Kerr Smith on AllMovie

An outgoing actor with a penchant for mischief and a strong spontaneous streak, Kerr Smith became a recognizable household face after appearing in a series of popular Gateway Computer commercials and taking on the role of a teen struggling with his sexuality on the popular teen television drama Dawson's Creek. And though he may have been inclined to jump off a cliff or streak unexpectedly in his wild high school days, Smith generally has taken the low-key route since his rise to fame, opting to spend intimate times with close friends over the temptations of hot-property Hollywood nightlife. Born and raised in the Philadelphia suburb of Exton, Smith made his stage debut as Sir Edward Ramsey in a high school production of The King and I. Serving as class president three of four years of his high school career before enrolling in the University of Vermont, the extroverted student spent much of his free time pursuing such sports as baseball and snow skiing. After earning a B.S. in business administration and returning to Exton to start a marketing firm with his father, Smith realized that although he hated the selling aspect of business, he loved the presentations involved. Soon realizing his passion for acting, Smith informed his father that he was selling his truck and using the money to move to New York and pursue an acting career. Winning an Emmy for his performance on the popular television soap opera As the Day Turns was a shot in the arm for the fledgling actor's confidence, and his appearance in the aforementioned Gateway ads in addition to a popular series of Carl's Jr. found his recognition-factor growing. Though he had hesitated to make the move to the West Coast, his desire to pursue a career in prime-time television overcame his fears of being lost in a sea of bartending-aspiring actors and Smith was soon packing his bags for the move to Los Angeles. It wasn't long before the actor hit it off with one of the producers of Dawson's Creek, and Smith was soon cast as Jack McPhee on the WB hit. As a teen faced with accepting his homosexuality, Smith's performance in the series stood out among his many talented co-stars, and it wasn't long before a career in features began to blossom. Following on the heels of such low-budget efforts as Hit and Runway (1999) and The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000), Smith boarded a doomed flight in Final Destination (also 2000) and battled desert vampires in the following year's The Forsaken.