Jason Lewis has been entertaining audiences for years. Yet while he is perhaps best known for his role as Smith Jerrod from the groundbreaking HBO series Sex and the City (SATC), the model, actor, and philanthropist is much, much more than just an exceptionally pretty face. For Jason, it truly isn’t about being in front of a camera—it’s about having the opportunity and ability to tell stories that fulfill his soul. Touching people’s lives through human experience ignites his spirit, and that approach is evident in both his craft and conduct.

For someone who seems so inherently photogenic, one might be surprised to learn that Jason tripped into modeling by accident, “which was amazing because I got to travel around the world and experience this incredible life, but it led to my first acting gig.” After years of modeling, he was ready for something more. “I was at a transitional point in my life,” he remembers. “I tried to balance both pursuing that career and taking acting seriously. And I was so occupied with the modeling career, I couldn’t find the time to do so.” So he moved back to New York, gave up modeling, and began studying acting in theater classes.

Jason happened to be in the right place at the right time—and with the perfect tan—when the opportunity to audition for Kim Cattrall’s boyfriend presented itself. “I had just gotten back from a surf trip in Costa Rica. I guess they’d been looking for people, but they hadn’t quite found the right vibe for the guy,” he explains of the search for Smith Jerrod, “so I think I just brought that kind of beachy, earthy vibe.” But it went deeper than that. “Honestly, I think the reason I got the part was simply because I understood Michael [Patrick King]’s writing,” which was apparent even during Jason’s audition for Smith.

Playing Smith allowed Jason to dive deeper into what it means to hone the craft of storytelling. “Smith represents the thing that I love so much about story,” he imparts. “It’s a place for us to work out our own souls and understand the world around us. Stories have always been a place for me to find solace, find insight, find my heroes, find the hero inside of myself. And there’s an aspect of Smith that was just like the person you’d like to be—operating in your higher graces rather than just reacting to the world.”

Movies and television are an art audiences can escape into, vicariously allowing one to experience somebody else’s life for a moment; but being able to embody another human being as an actor, rather than simply view them as an onlooker, is inspiring on another level. “For me, storytelling is why I am an actor—not to be in front of a camera, but because I love stories. I think stories are an important part of any culture, of our growth, of our learning, of our insight, of our humanity. And so, getting to do that is always a gift to me.”

Caring about someone else’s story fosters either sympathy or empathy, and Jason is very much in tune with that energy. “We live in a very self-aggrandizing world now more than ever,” he reflects. “Like if you look at a child, you see that our self-development needs to be exercised. Somewhere along the way, I decided that it was less important to be right as it was to find a better version of myself. I try and stay there—it’s not that I’m perfect or, you know, don’t sometimes think I’m right when I’m wrong, but I try and disallow that bias to rule my thoughts.” And in the presence of such constant self-evolution, stagnation becomes impossible.

“I’m a big fan and believer of using the word ‘articulate’ a lot. I think that everything that we’re doing in our life is an effort to articulate ourselves better. You could say that whether you’re trying to learn to dance, or a new sport, or navigate our own intellect and emotions. And, you know, Smith is a truly altruistic character,” he snickers. “I’d like to pretend that I had that strength and ability, but I certainly wasn’t that involved at that time,” referring to when Jason first came to the role in SATC. “I think it probably gave me some good reflection on what an altruistic look on life would be. So, in that way, as a story, it helps serve me as the artist because you’re detached from that—you’re not stuck again by your own bias and why you’re right or wrong; you’re trying to advocate for this character. And so, you see a moral point of view.”

The closing of one chapter inevitably leads to the beginning of the next, although all chapters are linked by the growth that comes with moving forward. “The reality of being an actor is it’s a little bittersweet and odd, because it’s like starting a relationship, you’re a bit of a gypsy—you’re starting a relationship in a new organization and in a new space. And then everybody gypsies over to the new clans and new places, and so you may or may not run into each other again. So, these can be very ethereal moments in space and time.” Outside of SATC, Jason was always engaged with other work between New York City and Los Angeles. Hence, when Midnight, Texas came on his radar, it, too, spoke to a part of him that he was ready to explore further.

“I am a fan of all genres, but I really love epic fantasy, big world magic stuff the most, because it gives your greater imagination greater departures.” NBC’s supernatural drama Midnight, Texas, adapted from Charlaine Harris’ best-selling book series, speaks to Jason’s love of fantastical tales. In the remote town of Midnight, being normal is odd, and only outsiders truly fit in. Jason played Joe Strong, an angel tattoo artist. “I also love the underlying message of diversity and inclusion” in the story, he elaborates. “I kind of saw there was almost a Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein metaphor in there. ‘Who are the true monsters here? All these supernatural beings or the bigoted, hating world that wouldn’t allow them to exist?’”

Playing Joe Strong “was a really good exploration on advocating for the intimacy of spirit rather than an ideology of an individual who should fit expectation,” divulges Jason. “That’s something I’m always exploring. I think it’s tragic how we all put ourselves in boxes and each other in boxes, because ultimately there’s a lot more that is similar about human beings … I really loved that with that character, I had to explore why the hell would a demon and an angel go against Heaven,” he elaborates. “People are so many different contexts … We are all a myriad, a collage of different stories, and we shouldn’t have to just be known and articulated in one space.”

While we might know him primarily for his on-screen work, keep in mind that Jason started in modeling and has a prolific portfolio to show for it. Industry titans Versace, Dolce and Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, and GUESS, among others, all have Jason Lewis in common across numerous campaigns. He has graced the covers of Men’s Fitness, New York Magazine, August Man, Web MD, and Jezebel Magazine, and has been featured in InStyle, Cosmopolitan, People, Elle, Vogue, Marie Claire, and LA Confidential, to name a few. However, in the modeling industry, he only had a limited voice. And while modeling gave Jason his start, acting gave him his freedom.

Yet giving back nurtures his soul on another level. “I’ve always believed in doing something philanthropical.” Afterall, Jason admits with transparent human-awareness, “it’s a great form of selfishness—we do it for ourselves, so we can feel better about ourselves as people. So, I’ve always worked in something. And for me, I always respond to people who have been disenfranchised because they’re the ones who need it the most. So, I’ve always been really sensitive to children and the homeless.”

Jason is heavily involved with Best Buddies, a nonprofit “dedicated to ending the social, physical, and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” Given Jason’s compassion for those who are marginalized, it’s easy to see why Best Buddies’ mission is so close to his heart. “When I saw the impact that they had, it just is so effective and so decent … It is such a great organization because you’re taking a group of people who are, again, contextualized as being ‘other’ and you’re showing inclusion. I have a firm belief that we’re all on the spectrum—it’s like the spectrum of humanity. We’re all struggling to articulate ourselves,” in some shape or form.

The dynamic between Jason and his fiancée Liz Godwin facilitates an environment vital for human growth. “She is such a great soul and she helps me grow. It’s really been a lovely love and relationship to be involved in, because there is real decency of consideration that I get from her that allows me to be more vulnerable and move to my better angels.” Although they are rather private by nature, even small glimpses into the couple’s world prove that they genuinely enjoy each other’s company. “I think my best relationship advice is … get on the other person’s side. It’s amazing when you take blame and criticism out of a conversation where else your rationalizations can go. It’s so easy for us to drill down and find the forensic details of why we’re right, but that’s not helping you get closer to another human,” Jason laughs.

On a personal professional note of his fiancée, Jason reveals that “right now, she’s been involved in a new career and it’s just going so good for her.” He, too, is currently working on something new: writing a multi-novel fantasy series. “This is a story I wanted to write for a long time” and drafted a decade ago. “It’s epic fantasy. The way I’ve outlined it right now, it’s set to be nine novels. I’ve got three different time periods, so I’ve got what I’m calling the ending sagas, the middle sagas, and the beginning sagas, and that’s how I’m going to tell them in terms of time order. The different sagas are separated by a thousand years-plus. But it’s creationism. It deals with societies and individual tyrannies. My strong themes for it are that with perseverance and beliefs, you can lift yourself up and overcome all obstacles.”

Like all works of art, “it’s going to take a lot of rewrites,” he acknowledges with a chuckle. “But it’s actually why I chose to write it as a novel.” Jason had started outlining the idea as a TV series, but Liz suggested otherwise. “Right before COVID I finally decided I was ready to try this project on, and she was like, ‘It’s so big, these themes that you’ve been talking about. You ought to write it as a novel.’” Luckily, Jason quickly overcame any initial hesitation that stemmed from the fact that he had never written a novel. “It took some time to change writing styles and look at studying different aspects of novel writing. But I’m really glad I did, because it’s given me full license to create the world I want to create, and then we’ll see what happens from there.”

Jason’s tale is one that spans space and time, although the journey is still quite familiar to humanity. “Without telling you everything about the story, but I’ve completely destroyed the universe and there’s just a chunk of a barely-holding-on planet floating through a bunch of unconjured reality and a tiny little sliver of civilization existing. And then we’ll go through a hero’s journey to recreate it. Actually, heroine’s journey,” Jason corrects himself. He’s hoping to have a publishable novel by the end of the year. The experience of writing is allowing Jason to articulate himself in a whole new way: “It’s been a really, really challenging and wonderful growth period for me because I’m playing at the edge of my abilities, and I’m doing something I love, and I think that that’s where we find our best happiness: not playing in our comfort zones.” Whatever the timeframe demands, one thing is certain: when the project is finished, Jason’s heart and soul will be seen in a whole new light.

Features Editor Elisabeth Ross
Photographer Vince Trupsin @vincetrupsin
Stylist Haili Pue @allzedetails
Hair Mika Fowler @mikahairstylist
Grooming Suzie Kim @suziekbeauty

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