Bradley Grant Smith's illustrious career in the performing arts began when he was just 17 years old, debuting in 1998 as David in the Joseph Jefferson Award-winning production of David's Mother at the Apple Tree Theatre, located 30 miles north of Chicago at Highland Park High School. This marked the starting point of his professional journey, which would span several decades and involve collaborations with renowned institutions such as Steppenwolf Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, Writers Theatre, Jackalope Theatre, The Inconvenience, and others.
Following his high school debut, Smith went on to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Acting at the prestigious Theatre School at DePaul University, formerly known as the Goodman School of Drama. This academic foundation laid the groundwork for his future success, as he would go on to work with some of the most respected companies in the Chicago theatre scene.
In 2009, Smith's songwriting skills came to the forefront when his original song "Help Yourself" was featured in the Academy Award-nominated film Up in the Air, starring George Clooney. The song's inclusion in the film generated significant buzz, with many predicting it would be a contender for the Best Original Song award. However, due to the Academy's strict rules regarding original song eligibility, the song was ultimately disqualified from competition.
In 2014, Smith's professional relationship with writer/director/producer Alex Thompson began, with Thompson helming four music videos for Smith's second album as Sad Brad Smith, titled "Magic." The videos featured the songs "On the Beach," "Take Me Home," "Magic," and "Yippie Yippi, Yippie Yippo," and showcased Smith's versatility as a musician.
Thompson would go on to produce and AD Smith's debut feature as writer/director, Our Father, which was shot in 2015 for a budget of $40,000. The film, starring Baize Buzan, Allison Torem, Keith Kupferer, and Austin Pendleton, premiered at the 2021 South-by-Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Award for Narrative Feature. Smith edited and scored the film himself, demonstrating his range as a filmmaker.
In 2024, Smith appeared as Jim, the lawyer, in Thompson and Kelly O'Sullivan's Sundance hit Ghostlight, for which he also composed the educational song "That's Enough," sung by school children early in the film at a recital.
