Brian Michael Smith (born January 29, 1983) is an American actor known for his recurring role in OWN's Queen Sugar, as well as appearances on NBC's Chicago P.D., HBO's Girls, and Showtime’s thriller Homeland. In June 2019, he was named to the The L Word: Generation Q cast. In January 2020 he was featured as part of the debut ensemble of 9-1-1: Lone Star.　　Brian Michael Smith was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He was raised by his mother, Ingrid Smith, an event planner and Ford Motor Company employee, with the support of a close-knit family. He and his mother spent his early years living with aunts, cousins and an adopted brother. Although assigned female at birth, he identified as male, and was perceived as male, throughout his childhood. He challenged pressures to conform to his assigned gender role through performance and athletics.