Award-winning actor, filmmaker, and producer, Damien D. Smith has opened up about the seeming perceived ‘rich’ status of most Hollywood actors.

According to him, the glamorous ways Hollywood actors are portrayed in movies do not necessarily depict their financial reality.

In an interview on Day Break Hitz, with host Noella Kharyne Yalley, he said: "All that glitters is not gold. The first thing you have to do is love it. There is all the glitz and glamour like being on the radio. It’s all nice but it takes a lot to get to this point”

When asked about the financial rewards of acting, he shared insights into the industry's realities. Reflecting on his career, he recalled performing for an audience of just one person during a full production, highlighting the unpredictability of the profession.

"Acting can provide a decent and great lifestyle for you," he said. "But you have to be realistic with your money, yourself, and your circumstances."

He emphasized that actors are independent contractors, with no built-in retirement benefits. "You have to look at yourself as a business," he added, urging fellow professionals to plan strategically for long-term financial security.

Damien D. Smith is an award-winning filmmaker using strategic storytelling to inspire and provoke change through social, political and corporate campaigns. Using his art to address sexism, racism, and bigotry, Smith drives intergenerational, cross-cultural conversations around mental illness, sexual abuse and environmental racism.