DeKalb County Theater Teacher’s Star Shines Bright as Adam in The Color Purple
A Browns Mill Elementary School theater teacher was on-set during filming of the recent adaptation of The Color Purple when Oprah just popped by.
Terrence J. Smith, who was cast as Adam, son of protagonist and narrator Celie, in the 2023 musical film chronicling the struggles of an African American woman living in rural Georgia in the early 1900s, said his heart skipped a beat after she complimented his work, he told reporter Julie Lineback in a feature article about the surprise encounter.
Smith said it was extraordinary to be in the presence of so many gifted performers. “This was my first time being on set with so many Black artists and creatives at once who had positions of power,” Smith recalled. “Seeing all these heavy-hitting actors, almost like royalty, walking around and stopping to talk to you. It was incredible.”
The movie, some of it filmed in DeKalb County, Georgia, was a special opportunity for the Stonecrest theater teacher to work with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
His co-stars include Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo, Taraji P. Henson, and Danielle Brooks, who received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Sofia.
Winfrey, who starred as Sofia in the Oscar-nominated 1985 film adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg, was a producer for the recent version.
The story, adapted into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical in 2005, has longstanding Georgia ties. Not only is the Pulitzer Prize winning author Georgia native Alice Walker, the poignant and memorable tale also is set in Georgia. It was fitting that the 2023 version was filmed across Georgia, including Stone Mountain Park’s quarry exhibit in DeKalb County.
Not far from home for Smith, who was raised in Decatur and Stone Mountain and now teaches theater at Browns Mill Elementary in Stonecrest. He’s also a working actor.
Smith studied theater at the University of West Georgia, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Theater in 2014. His IMDB biography lists numerous stage credits, including performances in A Raisin In The Sun, Titanic, and HAIR. He also has performed in productions of Miss Saigon and Grease, among others, in Atlanta. In his conversation with Lineback, he said his training at West Georgia was the key to becoming a successful performer: “My professors were able to provide a lot of hands-on, personal training catered to what I’ve needed to be successful. Not only are they teachers, but they’re also professionals who still work consistently in the industry.”
When Smith is not working the boards or in front of the camera, he can be found trying to develop the next wave of young actors at Browns Mill in Stonecrest. He told Lineback it brings him joy to see his students perform. “Browns Mill is a Title I school, and most – if not all – of the students have no exposure to theater otherwise,” he explained. “With very little funds, it’s a monumental task, but I have the most incredible team working with me. We’ve been able to blow the community away time and time again. I feel amazing when I book a new TV or movie role, but I’m probably the most excited when I watch my students get on stage and do things they never thought possible. That’s when I feel the most like a star.”
Not only did Smith feel like a star, the movie also was another gold star for Georgia’s film industry.
It smashed box office records with its Christmas Day debut, racking up $18 million in ticket sales in North America – the biggest December 25 opening in 14 years.
According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s film office, prep for the film began in October 2021 and the production wrapped a year later in October 2022. The production also clocked 69 days for reshoots, ending in March 2023. During that time, spending reached over $73 million and more than 2,300 Georgians were hired.
Over the course of the project, 12,594 hotel nights racked up, contributing local and state taxes that help the bottom line. Georgia hires traveled statewide to work on the project, renting rooms at two hotels in Atlanta, two in Brunswick, one in Fairburn, four in Jekyll Island, five in Macon, two in Richmond Hill, and one in Saint Simons.
The film has been a critical as well as popular success, earning two Golden Globe nominations, numerous NACCP Image and BAFTA Awards, an Oscar nomination and many more accolades.
DeKalb County is one of the busiest ecosystems for film and TV productions in Georgia. To find out more about the film industry in DeKalb, including opportunities for actors, small businesses and production teams, visit DeKalb Entertainment Commission.
To know what’s currently filming in Georgia, go to the Georgia Film Office’s active list of “What’s filming in Georgia” or follow them on Facebook.