Brian Michael Smith
Brian Michael Smith (born January 29, 1983) is an American actor and LGBTQ+ advocate. He made history as the first openly Black trans man series regular on U.S. broadcast television. Explore his journey, roles, activism, and insights.
Introduction
Brian Michael Smith (born January 29, 1983) is a prominent American actor and advocate for transgender visibility and representation.
He is best known for his role as Paul Strickland on 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020–present), which marked a pioneering point in television casting: he became the first Black openly trans man to be cast in a series regular role in a U.S. broadcast drama.
Beyond acting, Smith has used his voice and platform to advocate for trans representation, LGBTQ+ youth, and authentic storytelling in media.
Early Life & Education
Brian Michael Smith was raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on the east side, by his mother, Ingrid Smith, who worked as an event planner and employee at Ford Motor Company.
He spent his early years living with extended family—cousins, aunts, and siblings—in a close-knit environment.
Although assigned female at birth, Smith identified as male from early on and challenged gender expectations through performance and athletics.
While attending Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, he played defensive end and fullback on the boys’ football team in fall, and competed in shot put and pole vault in the girls’ track & field team in spring. Notably, on September 17, 1999, he became the first person assigned female at birth to score a varsity touchdown in the state of Michigan.
For higher education, Smith studied acting and video production at Kent State University. After graduating, he taught drama and media literacy to teens in Michigan before relocating to New York City to pursue acting and continue community work.
He further trained under Terry Knickerbocker at the William Esper Studio, graduating circa 2011.
Acting Career & Breakthroughs
Early Appearances
Smith’s early television credits included small roles in shows such as Law & Order: SVU, Girls, The Detour, Person of Interest, and Blue Bloods. He also appeared in Chicago P.D., Homeland, Seven Seconds, among other series.
Queen Sugar & Representation
In 2017, Smith landed the recurring role of Toine Wilkins, a transgender police officer, in Ava DuVernay’s drama Queen Sugar (OWN). This role allowed him to bring elements of his lived experience to screen and became a turning point in his visibility as a trans actor.
In The L Word: Generation Q (2019), he played Pierce Williams, a politically savvy strategist.
9-1-1: Lone Star
In 2020, Smith was cast as Paul Strickland, a transgender male firefighter, on 9-1-1: Lone Star. With this role, he became the first Black trans man to hold a series regular slot on U.S. broadcast television. His portrayal has been praised for authenticity, and in 2021 he became the first trans man to be featured on People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” list.
Other Work & Visibility
Smith also appeared in the documentary Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen (2020), offering reflections on media representation.
Alongside acting, he has performed in theater, improv, and stand-up, and engaged with youth and community arts programs.
Advocacy, Identity & Impact
Smith is openly transgender and has actively discussed his transition publicly. He has called for greater representation, authenticity, and equity for trans artists and youth, using both his platform and spoken engagements to amplify these issues.
In 2018, Smith was a panelist in trans and nonbinary lectures, including at the University of Michigan's Trotter House Lecture Series. He participated in Variety’s first “Transgender in Hollywood” roundtable in August 2018, contributing to conversations about visibility, opportunity, and inclusivity in media. In 2021, Smith joined the Human Rights Campaign’s Board of Directors, further cementing his role as a public advocate.
Memorable Statements
Here are a few quotations and reflections by Brian Michael Smith:
“We are artists and we want to create things and we want to have choice and our visibility should not cost us that choice.”
On visibility: Smith has spoken about emerging with the understanding that “Just because you don't see me doesn't mean that I’m not real.”
Discussing youth support: “Having someone say, ‘I will call you by that name. I will see you for who you are trying to be’ … gave me so much hope.”
These words capture his commitment to authenticity, representation, and affirmation for those whose stories are marginalized.
Lessons & Influence
From Brian Michael Smith’s journey, several important lessons stand out:
-
Representation matters: Getting trans stories told by trans artists adds authenticity and expands what audiences see as possible.
-
Courage over comfort: He stepped into roles and public visibility despite the risk, forging spaces where few existed before.
-
Intersectionality matters: As a Black trans man, Smith highlights how multiple identities intersect and the importance of inclusivity across race, gender, and sexuality.
-
Art as advocacy: He uses performance, speaking, and public presence to push for equity—not separating art from activism but weaving them together.
-
Empowering youth: His efforts in mentoring and spoken reflection aim to give younger LGBTQ+ people more visibility, hope, and access.
Conclusion
Brian Michael Smith is not only a groundbreaking actor but also a powerful voice for transgender visibility and authentic storytelling. From athletic feats in high school to his pivotal roles on Queen Sugar and 9-1-1: Lone Star, his path reflects persistence, integrity, and impact.
If you’d like, I can also prepare a full filmography timeline, deeper quotes, or a comparative analysis with other trailblazing trans actors.
Cited from Wikipedia and other public sources