lake City, Utah which is great, but I was kind of like jonesing to get out there and see the world. As they say, be careful what you wish for, right''

It wasn't his first time in the city, so he was able to compare his different experiences and pick up on some significant changes. 'I was there when I was like 11,' Smith recalls. 'It was 1994 or something like that and I shot two movies there and [there was] nothing familiar. They didn't even have toilet paper yet. I mean, nothing; it was wild. So it was actually kind of weird coming back eleven years later, twelve years later, and seeing like'a lot of the cast on the weekend they'd go to the mall and go to Applebee's! So they had some familiar stuff which was a little bit weird to see as well.'

Something else Smith wasn't entirely familiar with' Hand-to-hand combat. But a misunderstanding led the film crew to believe otherwise. 'They got the message that I was some kind of Tae Kwon Do expert so I got there and they're like, alright Greg, so we're gonna get you and the stunt guys to go over your karate stuff. I was like ok, cool, what karate stuff' They're like, you know, you're like a karate guy right' No. You sure' Yeah, pretty sure. But, I figured it out quick.'

So quick, in fact, that there was basically no training required. According to Smith, most of the fight sequences were coordinated moments before shooting began. Did all this fantasy action lead Smith to imagine himself playing a big-screen superhero' 'Sure, I could see myself,' he says. 'I don't know if anybody else could! Which might be an important first step, but it would be fun.'

Could there be a sequel to The Seeker in the works' Smith wouldn't rule it out considering it's based on a series of books, but it also depends on how successful the movie is. If there does turn out to be a second installment, one thing's for sure: Smith will not be reading ahead to find out the fate of his character. 'Then you just set yourself up for disappointment, right'' he says. 'I did a movie called Harriet the Spy which is based on a children's book. I did it when I was like in 7th grade or 8th grade and after they wrote Harriet the Spy, the author Luise Fitzhugh wrote a book called Sport. My character's name was Sport so I was like, Bam! Went to the bookstore, I'm like Sport, this is next baby. They never even thought about making it, so I learned my lesson there.'

Smith won't forget the lessons he learned as a child actor, and he also won't soon forget his experience on Everwood. It's the job for which he is most recognized and most associated. Though Everwood was a little-seen gem, the fans who truly loved it worked hard to make their presence known. Smith recalls their one final act of appreciation: 'The show was cancelled and everybody I guess was really upset about it, the people that really liked the show. And so they recreated the last scene of the show which involved myself and the girl I end up with and a big Ferris wheel. They recreated it outside of the network's office. And they like rode the Ferris wheel all day being like, Damn you! Damn you for canceling Everwood! We have our revenge! There's a Ferris wheel! [Laughs] It was pretty wacky but it's a compliment.'

Though the show ended after just four seasons, it was able to come to a satisfying conclusion. 'It was sad when it was ending because it's become such a big part of your life, doing it 10 months a year for four years,' he says. 'And you know, I moved to a whole new place and I started this whole new life all based on this show. It was also kind of nice to sort of break out and fortunately be able to do other things. It was definitely a nice way to end where it wasn't like, God somebody finally put a bullet in it. It was like, people were sad to see us go which is the only thing you could really ask for. Everything's going to end eventually.'

As far as Gregory Smith's career is concerned, this is just the beginning.