Roger Guenveur Smith, an American actor, director, and writer, was born on July 27, 1955. He is known for, among other things, providing the voice for Bao-Dur in the video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Born in Berkeley, CA on July 27, 1959, Roger Guenveur Smith's parents were lawyer/New Frontier Democratic Club founder/Hon. Judge Sherman Smith Sr. and dentist Dr. Helen Smith. Both parents were significantly involved with the NAACP and the NFD. Roger has a brother, Judge Sherman Smith Jr. Both brothers were raised in Los Angeles during the intense civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s.
His acting career began in grammar school when he participated in a speech contest, reading the initial fifteen pages of Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. He then pursued acting throughout both high school and college.
In Los Angeles, Smith studied at Occidental College (American Studies). He later attended Yale University in New Haven, CT, where he obtained a doctorate in American Studies (History Phd). On a whim, he auditioned for Yale's Drama School and was accepted. His peers included Angela Bassett and John Turturro. Furthermore, Smith, as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, pursued studies at the Keskidee Arts Centre in London, England.
Currently, Smith resides and is employed in Los Angeles.