Sartaj Singh
Tasha Smith is taking the next big step in her career! The filmmaker is set to make her feature directorial debut with ‘Free Reggie.’ The principal photography for the movie will start in New York this coming fall. Smith is helming the project with a screenplay by Don Wallace and Taylor Townsend.
The movie will introduce us to a seemingly happily married man, Reggie Clark. A native of Queens, New York, he lives with his wife of eighteen years, Kim, and their two teenage children. From outward appearances, Reggie’s life seems idyllic as he spends his days as a loving father and husband. However, beneath the surface lies a simmering undercurrent of discontent and uncertainty. The drama film promises an exploration of Reggie’s hidden tensions, long-suppressed emotions, personal identity, and family dynamics.
Smith is an actress turned director who has helmed episodes of popular shows such as Paramount+’s crime drama ‘Mayor of Kingstown,’ Starz’s period drama ‘BMF,’ FOX/ABC’s procedural series ‘9-1-1,’ and Starz’s drama show ‘P-Valley.’ Her latest directorial work can be seen in Peacock’s ‘Bel-Air,’ which follows the cultural shock of a street-smart teen who moves from West Philadelphia to live with his extended family in one of Los Angeles’ wealthiest neighborhoods.
Despite her dedication to directing, Smith is committed to pursuing acting as well. Her recent performances include Marley in Netflix’s ‘Survival of the Thickest,’ Savannah in BET’s ‘First Wives Club,’ and Carol Hardaway in ‘Empire.’
When asked about focusing on directing and stepping back from acting, Smith responded, “It wasn’t that I said ‘I’m going to step back from acting,’ it was more of ‘I’m going to give more time and energy to my directing career.’ I’m still an actress, and I haven’t quit acting, but I wanted to take a year to nurture my directing career. Acting is something that is there, and I’ll always have it.” “I needed to create opportunities as a director so that my portfolio could be somewhat equal to my acting. In order to make it valuable, I needed to give it more time and energy, and it was hard balancing out both worlds,” the filmmaker added.
Smith has managed to juggle both acting and directing careers impressively. She is following her vision and creating a portfolio that has given her the opportunity to direct her own film with ‘Free Reggie.’ Yet her acting career also remains strong, and she is slated to appear in the long-awaited ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprising their buddy cop roles. She will also take on the role of Asia in Lee Daniels’ upcoming exorcism horror movie ‘The Deliverance.’
Filming ‘Free Reggie’ in New York will be fitting since the movie is set in Queens. The production will be joining a number of noteworthy productions filming in the state this year. Tim Robinson’s HBO pilot ‘The Chair Company‘ and Chloë Grace Moretz’s heist film ‘Dutch & Razzlekhan’ will shoot in the region in July. Other projects that have recently been shot in New York include the Bob Dylan biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’ and Jon Hamm’s ‘Your Friends and Neighbors.’
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