From Stage to TV, Singing to Photography, CW Black Lightning's Wallace Smith Continues to Stand Out

Photo Credit: Chris Millsapp

To people who enjoy television and stageplays, Wallace Smith might be a face you've become familiar with but more than an actor, he is a guy who has spent over a decade building his career on the stage with the goal of leveraging that to pursue his passion in all forms of art.

Wallace has always had a love of song, stage, TV and recently discovered his love and skill in photography. Growing up in Santa Monica, California he was always interested in music and movies. He was fortunate enough to experience diversity through art at an early age but It wasn't until high school, with the help of his professor, that he got the chance to put the majority of those passions to use in the theater arts program. Graduating high school with a manager and auditions under his belt, he set his sights on making it big.

In 2004, after years of auditions, callbacks, and minor rolls, Wallace received the call he had been waiting for when he was offered the lead roll in the play he had spent years on. In an instance, his life changed when Disney gave him the chance to lead the stageplay The Lion King. From there, he felt like the trajectory of his career took off and he hasn't slowed down since. After a few years of dominating the stage, Wallace set his sights on television. In making the transition from the stage to the screen, he admits that it wasn't easy. He took what he learned from smaller television roles and used it to prepare him for his recurring role on Black Lightning, which would become his biggest TV role to date.

Photo Credit: Chris Millsapp

Over the course of his career, Wallace has been seen in Hamilton, Les Miserables, The Lion King, but he aims to continue sharting stories through his music and his photography. When speaking of pursuing these different areas of art, he says "As an artist, the more places and things you're exposed to the more well rounded you become. You have more than one perspective." He has also written a song called Black Life, which was inspired by the events of last year such as the senseless murder of George Floyd. It's his way of using his platform through his gift to express and raise awareness of the importance of injustice. "My whole life will be spent bringing awareness to the reality that it is different for Black people because I've had those negative experiences. When you feel the threat of somebody that can take your life, you want to bring awareness to that so that it can change," he shares.

Wallace will continue to stand out in a world of rare and precious stones. Whether you are supporting his acting, his music, or his photography he aims to please and never disappoint. Please be sure to support his endeavors and check out Wallace on Instagram.