Possibly the busiest man in media right now, Stephen A. Smith by his own admission, “doesn’t run from any subject,” and the First Take host is taking that attitude to Law & Order this week.
According to the logline for the May 8 ‘Tough Love’ episode, “a tough-love sports agent is found stabbed to death, leaving the squad with a trail of suspects who wanted him gone. Despite a wealth of evidence, Price and Maroun worry that a lack of motive will tank their case.” I’ll let you guess you plays that “tough-love sports agent” in the 21st episode of the 24th season of the Dick Wolf-created series.
Calling Law & Order “one of my all-time favorite shows,” the never short of an opinion or often insights Smith says his time on the NBC procedural and legal drama was “incredible.” Of course, being Stephen A. Smith there was a lot more to discuss too – thought sadly we didn’t get to talk about the success of the New York Knicks so far in the NBA playoffs.
Presidential runs, the definition of personal success, the sex crimes allegations against First Take regular Shannon Sharpe, and yes ,more Law & Order was all on the table.
DEADLINE: You are one of the busiest men in media at the best of times and the worst of times now you are a dead body on law and order. So, let me ask you, are you really running for president?
STEPHEN A. SMITH: I have no intentions of doing so. I’m leaving my options open, but in the same breath, I have no desire to be a politician at all.
I’m living a pretty good life. I just signed a new contract with ESPN. I’m acting on General Hospital now. I’m acting on Law & Order. My life is pretty damn good. Why would I ruin it by being a politician? So that’s my initial response. But, in the end, you never know what God has planned for you, so you just leave your options open, and that’s what I’m doing.
DEADLINE: To that end, let’s talk about what the good Lord has planned here with you on Law & Order this week. Obviously, over the last few decades, playing a dead body on Law & Order has been a highlight for many a high-profile individual. Not going to give away what happens on the episode, but how was this for you?
SMITH: It was an incredible experience. I did some acting before I was that dead body. So, it’s not like I just show up as a dead body. I actually have a scene where I’m doing some acting, and have the opportunity to do it on one of my all-time favorite shows, is an honor beyond comprehension.
DEADLINE: Really?
SMITH: To be quite honest with you, I was ecstatic when they called me. I was ecstatic to be a part of it, and more importantly than that, I’m excited because there’s plenty of times where somebody’s been a dead body on Law & Order and then they come back as a different character at a later date for something more extensive. And to be quite honest, I’m hoping that happens for me as well, because the experience was absolutely wonderful.
(L-R) Dushaun Thompson as Jackson Dean, Stephen A. Smith as Ted Hunter in Law & Order’s May 8 Tough Love episode (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)
DEADLINE: With this Law & Order appearance, your podcast, First Take on ESPN, appearing on Newsnation’s 100 Days of Trump 2.0 townhall and more, with everything you have going on just in the last week, and it’s a lot, do you feel you are becoming overextended?
SMITH: The reality is that it’s all within my lane. It’s all within my sandbox, giving social commentary, given political commentary, given sports commentary, is something that I’ve been doing pretty much all my life. So, you know, where I extend myself is with the acting, which is something that is recreational for me. It’s something I thoroughly enjoy. I don’t even view it as work. I’ve been very, very blessed and fortunate. I’m in great health, I feel good.
I’m enjoying my life. I enjoy what I’m doing.
One of the key ingredients to success is when you don’t have a job, you have a career. A job is doing what you have to do to sustain or elevate your quality of life. Your career is doing what you want to do, and it just so happens to do those things. And that’s how I view everything that I’m doing. It falls right in line with what I’m doing,
DEADLINE: So then, what’s next?
SMITH: Dominic, I have no idea what is next, but I would tell you, in terms of what I want. I would love to reappear on Law & Order as a lawyer in the courtroom. I would love to be in the movies with the likes of a Michael B Jordan or Denzel Washington. I would love to be in one of the movies directed by one of my buddies, Antoine Fuqua. The great Antoine Fuqua is a personal friend of mine, he is absolutely phenomenal that what he does. Or I would like to be in something by Will Packer, who’s another dear friend of mine. People like that, definitely.
DEADLINE: Acting has become a true passion for you clearly …
SMITH: You know, people talk about me as a presidential candidate, let them talk, but I don’t mind giving political commentary. I don’t mind giving social commentary. You can talk to me about potentially being the President of the United States, or you can talk about me being the next Joe Rogan, having 20 million subscribers with my own podcast, but that’s not going to stop me from doing sports commentary. That’s not going to stop me from doing acting. It’s not going to stop me from doing the kind of things that I thoroughly enjoy doing, that I believe compliments the kind of things that I’ve been doing on my day job in my career
Because last time I checked, I’m not going anywhere. I’m 57, years old, and I feel like I’m just getting started
DEADLINE: To that, you often will go places many commentators in America won’t. For instance, back in late April, you spoke on the Stephen A. Smith Show about the allegations of rape and more against Shannon Sharpe …
SMITH: I didn’t speak about the legal issue, no …
DEADLINE: Indeed, to the point what you did speak about is you said I could not speak about this legal issue. You spoke about the man you know, like you had previously about Jay-Z when he was accused of sexual assault in a now dismissed case. That was what was very important.
SMITH: That’s my whole point. You have to know what to say and what not to say.
I think it’s important to recognize this: I have been a professional broadcaster for over 25 years. I’ve been a professional journalist for over 30 years, so I’m not one that runs from any subject, because how hypocritical would that be?
DEADLINE: How do you mean?
SMITH: I sit in a seat where people on a hot seat are being questioned by me on a daily basis. What right do I have to put people under that kind of microscope and then run from it myself? That doesn’t mean that I have to sit up there and be completely open about everything. I’m not lying to anybody, but every truth isn’t meant to be told.
There are certain things like as it pertains to legal issues and stuff like that I can’t speak on when it came to Shannon or anybody else, for that matter. But the point that I’m making is I’m not running from any subject. I’m not running from any smoke, as they say, because I’m the one usually creating it. So, when the opportunity arises for somebody else to bring smoke in my direction, the last thing I’m going to do is hide. That’s not what I do, sir,
DEADLINE: I would say that is part of what makes you so unique in American culture right now, responsibility – on all levels.
SMITH: That’s how I view life. You know, I’m on a high right now, but I expect this high to last for a very, very long time, because I’ve worked my tail off to get to the position that I’m in. And I don’t plan on fading anytime soon. The world is my oyster.
