Algee Smith
Smith in 2016
Born (1994-11-07) November 7, 1994
Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • Rapper
Years active2012–present

Algee Smith IV (born November 7, 1994)[1] is an American actor and singer. After appearing in several small television roles, Smith first rose to fame portraying Ralph Tresvant in BET's The New Edition Story miniseries. The same year, he garnered critical acclaim as Larry Reed in Kathryn Bigelow's film Detroit.[2][3] He is also known for his role as football player Christopher "Chris" McKay in the HBO drama series Euphoria.

Early life

Smith was born in Saginaw, Michigan.[1] At the age of eight, he and his family moved from Michigan to Atlanta where he started his acting career.[2] Having a musician for a father and a fashion designer for a mother, Smith was well immersed in the arts and also completed his first rap recording at the age of 9. During this time, he attained several minor television roles; those of which he credits for "perfecting his craft."[2] Smith was home schooled for high school.[4] He left Atlanta, GA and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 20.[2]

Career

After appearances in projects such as Disney Channel's Let It Shine and Earth to Echo, Smith landed his first major acting role playing real-life singer Ralph Tresvant in The New Edition Story, which also showcased his singing and dancing abilities. Smith also starred in Kathryn Bigelow's film Detroit, which tells the story of the Algiers Motel incident. His performance was praised by critics and he received a nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture at the 2018 NAACP Image Awards.[5] He also performed a song for the Detroit film soundtrack, called "Grow."[2] On June 22, 2017, Smith released his first EP entitled Listen, featuring a blend of R&B and Hip hop tracks. In 2018, he co-starred with Amandla Stenberg in The Hate U Give, a film adaptation of the young adult novel of the same name.[6] Smith also reprised his role as Ralph Tresvant in BET's The Bobby Brown Story. In 2019, he earned a starring role as Chris McKay in the highly acclaimed TV series Euphoria. Smith returned to film in 2021, portraying Jake Winters in the film Judas and the Black Messiah, which details the work and ultimate assassination of Black Panther Party activist Fred Hampton. He also appeared and portrayed one of the main roles, Sam, in the film Mother/Android.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Earth to Echo Marcus Simms
2017 Detroit Larry Reed
2018 The Hate U Give Khalil Harris
2021 Judas and the Black Messiah Jake Winters
2021 Mother/Android Sam
2023 Young. Wild. Free. Brandon Huffman
2023 Shooting Stars Illya McGee

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2012 How To Rock Spencer 1 episode
2012 Army Wives Sam 1 episode
2012 Let It Shine Da Boss Television film
2015 Complications Theo 2 episodes
2016 The Infamous Dante Television film
2016 Here We Go Again Warren 1 episode
2016 Saints & Sinners E.J. 1 episode
2017 The New Edition Story Ralph Tresvant Miniseries; main role
2018 Electric Dreams Kaveh 1 episode
2018 The Bobby Brown Story Ralph Tresvant Miniseries; 2 episodes
2019–2022 Euphoria Chris McKay Main role (season 1), Guest role (season 2)

Discography

EPs

List of extended plays, with selected details
Title Details
Listen[7]
24[8]
  • Released: November 8, 2018
  • Format: Digital download
ATL[9]
  • Released: 2019
  • Format: digital download

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes, with selected details
Title Details
Flight Delayed[10]
  • Released: July 19, 2018
  • Format: Digital download

References

  1. 1 2 "Saginaw native Algee Smith brings New Edition role to lif e". MLive.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Lindsay, Benjamin. "Algee Smith, Detroit's Magnetic Breakout, Has Swag to Spare". HWD. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
  3. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (23 July 2017). "Film Review: Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  4. ↑ "Buro Exclusive: The cast of HBO's 'Euphoria' tells us what makes their show stand out from the rest". Buro 24/7. July 28, 2019. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Algee Smith". Algee Smith. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  6. ↑ "YA Adaptation 'The Hate U Give' Adds 'Detroit' Star Algee Smith (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2017-08-20.
  7. ↑ "Listen - EP by Algee Smith". iTunes. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  8. ↑ "24 by ALGEE SMITH". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  9. ↑ Atl by Algee Smith, archived from the original on 2022-01-23, retrieved 2021-02-13
  10. ↑ "Flight Delayed by ALGEE SMITH". SoundCloud. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
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