Watching the Detectives: UTM theatre grad returns to role on crime drama
Actor and U of T Mississauga alumnus Zach Smadu has come a long way from his early days in in Saskatchewan’s musical theatre scene. Since graduating in 2005, the Regina-born, Toronto-based actor has added 22 film and television productions to his list of credits, including roles that found him sharing the screen with big-name actors and as a recurring character on a network crime drama.
Smadu got his start at the age of 10, appearing in musical productions with Do It With Class, a Regina-based theatre company that also launched the careers of Broadway musical actor Paul Nolan and Orphan Black actress Tatiana Maslany. While in high school, the company toured Ontario and Smadu was introduced to U of T’s theatre program. “I knew U of T was a good place for actors,” says Smadu, who turned down other Canadian and U.S. drama schools in favour of the joint Theatre and Drama Studies program offered by UTM and Sheridan College. “I really liked the practical, conservatory-style training balanced with academic work,” he says. The campus size was also attractive; Smadu has fond memories of living in residence throughout his time at UTM. “For an out-of-province student, it was great little community,” he says. “I was president of residence life in my first year, and was a don for three years. The community and friends and sense of belonging was a huge support for me. I loved it.”
During his time at UTM, Smadu acted in productions of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, Pride and Prejudice and The Actor’s Nightmare. “I got a lot of exeperience backstage, too,” Samdu remembers. “But I wanted to be performing all the time.”
Other recent television credits include a stunt-packed episode of teen superhero series Titans, CBC comedies Workin’ Moms and Kim’s Convenience, and roles in upcoming Hallmark movies. On the big screen, Smadu played a young Washington lobbyist in the 2016 film Mrs. Sloane, sharing the screen with Jessica Chastain and John Lithgow. He also played a police officer in the 2018 Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively thriller A Simple Favor.
Smadu says he loves the variety of skills and experiences that his work demands of him. “There’s a different style and a different energy with each production. There’s always a new opportunity to learn a new character, a new technique, a new trick,” he says. “There are so many variables and that’s what makes this work so exciting.”
“My training at UTM was foundational and gave me a good base and understanding to grow my craft,” he says. “I feel like I’m just getting started and I’m really looking forward to what’s next.”