Charles Martin Smith is an American film actor, writer, and director, born in Van Nuys, California. He was discovered by a talent agent while acting in a school play. Smith's early career included roles in films such as American Graffiti (1973),The Buddy Holly Story (1978),Never Cry Wolf (1983),and Starman (1984).
After gaining recognition, Smith continued to work mainly in supporting roles, receiving excellent reviews for his performance in The Untouchables (1987). He also started his career as a writer and director, directing the cult classic horror comedy Trick or Treat (1987) for Dino DeLaurentiis.
In the 1990s, Smith appeared in films such as Speechless (1994) and I Love Trouble (1994),and had a leading role in the HBO Miniseries And The Band Played On, about the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic. He also directed the TV series Space: Above and Beyond (1995) and the initial episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997).
From the mid-1990s, Smith focused increasingly on his work behind the camera, directing films such as Air Bud (1997),Roughing It (2002),Icon (2005),The Snow Walker (2003),and Stone of Destiny (2008). He also wrote and directed Dolphin Tale (2011) and its sequel Dolphin Tale 2, which were both successful at the box office.
Smith's recent projects include directing A Dog's Way Home (2019) and A Gift From Bob (2019),the sequel to A Streetcat Named Bob. He has also acted in the Canadian production This Time (2023),marking his first time back in front of the camera in many years.
