Brooke Smith(I)
- Actress
Brooke Smith grew up in New York in the shadow of show business owing
to the fact that she is the daughter of powerful publicist
Lois Smith. After studying at the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts, her "first big thing" was playing
Catherine Martin, the abducted young girl in
The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
She went on to play Sonya in Louis Malle's
Vanya on 42nd Street (1994)
and Dawn in Daniel Minahan's brutal
sendup of reality television
Series 7: The Contenders (2001).
Whether she is humming a Tom Petty tune, as
her character did in "Lambs," or screaming for a bean dip, as her
pregnant character does in "Series 7," Smith is known for giving
brooding, detailed performances. In addition to stage work, her other
interests include filmmaking (she has directed a short film and a
feature-length documentary), journalism (she has published interviews
with actors Steve Buscemi,
Ed Harris, and
Fred Ward), and travel (she has
traveled extensively, especially to Africa).
