Draft:Bobby Smith Jr.
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Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. BSMITHSCREENWRITER (talk) 13:04, 6 July 2026 (UTC)
Bobby Smith Jr. is an American screenwriter and producer. He is known for writing the 1994 film Jason's Lyric, the 1993 television film There Are No Children Here starring Oprah Winfrey, and the 2005 television film Their Eyes Were Watching God starring Halle Berry. He is the president and CEO of Ashore Entertainment.
Early life and education
[edit]Smith was born in Corpus Christi, Texas. He attended Vassar College, graduating cum laude with a major in African American Studies, before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in writing and producing.[1]
Career
[edit]Jason's Lyric (1994)
[edit]Smith launched his career with Jason's Lyric, a romantic drama set in Houston's Third Ward, starring Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett, Bokeem Woodbine, Treach, and Forest Whitaker, and directed by Doug McHenry.[2] Roger Ebert praised the film's performances and the "poetic aesthetics" of Smith's script.[3]
In 2024, producer Je'Caryous Johnson announced a stage adaptation, Jason's Lyric Live!, marking the film's 30th anniversary, with Allen Payne and Treach reprising their roles alongside Eva Marcille, K. Michelle, and Tyrin Turner. The production premiered in Houston on February 13, 2025, and launched a 22-city national tour. Smith said of the adaptation: "Je'Caryous Johnson's Jason's Lyric reimagines my original story with passion and depth. I'm thrilled to see it come to life on stage for a new generation."[4]
There Are No Children Here (1993)
[edit]Smith wrote the teleplay for There Are No Children Here, an ABC television film based on Alex Kotlowitz's nonfiction book of the same name, starring Oprah Winfrey and executive produced by Harpo Productions.[5]
Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005)
[edit]Smith co-wrote the screenplay for Their Eyes Were Watching God, an ABC television adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's novel, alongside Suzan-Lori Parks and Misan Sagay. The film starred Halle Berry and was produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films in association with Touchstone Television.[6]
Later work
[edit]In 2020, Disney's live-action team acquired Smith's pitch Inner City Symphony, about the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles and its founder Charles Dickerson III, with Smith attached as writer and executive producer and Brigham Taylor (The Jungle Book, Lady and the Tramp) producing.[7]
That same year, the newly formed ACJ Film Fund and Sobini Films announced they would finance and produce Smith's science-fiction thriller Burst.[8]
Smith also launched Bobby Smith Jr. Productions and partnered with bestselling romance novelist Brenda Jackson to develop and produce adaptations of her novels for film and television.[9] In 2021, he signed on to adapt a pair of Jackson's novels into a one-hour series titled Voluptuous for Sobini Films.[10]
He serves as president and CEO of Ashore Entertainment, a film, television, and digital media production company.[11]
A Second Chance Christmas (2014)
[edit]Smith served as executive producer of A Second Chance Christmas, a TV One original movie starring McKinley Freeman, Robinne Lee, and Michael Rainey Jr., which premiered December 6, 2014.[12]
Christmas at Water's Edge (2004)
[edit]Smith was one of five credited writers, along with Brian E. O'Neal, Cleveland O'Neal III, Mike Watts, and Riley Weston, on Christmas at Water's Edge, a 2004 holiday film starring Keshia Knight Pulliam, Tom Bosley, and Pooch Hall.
Awards recognition
[edit]- 1994 Humanitas Prize — Nominee, 90 Minute Category, for There Are No Children Here.[13]
- 2006 Black Reel Award — Nominee, Outstanding Screenplay (TV Movie or Limited Series), for Their Eyes Were Watching God, shared with Suzan-Lori Parks and Misan Sagay.
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | There Are No Children Here | Writer |
| 1994 | Jason's Lyric | Writer |
| 2004 | Christmas at Water's Edge | Writer |
| 2005 | Their Eyes Were Watching God | Writer |
| 2014 | A Second Chance Christmas | Executive Producer |
| TBA | Inner City Symphony | Writer, Executive Producer |
| TBA | Burst | Writer |
| TBA | Voluptuous | Writer |
References
[edit]- ^ "Bobby Smith Jr Productions – Home". bobbysmithjrproductions.com.
- ^ "Jason's Lyric - Cast and Crew". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (September 28, 1994). "Jason's Lyric movie review". RogerEbert.com.
- ^ "'Jason's Lyric Live': The Iconic Black Romance Film Returns As A Stage Production". Essence. December 2024.
- ^ "There Are No Children Here". Variety. November 29, 1993.
- ^ "Oprah Winfrey Presents: Their Eyes Were Watching God". Variety. March 3, 2005.
- ^ "Disney Developing Movie About Inner-City Youth Orchestra Of L.A. With 'Jungle Book' Producer Brigham Taylor". Deadline. September 15, 2020.
- ^ "Genre Film Fund ACJ & Sobini Films To Produce Sci-Fi Thriller 'Burst' From Bobby Smith Jr". Deadline. September 30, 2020.
- ^ "Producer Bobby Smith Jr., Romance Novelist Brenda Jackson Form TV, Film Venture". The Hollywood Reporter. October 14, 2020.
- ^ "Bobby Smith Jr. To Pen Series 'Voluptuous' For Sobini Films". Deadline. December 7, 2021.
- ^ "Bobby Smith Jr Productions – Home". bobbysmithjrproductions.com.
- ^ "Second Chance Christmas: About the Movie". TV One.
- ^ "There Are No Children Here". TV Guide.