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J.W. Smith is a producer and actor with over 40 years of experience in film and television. Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, he began his acting journey at The Karamu House Community Theater. In the early 1970s, J.W. relocated to New York City, where he studied under Uta Hagen at HB Studio and The Henry Street Playhouse. During this time, he formed lasting friendships with Morgan Freeman and Bill Duke, with whom he continues to collaborate on scripts and projects.
J.W. enjoyed several successful years performing on Broadway and Off-Broadway in productions such as "We Interrupt This Program," the Public Theater's "On the Goddam Lock-in," and "So Nice, They Named It Twice." Beyond acting, he produced shows in the New York City area for the Amas Repertory Theater Company.
In the early 1980s, J.W. moved to Los Angeles to pursue film and television acting, quickly landing a role on "Palmerstown, U.S.A." He was selected for Paramount Pictures' Associate Producers Training Program, contributing to notable TV series including "The Best of The West," "Taxi," and "Cheers." His television appearances also include "L.A. Law," "Cagney and Lacey," "Reno 911," "The X-Files," and "Hill Street Blues."
Demonstrating his versatility, J.W. has appeared in several well-known films such as "Red Heat" (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger), "Johnny Handsome" (with Mickey Rourke, Ellen Barkin, and Morgan Freeman), "Undisputed" (featuring Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames), "Beetlejuice" (starring Michael Keaton), "Hoodlum" (starring Laurence Fishburne and Tim Roth, directed by Bill Duke), and the cult classic "The Warriors" (directed by Walter Hill).
J.W. serves as President of 3000 Realms Entertainment, a production company he co-founded with Bryan Behuniak. Currently, the company is developing the project "Dead Wrong," executive produced by Morgan Freeman and produced by Bryan Behuniak, James Dyer, and writer Matt Benjamin.
