Vernon Lee Smith
- Actor
Vernon Lee Smith Jr grew up on the Northside of
Chicago. He lived with both parents Pauletta Mc Nutt Smith and Vernon
Smith Sr and his younger brother Robert Smith. Dreams of becoming an
actor at a young age after watching his father perform in theatre,
Vernon has been inspired since. Also having the talent to rap he soon
formed a rap group at the age of twelve(Della Squad)with his cousin
"Tic" a.k.a. Willie Smith and his best friend "Confusion" a.k.a.
Brendon Moore. This group would last for 10 years off and on performing
on stage and at schools. In 2003 Vernon Lee Smith Jr decided to go his
separate way still having hopes of becoming an actor and sometimes
rapper in 2004 Vernon heard about an acting school(JOhn Robert Powers)
through his cousin "Tic". Vernon immediately applied and that's when he
knew exactly where his heart would be. In May of 2005 Vernon and his
brother Robert moved to Hollywood, California and immediately started
doing "background" work for various movies such as "Dream Girls", "Grid
Iron Gang", "Accepted" and many more... In 2007 do to financial
problems Vernon and his brother moved back to Chicago. He received
mixed reaction some people said he would never go back and some said
"we know your going back because we know how determined you are."
Vernon's goal to move back to Hollywood was to be a year but instead he
moved back in 8 months do to the support of family. In 2008, Vernon's
friend Steven Cortinas kept in touch with him the entire time he was in
Chicago and promised he would put him in his Indy film. In 2010 Vernon
received movie credit for the movie "The Problem Solver" and in 2011 he
received another credit for the movie "American Trash" Thanks to Steven
Cortinas whom wrote and directed both films. Vernon is still
auditioning and is more determined to make it than he'd ever been
before.