Actor Jason Lewis, known for his role as Smith Jerrod in "Sex and the City," has shared details of a difficult period early in his career where he experienced significant financial hardship while pursuing modeling in Paris. Lewis, now 54, described a "six month starvation period" at age 21, during which he resorted to stealing food and sleeping in unconventional places to survive.
Recounting his experiences on Kristin Davis' podcast "Am I A Charlotte?", Lewis explained that he would often steal baguettes from bakeries and supplement his meager meals with mustard packets taken from outdoor cafes. "I starved for a while," Lewis said. "I would case a bakery and steal a baguette and then I would run and then I would go to like an outdoor cafe... and take a pot of their mustard and dump it on and then I’d have mustard bread sandwiches for a lot of my meals."
He also recalled sleeping on floors during this time. The ordeal lasted for six months, and Lewis noted the extreme frugality he had to maintain, stating, "So there was like a six month starvation period... 'I could buy this one cucumber and this piece of cheese.' It was easy to stay skinny though!"
IMAGE4:
Eventually, Lewis's fortunes improved after securing modeling bookings. "I got a booking," he said. "I managed to put together a pretty good book, I still had the agency I was working with at the time. Got a booking and started making money." He noted that it took about a year and a half for substantial income to start coming in.
Lewis's path eventually led him to "Sex and the City," where he joined the cast in 2003. His portrayal of waiter-turned-actor Smith Jerrod, the boyfriend of Kim Cattrall's character Samantha Jones, brought him widespread recognition. The character's journey on the show, from waiting tables to achieving stardom with Samantha's help, mirrored Lewis's own trajectory in some ways.
IMAGE2:
Lewis has often spoken fondly of his "Sex and the City" role. In a recent promotional video, he referenced his character's relationship with Samantha, stating, "Smith was nothing without her," a sentiment that resonated with fans who often wished for the couple's enduring success on screen.
IMAGE6:
On the show, Samantha used her public relations skills to advance Smith's career, helping him land significant modeling and acting opportunities. Their relationship, which began casually, deepened when Smith supported Samantha through her breast cancer diagnosis. While the couple remained together at the end of the series in 2004, they had broken up by the time of "Sex and the City: The Movie" in 2008, after Samantha moved to Los Angeles. Lewis reprised the role in the 2010 sequel, "Sex and the City 2," where Smith invited Samantha to the premiere of his new action film, indicating they were still on amicable terms.
IMAGE8:
