Rex Smith (born September 19, 1955) is an American actor and singer. Smith made his acting debut in the Broadway musical Grease in 1978. He is noted for his role as Jesse Mach in the 1985 television series Street Hawk; being the first actor to play the Marvel Comics superhero Daredevil in live action; and being a singer and stage actor. During the late 1970s, Smith was popular as a teen idol. He was featured regularly in 16 Magazine and Tiger Beat. He also had a gold top 10 single, "You Take My Breath Away", in 1979.
Rex Smith | |
|---|---|
 Rex Smith signing autographs in 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | September 19, 1955 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | Soft rock, pop |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Labels | Columbia |
| Website | rexsmith |
Career
Music
In the early 1970s, Smith was the lead singer for a band from Atlanta called Tricks and later a band named Phaedra. Smith next sang vocals in a hard rock band called Rex.[1]
In 1979, he had a hit single from the television film Sooner or Later, entitled "You Take My Breath Away", which reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is on the platinum-selling album Sooner or Later, which is also named after the film. The music for this song was written by Stephen J. Lawrence and the lyrics were written by Bruce Hart. For many years, it was a staple on the play lists of FM radio stations with a soft rock or "lite" format.
In 1981, Smith hit the top 40 again with a remake of "Everlasting Love", in a duet with singer Rachel Sweet. Peaking at No. 32, the song is Smith's last charting hit to date. The song also became Smith's only hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 35.[2]
Smith performed live at the 1982 Miss Universe pageant main event night, held in Lima, Peru.[3]
His latest album was released in 2000 and entitled Simply...Rex. It was re-released in 2006 and re-titled You Take My Breath Away.[4]
In 2016, Rex performed in the Philippines at the Kia Theatre, Araneta Center.[5]
Television
Smith is best known for his role as motorcycle police officer Jesse Mach in the short-running 1985 television series Street Hawk, but he has also made guest appearances on a variety of television shows, such as The Love Boat, Baywatch, Caroline in the City and JAG. Smith has been a celebrity spokesperson for a number of corporate entities.[6]
Also in 1982, Smith replaced Andy Gibb as a host on the music variety show Solid Gold.[7]
In 1989, Smith played Daredevil (also known as Matt Murdock) in the television movie The Trial of the Incredible Hulk.[8] This was intended as a backdoor pilot for an ongoing Daredevil television series (which never materialized at the time).
From 1990 through 1992, Smith was a contract player on the CBS daytime drama As the World Turns in the role of Darryl Crawford.[9]
Stage
In 1978, he made his Broadway debut in the musical Grease in the lead role of Danny Zuko.[10]
Smith starred as Frederic in the New York Shakespeare Festival's Central Park production of The Pirates of Penzance.[11] In 1981, Smith won the Theatre World Award for his role in Pirates.[12] Smith reprised the role of Frederic in the 1983 film adaptation, along with fellow Broadway cast members Kevin Kline as the Pirate King, Linda Ronstadt as Mabel and Tony Azito as the Police Sergeant.[13]
Smith has appeared in other Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including The Scarlet Pimpernel, Grand Hotel, The Human Comedy, and Annie Get Your Gun. He played Joe Gillis opposite Diahann Carroll as Norma Desmond in the 1995 Canadian production of Sunset Boulevard.[14]
In 1995, Smith reprised his role as Danny Zuko throughout the touring production of Grease.[15]
Smith also starred as Fred Graham/Petruchio in the 2001–02 national tour of Kiss Me, Kate.[16]
In 2005, Smith again starred in The Pirates of Penzance, this time playing the role of the Pirate King.[17]
Smith appeared as the Captain in The Sound of Music at the Ogunquit Playhouse, in 2010.[18]
Smith has appeared in non-singing roles in two Neil Simon plays: Plaza Suite opposite Eve Plumb at Judson Theatre Company in 2015[19] and Barefoot in the Park at Sharon Playhouse in 2018.[20]
Most recently, Smith played the role of Billy Mack in the multi-media production Love Actually Live at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in both 2018 and 2019.[21]
Personal life
Smith has been married four times:
- Lois Smith, a Playboy bunny; married from 1978-1983 [22]
- Jamie Buell, married on February 28, 1987, and divorced in 1995. The couple have two daughters, Meagan Elizabeth (born 1987) and Madison Marie (born 1990).[23]
- Courtney Schrage, married in 1998 and divorced a few years later. She later became her husband's manager. The couple have a son, Gatsby Richard (born 1999), and a daughter, Savannah.[23]
- Dr. Tracy Lin, born and raised in Los Angeles. They were married in September, 2009.
Smith also has a son by Karen Lakey, a record-company representative with whom he had a weekend affair. Their son, Brandon, was born in 1980. Father and son met for the first time in 1997, during Smith's appearance in the musical Sunset Boulevard when he was signing autographs.[23]
Smith is the brother of Michael Lee Smith, the singer of rock band Starz.[24]
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Rex | Columbia |
| 1977 | Where Do We Go from Here | Columbia |
| 1979 | Sooner or Later | Columbia |
| 1979 | Forever | Columbia |
| 1980 | The Pirates of Penzance (Broadway Cast Album) | Elektra |
| 1981 | Everlasting Love | Columbia |
| 1983 | Camouflage | Columbia |
| 1995 | Sunset Boulevard (Original Canadian Cast Recording) | Polydor |
| 1997 | The Human Comedy (Original Broadway Cast Recording) | Kilmarnock Records |
| 1999 | The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore! (1998 Broadway Revival Cast) | Atlantic |
| 2000 | Simply…Rex (re-titled You Take My Breath Away, 2006) | MCA/Universal |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US[25] | US AC | AUS[26] | CAN | UK | |||
| 1978 | "You Take My Breath Away" | 10 | 11 | 54 | 3 | – | Sooner or Later |
| "Simply Jessie" | – | 31 | – | – | – | ||
| "Never Gonna Give You Up" | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1979 | "Forever" | – | – | – | – | – | Forever |
| "Let's Make a Memory" | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1981 | "Everlasting Love" (with Rachel Sweet) | 32 | – | 41 | – | 35 | Everlasting Love |
| "Love Will Always Make You Cry" | – | – | – | – | – | ||
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Sooner or Later | Michael Skye | TV movie |
| 1980 | Headin' for Broadway | Fast Eddie | |
| 1983 | The Pirates of Penzance | Frederic | |
| 1987 | Shades of Love: The Ballerina and the Blues | Rick Peterson | TV movie |
| 1988 | Transformations | Wolfgang Shadduck | Alternate title: Alien Transformations |
| 1989 | The Trial of the Incredible Hulk | Matt Murdock / Daredevil | TV movie |
| 1990 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer | Andy Sacks | TV movie |
| 1994 | Once in a Lifetime | Jeffrey Fields | TV movie |
| 1994 | A Passion to Kill | Ted | Alternate title: Rules of Obsession (UK) |
| 1998 | Richie Rich's Christmas Wish | Rudy | Direct-to-video |
| 2006 | Pope Dreams | Don | Alternate title: Music for My Mother |
| 2006 | Collier & Co. | Uncle Billy | Alternate title: John Schneider's Collier & Co.: Hot Pursuit! |
| 2015 | Cats Dancing on Jupiter | Rex Katz | |
| 2016 | Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel | Cube |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | California Fever | Rex Smith | Episode: "Underground Jock" |
| 1980 | The Love Boat | Mark Redding | Episode: "Vicki's First Love" |
| 1980 | Saturday Night Live | Frederic / Musical Guest | The cast of The Pirates of Penzance |
| 1982–83 | Solid Gold | Himself | Co-host (45 episodes) |
| 1984 | Faerie Tale Theatre | The Prince | Episode: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" |
| 1985 | Street Hawk | Jesse Mach | Lead role (13 episodes) |
| 1986 | New Love, American Style | Rookie | Episode: "Love and Dear Penelope" |
| 1986 | Murder, She Wrote | Stew Bennett | Episode: "If a Body Meet a Body" |
| 1986 | Dear Penelope and Peter | Ben Berlin | Pilot |
| 1987 | Houston Knights | Jake Bodine | Episode: "Desperado" |
| 1987 | Christmas with Flicka | Himself | TV special |
| 1988 | Cagney & Lacey | Jerry Wickes | Episode: "Old Flames" |
| 1990–92 | As the World Turns | Darryl Crawford | Daytime serial (40 episodes) |
| 1993 | Silk Stalkings | Bob Johnson | Episode: "Night Games" |
| 1994 | Cobra | Mark Dante | Episode: "Blast from the Past" |
| 1997 | The Sentinel | Galileo / Frank Rachins | Episode: "Dead Drop" |
| 1997 | JAG | Sgt. Max Frankl | Episode: "The Court-Martial of Sandra Gilbert" |
| 1997 | Caroline in the City | Dr. David Engel | Episode: "Caroline and the Free Cable" |
| 1998 | Pacific Blue | Hudson Miller | Episode: "Caretakers" |
| 1998 | Baywatch | Gavin | Episode: "Friends Forever" |
| 1999 | Malibu, CA | Jesse Mercer | Episode: "Jason's Song" |
| 2000 | The Norm Show | Pirate #1 | Episode: "Norm vs. Jenny" |
| 2002 | Just Cause | Keith Temple | Episode: "Fading Star" |
| 2007 | City Girls | Ben Morgan | Pilot |
Stage
| Title | Role | Production dates | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pirates of Penzance | Frederic | January 8, 1981 – November 28, 1982 | Broadway: Uris Theatre / Minskoff Theatre, New York City |
| The Human Comedy | Spangler | April 5–15, 1984 | Broadway: Royale Theatre, New York City |
| West Side Story | Tony | September 3–21, 1985 | Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. |
| Brownstone | Stuart | October 8 – December 6, 1986 | Off-Broadway: Union Square Theatre, New York City |
| Carousel | Billy Bigelow | August 15 – September 11, 1988 | US Tour |
| Anything Goes | Billy Crocker | October 18, 1988 – January 15, 1989 | US National Tour |
| Grand Hotel | Felix Von Gaigern (replacement) | April – May 1990 | Broadway: Martin Beck Theatre, New York City |
| Grease | Danny Zuko | September 24, 1994 – 1995 | US National Tour |
| Sunset Boulevard | Joe Gillis | October 15, 1995 – August 18, 1996 | Canadian Tour: Toronto |
| December 1, 1996 – April 9, 1997 | Canadian Tour: Vancouver | ||
| The Scarlet Pimpernel | Chauvelin (replacement) | October 10, 1998 – May 30, 1999 | Broadway: Minskoff Theatre, New York City |
| Annie Get Your Gun | Frank Butler | July 11 – October 29, 2000 | US National Tour |
| Frank Butler (replacement) | April 17 – May 6, 2001 | US National Tour | |
| Kiss Me, Kate | Fred Graham / Petruchio | June 19, 2001 – June 16, 2002 | US National Tour |
| The Pirates of Penzance | The Pirate King | June 30 – July 15, 2007 | Carpenter Performing Arts Center |
| The Sound of Music | Captain Georg von Trapp | June 30 – July 24, 2010 | Ogunquit Playhouse |
| Heathers: The Musical | Coach Ripper / Big Bud Dean / Ram's Dad | September 21 – October 6, 2013 | Hudson Backstage Theatre |
| Grease | Vince Fontaine | May 2 – July 27, 2014 | Welk Resorts Theatre |
| Love Actually Live | Billy Mack | November 27 – December 29, 2019 | Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts |
| November 27 – December 31, 2021 | |||
| Aida | Zoser | September 30 – October 1, 2022 | James K. Polk Theater |
References
- ^ Sally Fox (March 24, 2017). "Rex Smith: Rock and Roll Dream 1976-1983 (HNE Recordings) 24th March 2017".
{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help) - ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 509. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Rex Smith Live at Estancia Feb. 15". The Philippine Star. February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2019 – via PressReader.
- ^ "¿Qué fue del actor Rex Smith, el 'halcón callejero'?" [What happened to the actor Rex Smith, the 'street hawk'?]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). April 8, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "Simply Rex Smith". The Manila Times. September 14, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "Interview with Rex Smith". TalkinBroadway.com. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "Keeping Tabs on Celebs". Jet. September 27, 1982. p. 55.
- ^ Robin Parrish (April 9, 2015). "The First On-Screen Daredevil Was Better Than You Remember". Tech Times. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "REX SMITH from "As The World Turns" talks egos, fans and ad-libbing". National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ Daryl H. Miller and Los Angeles Daily News (March 12, 1995). "Grease!". Orlando Sentinel.
- ^ Frank Rich (January 9, 1981). "Stage: 'Pirates of Penzance' on Broadway". The New York Times.
- ^ "Theatre World Award Recipients". Theatre World Awards. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ Janet Maslin (February 20, 1983). "'Pirates' Brought from Stage to Screen". The New York Times.
- ^ Mira Friedlander (October 23, 1995). "Sunset Boulevard". Variety.
- ^ News, Daryl H. Miller Los Angeles Daily (12 March 1995). "GREASE!". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ David Lefkowitz; Kenneth Jones (January 31, 2001). "Rex Smith and Rachel York to Tour in Kiss Me, Kate". Playbill.
- ^ "Noted Star Rex Smith Performs at Bristol in Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance". City of Bellflower. Vol. 5, no. 10. The Bellflower Citizen. October 2005.
- ^ Andy Warhol and Bob Colacello (August 12, 2015). "New Again: Rex Smith". Interview.
- ^ "Rex Smith Joins Cast of Judson Theatre's 'Plaza Suite'". 13 May 2015.
- ^ "THEATRE REVIEW: 'Barefoot in the Park' at Sharon Playhouse is delightful, genuinely entertaining". August 2018.
- ^ Shaena Engle (December 12, 2019). "Love Actually Live Returns to the Wallis". Weho Times.
- ^ "Leading Man Rex Smith Says He's Looking for Love—in the Classifieds".
- ^ a b c Richard Gerome (March 2, 1998). "Face to Face". People. Vol. 49, no. 8.
- ^ "Starz singer Michael Lee Smith posts rough mix of new song "Runaway Jane"". Sleaze Roxx. September 30, 2016. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ "Rex Smith". Billboard.com. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 279. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.