Actor Riley Smith chatted about “Nancy Drew” Season 4 and “Station 19.”
Aside from “Nancy Drew,” Smith is known for his roles on television, such as recurring roles in the series “24,” “Joan of Arcadia,” “90210,” “True Blood,” and “The Messengers,” and starring roles on the TV series “Drive,” and “Frequency.”
‘Nancy Drew’
“Nancy Drew was unbelievable,” he said about the fourth and final season. “I had the best experience, probably ever. This show has gone on for four years, and that’s why I got involved. I was thankful for every year that it got picked up, it was an amazing four year run because most people don’t get that opportunity.”
“Three episodes of Season 4 have aired already, and the fourth one will air on Wednesday,” he said. “It’s a pretty fun and good episode for my character.”
“This is the fourth and final season, it has a lot of interesting storylines going on. For me, I love that it will have a nice arc for my character Ryan, who gets to be more of a leading man and he gets to go after some bad guys, and he gets driven in that way. Ryan’s life has changed a lot in many great ways,” he elaborated.
‘Station 19’
“Station 19 was awesome,” he admitted. “The woman who co-created and executive produced it, Krista Vernoff, and I did a pilot based that was on her life called ‘Studio City’.”
Smith continued, “When I was finishing up ‘Nancy Drew,’ I received an email from one of my agents saying that they are adding a new role on ‘Station 19.’ They gave me an offer the next day, and my character comes on one of the last episodes of the season. I think they are building him up for a good arc next year.”
“My character is the president of the Fire Union, and he will be working closely with one of the leads on the show, so that’s fun,” he added.
Future plans
On his future plans, Smith said, “Right now, we are trying to figure out what is going to happen with the business, and the current strike. Hopefully, I am looking forward to going back to ‘Station 19.’ I am also reading a bunch of pilots and materials for new projects.”
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Smith said, “The whole thing with digital is that it’s like the Wild West right now. That’s a part of why everyone is striking, and they are trying to get some lines in the sand, and figure out.”
“Ultimately, it will create opportunities in some ways, and it will take away opportunities in other ways. It’s crazy! We have to realize, as we get older, that if you don’t mold with the business and the times, you will be left behind,” he explained.
“I’m very much an old-school acting, with 25 years of acting, and I’m trying to get used to being fluid and going with the times and the changes,” he added.
CBS New York
During the pandemic, he was spotlighted on “The Donna Drake Show” on CBS New York, where he spoke to two-time Telly award-winning host Donna Drake about his experience on “Nancy Drew.” “Donna was great! I really liked talking to her,” he said.
Favorite mottos to live by
On his favorite mottos to live by, Smith revealed, “Live in the moment, most importantly. Be present and don’t worry about what happened before and don’t be anxious about what happens next.”
Dream Loud campaign
Smith had positive words about being a part of Brad Everett Young’s Dream Loud campaign, which works on preserving arts and music programs in schools. “Brad is so great. It is always awesome working with one of the best,” he exclaimed.
To learn more about actor Riley Smith, follow him on Instagram.
