If there’s one thing Stephen A. Smith doesn’t do, it’s dream small.
The longtime ESPN talent has branched out in recent years, including starting his own podcast, writing a book, and dabbling in acting, all while climbing the ranks to essentially become the face of The Worldwide Leader.
However, Smith’s vision for his career goes much higher than being a well-known sports media personality. He wants to be remembered as one of the greatest talents in the history of American television.
Stephen A. recently appeared on The Tamron Hall Show where he was asked about his future plans and goals. He was not shy about them.
.@stephenasmith’s accomplishments know no bounds. But he also has MANY more plans for the future! pic.twitter.com/Z59x92nW3o
— Tamron Hall Show (@TamronHallShow) May 23, 2023
“First order of business is perfecting the thing I’ve already started,” Smith said. “My production company, I want to grow. You know, everyone talks about stuff like Spike Lee…Tyler Perry, Jerry Bruckheimer, guys like that. My aspiration is to get to that point. I’m going to pursue acting. I finally made a decision to do that. That’s something that I want to do because I like portraying other characters and finding myself marrying that character. The challenge of it. Because I think it makes me better on television.
“And I’m not satisfied with what I’ve accomplished on television in the world of sports…I want to end my career being recognized as arguably the greatest television talent in history. That’s what I want to do. That’s what I want to accomplish.”
There are certainly going to be a lot of snarky comments about that aspiration, especially in the Awful Announcing Slack room, but we all doubt Smith at our own peril. He’s floated the idea of being President of the United States and even Bomani Jones thinks there’s a decent chance we might see Smith in a political office one day soon. At the very least, the First Take host always seems to be working an angle, so it’s no surprise to know just how big he’s dreaming, whether anyone likes it or not.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.