Atlanta native Jayson Warner Smith is an actor in film, television and theatre. He started in theatre at age nine and since that time, Jayson has been in a play a TV show or a film every year of his life. "It's just always been what I was best at and what I really loved to do." "Nothing made me happier than collaborating with other artists to create something new."
Performing mostly in theatre Jayson has amassed quite a resume of roles but in 2010 Jayson finally scored a larger supporting role in a Hollywood film; the 2011 released remake of Footloose. Yes there's a remake of Footloose. This role marked the beginning of a new chapter in Jayson's love of acting. Since then he has performed supporting and leading roles in films and TV shows such as, Anchorman II, The Vampire Diaries, 99 Homes, Mississippi Grind, 42 and Fox TV's Sleepy Hollow.
In addition to those credits, Jayson is best known for his portrayal of the horrifyingly despicable death-row serial killer Wendall Jelks on Sundance TV's Rectify. This highly acclaimed show and Jayson's recurring role have helped him move to the next level in the eyes of Hollywood's story tellers and in 2015, things really took off.
Beginning in March of 2015, Jayson has performed major supporting roles in, Devil and the Deep Blue Sea with Maisie Williams and Jason Sudekis, Christine with Rebecca Hall and Michael C. Hall, The Birth of a Nation with Nate Parker and Armee Hammer, and Mena with Tom Cruise. All of these films will be coming out in 2016 and 2017. Most notably, The Birth of a Nation and Christine will both be premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016.
Atlanta remains his home and he lives in Sandy Springs with his wife Lisa. Jayson teaches acting at The Robert Mello Studio in Atlanta. He is repped by Alexander White in Atlanta and The House of Representatives in Los Angeles.
