Biography of New Fall TV Actor: Kerr Smith
The last time Kerr Smith was seen regularly on television was on the WB hit Dawson’s Creek. Joining the series in its second season, Kerr played Jack McPhee, who along with his twin sister Andie (Meredith Monroe) moved to the fictitious town of Capeside, Massachusetts from Rhode Island. Initially as Jack McPhee, Kerr was romantically interested in the character of Joey Potter (Katie Holmes).
He even managed to steal Joey away from her childhood best friend – turned – boyfriend Dawson (James Van Der Beek). One would think that moving to a new town and wrangling a girl away from another guy would have been enough for Kerr to take on in his first season on Dawson’s Creek, but it wasn’t.
The show’s writers intended for the Jack-Joey romance to just be temporary, for shortly after it began, Jack realized he was gay. Kerr Smith played Jack with a great deal of sensitivity and had storylines which included coming out, dating other boys, pledging and joining a fraternity, and even the first same sex kiss between two men (with Adam Kaufman as Ethan) on prime time television in 2000.
Long before Kerr Smith joined the cast of Dawson’s Creek he was acting in high school plays at Henderson High School in West Chester, PA. During his senior year he had a supporting role in The King and I. While in high school Kerr also served as Class President for three of his four years before graduating in 1990.
After high school, Kerr enrolled at the University of Vermont and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. With school behind him, he embarked on his next task, starting a marketing firm with his father in his hometown. That was short-lived however, as the call of acting was too strong. Kerr then made the move to New York City to begin his acting career.
The first big role for Kerr Smith was as Teddy Hughes on the soap opera As The World Turns. His turn in the role was recieved well and Kerr scored an Emmy Award for it. After just a year Kerr left the show and made the move out to Hollywood where he got one episode stints on Baywatch and CSI, and roles in films such as The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy, Final Destination, and The Forsaken.
With the small parts behind him, Kerr joined the cast of Dawson’s Creek and enjoyed a five year run on the show. Since then he has been seen often on television but only in guest starring roles. With turns on Miss Match, Charmed, CSI: Miami, The Closer, and E-Ring, Kerr Smith should have no trouble reacclimating to a full-time television gig.
