Explosions, AI and Broadway Dreams: A Conversation with Brian J. Smith

This week on Trigger Warning, Daniel and Adam are in fine form are in rare form — over‑caffeinated, mildly chaotic, and yes, pushing all the usual buttons (wouldn’t have it any other way). They’re joined by the phenomenal Brian J. Smith — you know, from Sense8, Stargate, and Matrix 4 — who somehow stays classy while they spiral into rants about fame, fandom, and what it’s like to share the spotlight with our soon‑to‑be AI overlords.Brian lets us in on filming Vought Rising — the The Boys prequel everyone’s buzzing about — complete with explosions, egos, and a healthy dose of existential dread. They also get into the emotional side of working through COVID’s strange, soul‑sucking years, the highs and lows of Broadway life, and why staying creative when the world’s on fire sometimes feels like the only option.Naturally, Adam and Daniel go completely off‑script (shocking, I know). There are Juilliard stories, a few strong opinions about AI stealing monologues, and their trademark chaos in between the deep stuff. But somehow, amid the tech glitches, heartfelt confessions, and uncontrollable laughter, it turns into what Trigger Warning always aims to be — a messy, brutally honest, weirdly uplifting conversation about being human in the middle of all this madness.So yeah — buckle up, plug in, and get ready for some unfiltered brilliance with Brian J. Smith. You’ve officially been warned.00:00 – Welcome to chaos: technical issues & caffeinated hosts 00:49 – First broadcast energy 01:19 – Enter Brian J. Smith (grace under fire) 02:02 – Juilliard stories and acting hustle 03:17 – On Vout Rising, explosions, and bad behavior 11:52 – Filming through the COVID fog 13:06 – How the industry coped (or didn’t) 15:03 – Career pivots, theatre magic, and personal honesty 20:12 – AI vs. actors: who wins the sequel? 22:45 – Writers, machines, and moral hangovers 26:01 – The comeback era: character development edition 33:08 – Surviving the grind 36:37 – Trigger Warnings, community, and catharsis 40:00 – Sign‑off, chaos, applause@triggerwaringnyc@redeye_ny@pridehousemediaWrite to us at: [email protected]