Overview
- On the Pod Meets World podcast, Smith said neither he nor The WB, Sony, or producers initially knew Jack McPhee would be written as gay.
- Creator Kevin Williamson told Smith a few months into his tenure over coffee, prompting the actor to seek advice as he felt “very, very scared” in 1998.
- Smith recalled protests outside the Wilmington set after the episode aired, saying a brick wall separated him at lunch from people “angry as hell.”
- He noted the season 3 finale featured what outlets characterize as the first passionate kiss between two men on American network primetime, a moment later cited by Greg Berlanti amid internal tentativeness.
- Looking back, Smith said he is proud of the storyline’s impact and announced he is writing a memoir, I Don't Want to Wait, slated for Fall 2026.