By Maya Meinert
Special to the Daily Press

HOLLYWOOD — Even if you’ve seen a stage production of “The Lion King” during its current two-year run at the Pantages Theater, you may not have known that everyone’s favorite lion cub who would be king emerged from the wild that is Santa Monica.

Wallace Smith, 26, who plays the lead role of Simba, really is a hometown boy — he grew up near Ninth Street and Pico Boulevard, and attended John Muir Elementary, John Adams Middle and Santa Monica High schools. It was at Samohi where Smith studied under the tutelage of theater director Frank Ford, a teacher at the school for the last 22 years.

“I give all the credit to the Samohi theater program,” said Smith last week, in between performances. “[Frank Ford told] me I could be a good actor, but I didn’t believe him.”

Based on his reviews as Simba in a touring production of the show, Smith should be a believer.

“Wallace Smith makes a fine, virile Simba,” wrote Jay Reiner of The Hollywood Reporter. Rob Pratt of metroactive.com, a northern California-based Web site, said Smith “command[s] the stage,” and Jeff Hutton of The Ottumwa Courier in Des Moines, Iowa, called Smith’s performance “impressive.”

But the road to success wasn’t always a smooth one.

Smith attended Santa Monica College for a couple of years, toiling away at places like Jamba Juice and local movie theaters before catching a break. When he started out in the business, all he had under his belt was what he had done in high school.

“When I auditioned for ‘The Lion King’ in 1998, I didn’t know anything about the show,” Smith said. “I wasn’t prepared to be in any Broadway show.”

It took four or five auditions before he landed a part in the ensemble. In the meantime, Smith performed in other shows, including playing the role of John in “Miss Saigon” for two years and Matt in the Los Angeles Company’s “Bare.” He has also had small roles on television shows such as “American Dreams,” “State of Grace,” “Soul Food” and “Port Charles.”

After a couple of months of being an ensemble player, the role of Simba opened up and Smith pounced.

“The part of Simba just kind of fit,” he said. “I felt that it was right [for me].”

In preparation for the role, Smith said he spent hours at the gym and changed his eating habits — no more late-night pizza.

Smith performs in eight shows a week, which he said has helped strengthen both his voice and body. Now that he has been doing the show for almost two years, “the process is different. Now it’s about wear and tear.”

Smith also watched his fair share of National Geographic videos.

“People say ‘The Lion King’ is a cartoon, but the theatrical production is quite different,” he said. “It’s probably the most physical thing I’ve done in theater. I wanted to understand the most I could about the rivalries between lions and hyenas.”

Smith began singing in church as he was growing up in Santa Monica. Samohi’s Ford said that’s where Smith learned to be comfortable in front of people.

“He started out with very little [theater] expertise,” Ford said. “[But] he learned steadily and constantly, and has become a very fine actor.”

Ford and Smith remain close to this day, with the instructor trying to attend each of his former student’s opening nights around the country.

“Wallace excelled at everything he did [in high school], but he never alienated anyone,” Ford said. “It shows in ‘The Lion King’ — his purity of heart comes across ... He’s what teachers live for.”

THAT’S THE SPIRIT

“What I enjoy most is being able to touch people that I never get to meet,” Smith said. “The specific role of Simba touches people, especially kids, [who might feel] misunderstood. It’s an honor to be able to do what I do.”

Smith admits that while he enjoys his work with “The Lion King,” he is challenged by finding ways to keep the role fresh after doing the same show day after day.

“It’s so easy to become engulfed in what is so temporary,” Smith said. “You have to see the bigger picture. I don’t want to become complacent.”

The bigger picture for Smith includes a career in contemporary Christian music, as well as acting in movies and television. He recently released the album “The Chronicles of Wallace Smith,” on which he wrote, performed and produced all the songs.

“Everything I do is to promote positivity,” Smith said. “I want to make music that promotes spirituality. I wanted to go in that direction and not just be another R&B singer or pop singer because there will always be that. It’s different to take on a moral responsibility. I want to do music that can speak to anybody, whatever you are. Even though Jesus Christ is my center, it’s for everybody.”

Though he loves making music, Smith doesn’t have any upcoming shows largely due to the demands placed on him by his role in the “The Lion King.” The show runs through Jan. 7 at the Pantages before it is scheduled to hit the road, stopping at 13 cities around the country.

Smith said that he isn’t sure when the tour will end, but when he gets back to Los Angeles, the Culver City resident will continue to audition for more parts.

“I’ll keep chomping away and keep working hard like so many other people in L.A.,” he said.

But for now, Smith is enjoying being at home.

“It’s great to be home in Los Angeles and do the show,” he said. “It’s something I can give back to the community.”