Gregory Marshall Smith

Born in Somerville, Massachusetts and raised primarily in West Medford, Massachusetts, Gregory Smith is the youngest of three sons of Eric Ronald and Gail Frances. Developing an early interests in writing from watching old science fiction movies and TV shows, he eventually majored in journalism in college. After graduating from Prairie View A&M in 1989 and receiving a Navy commission, he served as engineer officer aboard USS Blue Ridge, flagship of the U.S. 7th Fleet. He is a decorated veteran of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. During his naval service in Japan, he did background roles in two films by Takeshi "The Beat" Kitano -- "Boiling Point" in 1990 and "Sonatine" in 1992. He also played a cold-blooded killer in a low-budget Japanese student-directed trilogy called "Heiju" in 1991. There was also a quick appearance in the obscure Hong Kong action film "Steep" as a black ops facilitator. During this time, he kept up with his writing skills by freelancing for Tokyo-based Mini-World Magazine. After his naval service ended, he returned to journalism, writing for magazines and, later, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He portrayed a photographer for SpeedChannel in a two-part episode for "Walker, Texas Ranger" in 1999. However, his sports writing duties precluded further roles. A move to Atlanta changed his fortunes and he began acting again in 2009, as a hobby, taking background roles in "Life As We Know It," "Detroit 1-8-7," "Fast Five," "Franklin & Bash," "Wanderlust," "The Odd Life of Timothy Green," "Joyful Noise" and "What To Expect When You're Expecting," among others. His most recent projects are Golden Globe-winning "Homeland" with Claire Danes and "Flight" with Denzel Washington and Robert Zemeckis. A published author, he continues to fit in the occasional acting role while writing science fiction, fantasy and horror novels and short stories.