Jordan Patrick Smith Career Timeline: from Breakout Talent to Global Star
By Chloe Bennett
Following the conclusion of Vikings, Smith chose an unconventional project. Rather than taking another sword-and-shield franchise role, he signed on to Misha Green’s genre-subverting HBO series Lovecraft Country (2020), executive produced by Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams.
Smith portrayed William, a dapper, enigmatic aristocrat caught inside a complex occult network in 1950s Jim Crow America. The role was secretly intertwined with Abbey Lee’s character, Christina Braithwaite, through a series of grotesque magical metamorphoses.
The production required Smith to strip away every trace of Ubbe’s rugged, muddy physicality. As William, he moved with calculating, cold precision, dressed in tailored three-piece suits, and spoke with mid-century American vocal inflections. The series earned 18 Emmy nominations, and while it ran for only one season, it confirmed Smith’s viability within high-end American prestige productions. It proved that his appeal was not limited to historical ruggedness; he could play chilling, ambiguous, and cerebral antagonists just as effectively.
Chloe Bennett explores the intersection of pop culture, streaming entertainment, digital trends, and contemporary lifestyle. Her weekly commentary reaches thousands of culture enthusiasts.
