Zach Smadu had a natural inclination towards artistry. “I started acting and performing on stage at the age of ten doing musical theater, dance, singing, and learning instruments,” he remembers. “Having those outlets fuelled and fanned this desire within me – This need to express myself artistically. And it’s the needing to do it, the enjoyment of it, to play and be immersed in something and share it with people, that’s been the guiding light. I’ve kind of just trusted that instinct and followed it wherever it led me. It wasn’t so much picking this path as an artist, but just trusting that it would guide you somewhere.” He treats each role as though he’s welcoming himself into a new home. The script is an undeniable source of treasures. “Obviously, every role is different, so you have to celebrate that. In preparation, there are basic fundamental things that always have to be done, like character analysis, text work, understanding the tone and genre, etc. But, with the basics out of the way, the actual learning and playing around and making it my own – I just try to stay open to where the material takes me. I read a script and let my imagination run and I follow. If I start thinking about ‘what kind of music does this guy listen to?’, I’ll start building a playlist while I work. If I’m interested in ‘where does this guy hold energy in his body?’, I’ll do a lot of physical bodywork. I don’t follow a specific formula in preparation or in performance, so that helps keep it fresh and fun for me. I have access to tools and sometimes certain ones work really well, other times they don’t, and you have to find what gets you excited. And maybe that’s really the heart of it, I just try to embody or pursue the thing that excites me about each character and trust that’s worthwhile.”
Zach will use that same spirit of innovation to return as Daniel in season 3 of Family Law. Get ready to delve even deeper into the cast. “Unsurprisingly, season 3 has all the same fun, wit. and dramatic energy that the show is known for and the audience expects. And because we have such talented and thoughtful writers that are really invested in these characters, they find a way to constantly amplify the storylines and relationships with such depth, humor. and humanity. So as season 3 unravels, the audience gets a more nuanced and deeper view of these people. The ever-changing sibling dynamic, the status jockeying within the firm, the complexities of everyone’s personal lives. The energy is accelerated, the humor ramped up, the severity of people’s decisions more consequential. And of course it’s fun as hell.” Parsing the intricacies of legal politics has been a point of extreme fascination for Zach. “I’ve learned a lot about the judicial system in general. As lawyers practicing Family Law, it’s rare we get involved with criminal proceedings like fraud and abductions or thefts – but it can happen. Generally, we deal with a range of issues like divorces, custody battles, adoptions, family estates, and inheritances, but there has been some crossover in our cases. What’s been fascinating is the human impact all these legal cases have. When you’re a lawyer you have skin in the game, and the consequences of your actions impact those you’re representing. But for me, the interesting thing is there’s so much strategy and gameplay that happens within the law – how you interpret something, how you frame the situation, what details you press as important. It’s shown me that the legal system and precedents aren’t just black and white, they are malleable, evolving, and ever-changing as we engage with it. And that’s cool, because as we know what may have been common practice twenty years ago may have completely changed now, and that means the same for now looking towards the future.”
Daniel and his father Harry continue to lock horns. Family Law really is a family affair. “The ongoing battle for Daniel and Harry is both personal and professional. Throughout the show, Daniel has had to navigate the somewhat difficult terrain of his father’s love. Obviously, Harry cares for his three children, but they all had very different relationships with him growing up. Because of their unusual upbringings, he shows that love in different ways. With all three half-siblings working together, those differences are constantly on display and often at war with each other. At work, Daniel has tried and succeeded at times in stepping outside of his dad’s giant and domineering shadow. He’s able to assert himself more. To establish some healthy boundaries. But it’s that intersection of both wanting his father’s approval and becoming his own man that lies at the heart of their relationship.” This season showcases Daniel’s attempt to conquer the firm, but his other dynamics are decidedly messier. ”Oh, Daniel’s got some real drama going on,” Zach laughs. “Of course, he’s still trying to establish and maintain himself at the top of the firm’s hierarchy, which is cause for plenty of challenges and hijinx. But what’s complicating all of that is his tumultuous personal life this season. The audience gets to see so much more of Daniel’s relationships outside the office – a budding bromance and a questionable romantic interest- all of which fleshes out different aspects of his personality that I just love playing.”
Fittingly, family is also Zach’s perennial source of motivation. “I’m extremely close with both my dad and mom. They have been pivotal in my development and continue to support and cheer me on with everything I do. Although I moved away when I was 18, they’ve remained a huge part of my life. My dad specificall, has shown me what it means to be artistically curious. He’s been a professional musician since he was 14 and has continued to play guitar and sing and rock out with his band well into his 70s, so performance-wise, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. But that curiosity extends and overlaps to so much more for both of us: writing, cooking, painting, and sport! Through those different interests, my dad has demonstrated to me how to follow your passions and what discipline looks like. How to work. To grind it out. To get it done. But at the foundation of it all is the importance of family. It’s the strength of my parents’ love and respect for each other and my siblings that is the cornerstone of being the best person you can be.” Such devotion became salvation when his father was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. “My dad is a two-time cancer survivor. The second battle he had was with AML, which is a type of blood cancer that while treatable with chemotherapy and/or stem cell transplants, still has a high risk of death. Bad white blood cells take over all the blood cells in the body, so when my dad was diagnosed he had virtually zero healthy white blood cells, which meant he was prone to infection. The chemotherapy is in a sense a poison, as it kills the bad blood cells, but in that process, it kills good cells too. My dad had many transfusions of packed cells and platelets during the course of his hundred days of hospitalization and treatment. He was in isolation most of the time. People should know that in severe illnesses like this, family support for the patient is critical. My dad was never alone during his whole hospitalization–one of the family was with him at all times. He says it is what got him through the treatment and recovery. I am happy to say he has been in remission for almost 8 years now!” As his star rises, so will his activism. “The two things definitely coexist and help each other I think. When I first started raising money and speaking out for different charities and causes, I was often doing it on the ground running. Literally. I raised a lot of money doing marathons and other races for local causes. But with social media, it’s been easier to expand the audience and the reach. As my career continues to grow and my profile gets larger, I hope that I can have a greater impact on the issues I find pressing. The hope would be that, in the future, my being involved with certain events and charities could have an even greater impact for the cause. When Tom Hanks gets involved with AIDS research, more people pay attention and participate. If the expansion of my career can have a greater effect on the causes I hold near and dear, then I am all for it!” Altruism is the foundation of the empathy that fuels the good in humanity. Family Law season 3 is currently airing on The CW.
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“Family Law” Star Zach Smadu Talks Season 3 and Cancer Activism. Photo Credit: Richie Lubaton.
