Discovering the Real Me: Acting, Identity, and Embracing Your Truth with Brian Michael Smith
The Man Enough Podcast
Introduction
Christopher Rivas: "It's really manly to mess up, admit you're wrong, and then grow" He says he put all this energy into just becoming a man. In his mid-20s it was like, well, what kind of man am I? Says women are better but that doesn't mean they should be treated equally.
We dive deep into the life of trailblazing trans actor and activist Brian Michael Smith, known for his portrayal of firefighter Paul Strickland on Fox's "911 Lone Star." As a strong advocate for trans representation, visibility, and education (12:25), Brian discusses his transformative journey to self-acceptance (04:14), overcoming people-pleasing (20:20), being featured in People's Sexiest Man Alive issue (03:14), and the importance of embracing change (54:01). Don't miss this inspiring conversation with a champion for trans representation, visibility, and education.
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The Man Enough Podcast is produced by Wayfarer Studios and presented by Procter and Gamble, in partnership with Cadence13, an Audacy company.
Timecodes:
0:00 For Brian, the journey to becoming the man he is today hasn’t always been easy
03:14 Being People’s Sexiest Man Alive
04:14 Being a man was denied to Brian for most of his life.
12:25 How do you decide who to spend time educating and who to ignore?
20:20 People pleasing stood in the way of Brian’s authenticity
30:49 The difference between sex, gender, identity, and gender expression
48:33 It’s important to be seen as more than a “trans” man
54:01 Try not to resist change
57:21 What does it mean to be man enough?
Quotes:
“You might not have to figure it all out. You might just need to know that some people are different…” - Brian Michael Smith
“My manhood was acquired, it wasn't inherited…A lot of the investigation that the men on this show are doing is [an] investigation that I’ve had to do for a very long time.” - Brian Michael Smith
“Everything is a story, one you’ve been made to believe or chose to believe. Knowing the difference is profound.” - Christopher Rivas
“We are always transitioning, everything is transitional” - Christopher Rivas
“For those who have the grace and compassion and mercy to help the world get to a better place, I am truly grateful.” - Jamey Heath
About Brian Michael Smith:
Brian Michael Smith is an American trans actor and queer activist, best known for his roles in popular television shows such as "Queen Sugar" and "9-1-1: Lone Star." Smith is also an advocate for LGBTQ rights and has appeared on several talk shows and panels to discuss issues facing the transgender community. Brian is notably on the Board of Directors for Outfest and Outfest Fusion (https://www.outfest.org).
Guest Social Links:
Instagram: @the_brianmichael
Twitter: @TheBrianMichaelSmith
Guest Host: Christopher Rivas
Christopher Rivas is an actor, author, podcaster, and storyteller. He is the host of two podcast series with SiriusXM's Stitcher: Brown Enough, and Rubirosa. On screen, Rivas is known for his work on the Fox series, Call Me Kat. He has recently released his first book Brown Enough, which explores what it means to be Brown in America.
Special Thanks
Thank you LMNT for supporting our show!
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Man Enough Newsletter: https://manenough.com/newsletter
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Boys Will Be Human book: https://boyswillbehuman.com
FOLLOW THE HOSTS:
Liz Plank
https://instagram.com/feministabulous
https://tiktok.com/@lizplank
https://facebook.com/feministabulous
https://twitter.com/feministabulous
http://www.elizabethplank.com/
Jamey Heath
https://instagram.com/jamey_heath_
https://tiktok.com/@jameyheath
https://twitter.com/jamey_heath_
https://facebook.com/jameyjaz
http://www.jameyheath.com/
Christopher Rivas:
https://www.instagram.com/christopher__rivas
https://twitter.com/chris__rivas
https://podcasts.apple.com › podcast › brown-enough
#boys #men #masculinity #feminism #transgender #acting #transition #confidence #selfdiscovery
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