Roger Guenveur Smith (/ɡænˈvɜːr/ ⓘ;[1] born July 27, 1955) is an American actor, director, and writer best known for his collaborations with Spike Lee.

He then studied at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, where he successfully auditioned for the Drama School and switched his pursuit of a graduate degree in history.

He has appeared in films such as School Daze,[2] Do the Right Thing,[2] King of New York, Panther, Malcolm X, Poetic Justice, Get on the Bus, Eve's Bayou, He Got Game, and Summer of Sam.

Smith was in the 2007 film American Gangster with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, in which he played the role of "Nate", Frank Lucas's army connection in Vietnam.

[3] Smith portrayed American black leader Booker T. Washington in the 2020 Netflix miniseries Self Made, based on the life of Madame C. J. Walker.