Stephen A. Smith has spent countless hours in front of the camera, speaking off the cuff about sports as himself. Over the years, the analyst has fearlessly spewed his opinions on a daily basis.
Whether it has been conversations about Patrick Mahomes, Kevin Durant, or historical greats like Michael Jordan and Tom Brady, Smith has always delivered his own thoughts. However, he recently jumped off the deep end, taking a role where he was tasked with spelling out someone else’s opinions.
Stephen A. Smith Steps Well Outside Comfort Zone
According to a May 8, 2025 post by ML Football, Smith took part in an episode of “Law and Order.” In the show, Smith plays a sports agent, listing off dollar figures like on an episode of “Ballers.”
ESPN ANALYST STEPHEN A. SMITH WAS ON TONIGHT‘S LAW AND ORDER EPISODE AS AN AGENT.
💀💀💀
This man is everywhere. pic.twitter.com/RAqSuheufC
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 9, 2025
Smith was seen telling a basketball player nearing the end of his career that he couldn’t keep an entourage around anymore.
After giving a stern talking to the player, his character met the fate of many on the show —he was murdered.
The roughly two-and-half-minute clip cuts to a crime scene. Smith’s character is seen lying on the ground with police attempting to figure out what happened.
This Wasn’t Stephen A. Smith’s Acting Debut
According to IMDB, Smith has acted at other times in his career. He has acted in movies and television shows, although this appeared to be the first time he played a character that was murdered in a television show.
Smith’s earliest acting job was in 2007 on a movie called “I Think I Love My Wife.” The experiment was brief, and the analyst didn’t attempt to act again for nearly a decade with one exception.
Smith was a recurring character on General Hospital, making appearances in 50 episodes between 2007-2025.
In terms of movie acting credits, Smith’s most famous theatrical cameo was perhaps Creed III in 2023. Smith played himself in the film, serving as one of the analysts talking about the main character. In total, he has 11 acting credits, with his appearance on Law and Order serving as his most recent.
His former First Take cohort, Max Kellerman, has also appeared in the Rocky franchise, making a cameo appearance in Creed II and Rocky Balboa in 2006.
Sports reporters appearing in movies and television shows are not a new phenomenon. For decades, cameos have dotted the big screen and television shows.
Players have also made appearances in various movies. Perhaps most notably, Brady and Marshawn Lynch have appeared in movies and television shows in recent years. The former New England Patriots quarterback acted in the 2023 “80 for Brady” movie. Lynch also appeared in the movie, in addition to many other pieces of media.