Darren Smith
Born
Darren Gordon Smith

(1962-11-20) November 20, 1962
Occupation(s)Actor, writer, composer, musician, producer
SpouseNancy Long
Websitedarrengordonsmith.com

Darren Gordon Smith[1] (born November 20, 1962) is an American musician, composer, and actor. Smith is noted for co-writing and acting in Repo! The Genetic Opera, a rock opera released in 2008.[2]

Early life and education

Smith was born to Gordon Smith, who worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Renee Corey Smith.[3] Smith attended New York University (NYU), where he received a degree in music.[4]

Career

Repo! The Genetic Opera

In the late 1990s, Smith met Terrance Zdunich in an acting class.[5] The pair would collaborate on 10-minute operas at rock clubs around Los Angeles, where Smith would play many of the instruments and Zdunich would perform many of the acting roles. The pair would expand one of their 10-minute operas, “The Necromerchant’s Debt", into a full-length version of the show titled Repo! The Genetic Opera.[6] According to Zdunich, the plight of one of Smith's friends, who was then undergoing bankruptcy, helped inspire the 10-minute opera.[7]

In 2002, Smith and Zdunich would meet Darren Lynn Bousman, who would later direct Repo!'s cinematic adaptation.[8] The film version of Repo! was released in 2008,[9] and has since attained a cult following.[10][11] Smith himself has described the film as "Blade Runner meets Rocky Horror".[12]

The Second Age of Aquarius

In 2022, Smith's collaborative story with Staci Layne Wilson titled 'Phantom/Fandom' was made into a movie called The Second Age of Aquarius.[13] Principal photography for the film began in November 2019.[14] The film debuted at the Zed Fest Film Festival in North Hollywood, Los Angeles.[15]

Other projects

In 2021, Variety highlighted Smith's literary work featured in ‘Rock & Roll Nightmares: Gory Days’, a horror audiobook.[16]

Filmography

Actor

Writer

Movies

Books

  • Seward's Fall (2015)
  • Sex, Death Rock N Roll (2015) [with Staci Layne Wilson][18]
  • Blurt: Verses & Curses (2015)

Composer

  • Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
  • The Livermores (2011)
  • The Night Plays Tricks (2011)
  • The Second Age of Aquarius (2022)

Producer

References

  1. Gencarelli, Mike (May 19, 2010). "Interview with Darren Gordon Smith". MediaMikes. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  2. Conniff, Tamara (December 5, 2007). "'Repo!' sews together pop, metal, rap, horror". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  3. "Gordon S. Smith". www.llnl.gov. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  4. Gencarelli, Mike (May 19, 2010). "Interview with Darren Gordon Smith". MediaMikes. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  5. Meisfjord, Tom (October 16, 2020). "The Paris Hilton Horror Musical You Can Watch On Amazon Prime Right Now". Looper.com. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  6. Itzkoff, Dave (November 6, 2008). "Opera With Heart (Also Spleen, Liver and Entrails)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  7. "Repo's Graverobber Talks To io9 About Opera, Horror And Porn". Gizmodo. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  8. "Repo Men vs. Repo! The Genetic Opera: Behind The Controversy". HuffPost. May 18, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  9. "Year 2008 - Fantasia Festival". Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  10. Collins, Mary (October 27, 2016). "Repo! The Genetic Opera: A Modern Cult Classic". University Express. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  11. "Repo! The Genetic Opera: The Goriest (& Most Underrated) Musical Ever Made". ScreenRant. October 2, 2019. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  12. "Repo! The Genetic Opera is the Hot Mess America Deserves Right Now". Film Cred. February 11, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  13. "Sci-Fi Rock 'n' Roll Rom-Com"The Second Age of Aquarius"Coming out on Valentine's Day Weekend! - Action Reloaded". January 18, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  14. "Sci-fi comedy The Second Age of Aquarius to begin production in November". Flickering Myth. October 26, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  15. Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Zed Fest Film Festival 2021 Announces Opening Night Film Line-Up". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  16. Chernov, Matthew (October 5, 2021). "12 Horror Audiobooks That Will Chill Your Blood". Variety. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  17. "The Second Age of Aquarius". Film Authority. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  18. "Enjoy Some Sex Death Rock N Roll in this New Short Story Anthology". Dread Central. July 20, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
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