---
name: "Cory Michael Smith"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/cory-michael-smith"
fi1m_id: "cory-michael-smith"
imdb_id: "nm5754425"
tmdb_id: 1367617
wikidata_id: "Q17012336"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "14 November 1986"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 83
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-23T04:11:49.738520+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Cory Michael Smith

## Identity

Cory Michael Smith

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/cory-michael-smith
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** cory-michael-smith
- **IMDb ID:** nm5754425
- **TMDB ID:** 1367617
- **Wikidata ID:** Q17012336
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_Michael_Smith, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17012336, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5754425/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1367617

Actor. Born 14 November 1986 in Columbus, Ohio, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 14 November 1986, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- **Active:** 2014–present
- **Frequently works with:** [Christine Vachon](https://film.one/person/christine-vachon.md), [Todd Haynes](https://film.one/person/todd-haynes.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 83, as actor, over 5 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 84 (3), 2020s 82 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 83 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 5, Comedy 1, History 1, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $174m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_Michael_Smith, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17012336, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5754425/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1367617

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Carol*](https://film.one/film/carol.md) (88)
- **Netflix:** [*May December*](https://film.one/film/may-december.md) (84)
- **Disney+:** [*Sentimental Value*](https://film.one/film/sentimental-value.md) (79)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Cory Michael Smith

> Cory Michael Smith makes bluntness count without needing much screen time. His supporting work for Todd Haynes gives us the clearest reason to seek him out: a precise actor who can unsettle a film’s careful manners.

In *May December* (2023), Cory Michael Smith plays Georgie, Gracie’s son from her first marriage, and says what the others have learned to avoid. He has only a couple of scenes; the bluntness makes each count. We felt relieved when he spoke plainly, because everyone around him had become so practised at not doing so. Todd Haynes gets something valuable from Smith here: the ability to disrupt a scene without needing to dominate the film. It is supporting work we would happily watch again.

*Gotham* (2014–2019) gave him a more conspicuous part as Edward Nygma, moving from quirky to menacing across a long television run. The quieter association with Haynes began with Tommy Tucker in *Carol* (2015) and continued through *Wonderstruck* (2017) before *May December*. *Carol* is carried by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, and we would not pretend it tells us as much about Smith as Georgie does. But Haynes’s patience with small gestures is a useful setting for an actor capable of precise supporting work. The careful manners sometimes keep us outside even so, a flaw worth acknowledging in a film we recommend strongly.

*1985* (2018) gave Smith his first leading film role, Adrian Lester, in a drama using long takes and little dialogue. Playing Chevy Chase in *Saturday Night* (2024) required a recognisable public persona and a different sort of precision. For Georgie, he dyed his hair and helped design tattoos, so physical alteration is also part of his approach.

His appearance in Joachim Trier’s *Sentimental Value* (2025) places him in another patient, well-acted ensemble. The film is worth an evening, with a reservation about how neatly it arranges its family troubles. In *May December*, Charles Melton remains our main reason to watch, but Smith makes a briefer contribution worth seeking out. Start with *May December*, but do not expect Haynes to give him the evening to himself.

## Biography

Cory Michael Smith is an American actor. Born on 14 November 1986 in Columbus, Ohio, he graduated from Otterbein University and began his career in theatre. He made his Broadway debut in 2013 in *Breakfast at Tiffany's*.

Smith is known for playing Edward Nygma in the series *Gotham* (2014–2019). He has collaborated with director Todd Haynes on *Carol* (2015), *Wonderstruck* (2017) and *May December* (2023), in which he played Georgie. His other film roles include *Camp X-Ray* (2014), *First Man* (2018), *1985* (2018) and *Saturday Night* (2024). He appeared as Sam in *Sentimental Value* (2025).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Sentimental Value* (2025), Fi1m 79, as Sam — [page](https://film.one/film/sentimental-value.md)
- *May December* (2023), Fi1m 84, as Georgie — [page](https://film.one/film/may-december.md)
- *First Man* (2018), Fi1m 80, as Roger B. Chaffee — [page](https://film.one/film/first-man.md)
- *Carol* (2015), Fi1m 88, as Tommy Tucker — [page](https://film.one/film/carol.md)
- *Olive Kitteridge* (2014), Fi1m 84, as Kevin Coulson — [page](https://film.one/tv/olive-kitteridge.md)

## Complete filmography (22)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Sun Never Sets* (2026), as Chuck · Producer
- *Sentimental Value* (2025), as Sam — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/sentimental-value.md)
- *Mountainhead* (2025), as Venis Parish
- *Saturday Night* (2024), as Chevy Chase
- *May December* (2023), as Georgie — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/may-december.md)
- *Incomplete* (2023), as Narrator
- *Transatlantic* (2023), series, as Varian Fry
- *Call Jane* (2022), as Dean
- *The Same Storm* (2022), as Jeremy Salt
- *Utopia* (2020), series, as Thomas Christie
- *1985* (2018), as Adrian · Executive Producer
- *First Man* (2018), as Roger B. Chaffee — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/first-man.md)
- *Wonderstruck* (2017), as Walter
- *Carol* (2015), as Tommy Tucker — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/carol.md)
- *Olive Kitteridge* (2014), series, as Kevin Coulson — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/olive-kitteridge.md)
- *Camp X-Ray* (2014), as Bergen
- *Gotham* (2014), series, as Edward Nygma
- *Dog Food* (2014), as Declan
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as George Shavers — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Famous*, Actor
- *The Temple*, as Johnathan Baby
- *October*, as Michael Graves

## Gallery

- ![American actor Cory Michael Smith arrives on the red carpet for the premiere of the film "First Man" at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Thursday, ](https://film.one/media/person/7525/gallery-adca1b433fdc.jpg) American actor Cory Michael Smith arrives on the red carpet for the premiere of the film "First Man" at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Thursday,  — Aubrey Gemignani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/%22First_Man%22_Premiere_at_NASM_%28NHQ201810040107%29.jpg/1280px-%22First_Man%22_Premiere_at_NASM_%28NHQ201810040107%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![The cast of the film "First Man" pose for a photo after arriving on the red carpet for the premiere at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Thursday, O](https://film.one/media/person/7525/gallery-a9e542da5f9b.jpg) The cast of the film "First Man" pose for a photo after arriving on the red carpet for the premiere at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Thursday, O — Aubrey Gemignani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/%22First_Man%22_Premiere_at_NASM_%28NHQ201810040125%29.jpg/1280px-%22First_Man%22_Premiere_at_NASM_%28NHQ201810040125%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Ben McKenzie, Robin Lord Taylor and Cory Michael Smith speaking at the 2015 Wondercon, for "Gotham", at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Pl](https://film.one/media/person/7525/gallery-ed2ae227eeef.jpg) Ben McKenzie, Robin Lord Taylor and Cory Michael Smith speaking at the 2015 Wondercon, for "Gotham", at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Pl — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Ben_McKenzie%2C_Robin_Lord_Taylor_%26_Cory_Michael_Smith_%2816436434024%29.jpg/1280px-Ben_McKenzie%2C_Robin_Lord_Taylor_%26_Cory_Michael_Smith_%2816436434024%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Camren Bicondova and Cory Michael Smith speaking at the 2017 WonderCon, for "Gotham", at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Please attribute ](https://film.one/media/person/7525/gallery-dcf79f073c71.jpg) Camren Bicondova and Cory Michael Smith speaking at the 2017 WonderCon, for "Gotham", at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Please attribute  — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Camren_Bicondova_%26_Cory_Michael_Smith_%2833023359374%29.jpg/1280px-Camren_Bicondova_%26_Cory_Michael_Smith_%2833023359374%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Cory Michael Smith](https://film.one/media/person/7525/gallery-8201a602c636.jpg) Cory Michael Smith — Image via TMDB
- ![Cory Michael Smith](https://film.one/media/person/7525/gallery-aff2f13b72ae.jpg) Cory Michael Smith — Image via TMDB
- ![Camren Bicondova and Cory Michael Smith speaking at the 2017 WonderCon, for "Gotham", at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Please attribute ](https://film.one/media/person/7525/gallery-fecdf3b2eb3b.jpg) Camren Bicondova and Cory Michael Smith speaking at the 2017 WonderCon, for "Gotham", at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Please attribute  — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Camren_Bicondova_%26_Cory_Michael_Smith_%2833710732622%29.jpg/1280px-Camren_Bicondova_%26_Cory_Michael_Smith_%2833710732622%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Camren Bicondova and Cory Michael Smith speaking at the 2017 WonderCon, for "Gotham", at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Please attribute ](https://film.one/media/person/7525/gallery-69ba3cb30a47.jpg) Camren Bicondova and Cory Michael Smith speaking at the 2017 WonderCon, for "Gotham", at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Please attribute  — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/Camren_Bicondova_%26_Cory_Michael_Smith_%2833737710741%29.jpg/1280px-Camren_Bicondova_%26_Cory_Michael_Smith_%2833737710741%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/cory-michael-smith