Christine R. Walsh interviews Actor Joe Smith

You’ve seen this man before. He’s been in your living room on numerous occasions with help from Dell, Budweiser, and Ford Motors. Now he comes knocking on your door in the name of hot pizza delivered in thirty minutes or less. Stay calm, he’s not a cat burglar, he’s Joe Smith, the new pizza delivery guy featured in Domino’s Pizza commercials. But before Smith was adored by discerning commercial viewers everywhere, he was a born and bred resident of Worcester.

CW: Back in the day, where would we have found little Joe Smith?

JS: I didn’t perform as a kid, but my parents were always involved in productions at Foothills Theater. My brother and I thought of the prop room as our personal play room. I remember knocking over a bunch of scenery flats one day. I probably hurt myself.

CW: Traumatizing. And yet, you went onto study acting at Syracuse University.

JS: I started out as a drama major. Then I changed to film. Then I just designed my own major, called “Writing for Performance.” I like doing it all, but acting has always come first in my life.

CW: You have a one-man show called “Joe Smith Tells You How to Live Your Life.” Can you tell me how to live my life? I’m at loss.

JS: I don’t think I can help. But you can come see my show. It’s like long-form stand-up with a theme. I’m on stage, I’m being myself. I have a great time. When I’m not doing my show, I like to see other people do sketch comedy and stand-up. There’s a lot of experimental comedy and theater in L.A, where I currently live.

CW: What was the Domino’s Pizza Experience like?

JS: It was fun. I auditioned for it and for some reason, they picked me. It’s nice to be a 33 year-old pizza boy.

CW: Any scary secrets you don’t want any one to know about?

JS: I’m frighteningly good at Scrabble.

CW: What does Joe Smith have planned for the future?

JS: Look for me in an upcoming Verizon commercial that is going to be a tie-in with Pirates of the Caribbean II. I play an office drone, watching the movie on a Verizon phone. The picture quality is so good, it’s like I’m actually there.

CW: Here’s to pirates, pizza, and the charming Joe Smith.

For more info on the talented Joe Smith, visit www.joesmith.com