Photo: Cliff from I now live in Arlington, VA (Outside Washington DC), USA / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Anna Deavere Smith was born in Baltimore, Maryland, United States on September 18, 1950. Anna Deavere Smith is credited as a stage actor, film actor and television actor. That works out to 75 years old in 2026. Education on record includes Western High School and Arcadia University. Awards on record include National Humanities Medal (2012), Theatre World Award (1994), Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show (1993, 1994) and 4 more.
My Take
Anna Deavere Smith is one of those rare artists who makes me rethink what acting can even be. Her documentary theatre, built from real interviews and performed solo across dozens of voices, turns the stage into a tool for understanding social fracture rather than escaping it. That she is also a playwright and professor only deepens my respect; the work and the thinking are inseparable. A MacArthur Fellowship and a National Humanities Medal feel less like rewards than acknowledgments of a public conscience. What I value most is her refusal to let virtuosity become an end in itself. She uses craft to ask harder questions.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Anna Deavere Smith
- Name (Japanese)
- アンナ・ディーバー・スミス
- Reading
- あんな・でぃーばー・すみす
- Born
- September 18, 1950 (age 75)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Tiger
- Origin
- Baltimore, Maryland, United States
- Occupation
- stage actor / film actor / television actor / playwright / actor
2. Background
- High school
- Western High School
- University
- Arcadia University
Awards & achievements
- 2012 National Humanities Medal
- 1994 Theatre World Award
- 1993 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show
- 1994 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show
- 1996 MacArthur Fellows Program
- 2003 Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
- 2015 Jefferson Lecture
- 2016 George Polk Award
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna%20Deavere%20Smith
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q286777
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-19
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Anna Deavere Smith born?
Born September 18, 1950 (age 75).
Where is Anna Deavere Smith from?
Anna Deavere Smith is from Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
What does Anna Deavere Smith do?
Anna Deavere Smith works as stage actor, film actor, television actor, playwright, actor.
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