Actress Amber Reign Smith isn’t easing into 2026 quietly. She’s taking up space and taking names.
Today, she appears in Tyler Perry’s latest Netflix film, stepping into a new chapter of her career just weeks before the return of her breakout role. For the rising star, it’s less about one breakout moment and more about sustained momentum.
“Working with Tyler Perry, of course, is a dream come true,” Smith tells TheGrio. But she’s quick to add that a Perry production demands precision. “Tyler Perry works really fast… It’s like a boot camp for actors.”
That pace has sharpened her instincts. While many viewers know her as Rainn on “Beauty in Black,” the character who can shift a scene’s energy with a single look, Smith is expanding her range in “Joe’s College Road Trip,” Perry’s new comedy centered on Joe taking his grandson on a cross-country college tour. In the film, Smith plays Destiny in what she describes as “a wild ride.”
And if you’ve been watching “Beauty in Black,” you already know she’s not afraid to take a ride.
Since its debut in October 2024, the Netflix drama has kept viewers locked in. From Horace’s fragile health to the Bellaire family’s power struggles and Kimmie’s evolving role, the series thrives on tension. But few characters spark conversation (or aggravation) quite like Rainn, especially following her botched BBL storyline and emotional unraveling.
Smith takes pride in that reaction.
“I think it always feels good as an actor when you make people feel something, whether that’s disdain or love,” she says with a laugh. “So I appreciate it.”
Rainn isn’t written to be safe or easily digestible. She’s written to move the story, even when that means frustrating the audience. Her choices can turn a scene icy in seconds, yet there’s always an emotional undercurrent that keeps viewers watching — even when they don’t agree.
When I told Smith she “played the hell out of that role” because Rainn had me vexed by the end of the season, she took it as the compliment it was meant to be.
That’s the thing about Amber Reign Smith. She’s not chasing likability. She’s chasing impact.
And it’s working.
Performing inside Perry’s production machine comes with its own rhythm. Scenes that might take months elsewhere are compressed into weeks. There’s little room for hesitation. You show up ready, or you fall behind.
For Smith, that pressure isn’t intimidating. It’s sharpening.
“It forces you to arrive prepared,” she says. “And he keeps it fun. There are times when he will randomly speak in Madea’s voice.”
The “Beauty in Black” cast is full of recognizable faces like Debbi Morgan, Ricco Ross, and Richard Lawson. But the ensemble doesn’t only come with star power; it comes with history. Smith is fully aware she’s sharing scenes with actors whose work shaped the culture long before she stepped into the spotlight.
She describes acting alongside Charles Malik Whitfield, who plays Jules, as one of those moments that hit her unexpectedly.
“The last scene that I had with Malik, we had like this eye contact,” Smith recalls. “And when I say I think some tears started welling up, because he’s been doing this… I grew up on ‘The Temptations.’” Whitfield portrayed Otis Williams in the 1998 biopic.
For her, it’s more than just landing a Netflix credit. It feels like being dropped into an actor’s masterclass where the lesson plan is simple: keep up.
It’s also where she’s learned how to stay grounded when things get surreal. Smith laughs, remembering an in-person callback where Whitfield was right there, essentially staring her down before she had time to fully collect herself.
“Just being put on the spot like that and not trying to be starstruck,” she says, “it was definitely intense.”
TheGrio recently sat down with Taylor Polidore Williams, who plays Kimmie, the emotional anchor of “Beauty in Black.” And while Kimmie’s journey has driven much of the show’s emotional weight, one of its quiet strengths is the believable connection between Kimmie and Rainn.
That chemistry didn’t happen by accident.
According to Smith, it was Williams who helped set the tone before they hit the set.
“Before we started filming season one, she reached out to everyone to schedule time for us to hang out together,” Smith says.
The two actresses walked through character questions like scene partners building a shared language: Why would Rainn do this? Why would Kimmie do that? What’s their backstory? How did they meet?
“We kind of built the backstory together,” Smith explains. The relationships are what make the stakes feel personal.
Smith’s path to acting wasn’t a straight line.
She says the acting bug bit her early. In elementary school, when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she wrote “entertainer.” At the time, it was fueled by someone specific and very relatable: Beyoncé.
But the moment acting became non-negotiable came later, and the calling felt deeply spiritual to her.
“When I knew for sure that this is what I wanted to do full-time, I just got a word from God, like, ‘Just go all in,’” Smith says.
Before that clarity, she was juggling everything. Real estate, bartending, microblading, all hustles to make ends meet, the way many creatives do while trying to keep the lights on and chase a dream at the same time.
But she realized what divided energy was costing her.
“If my energy is spread out to all of these different things, then the likelihood of all of them being the big thing is not as likely,” she says.
For Smith, going all in wasn’t about shrinking her ambition. It was about finally giving acting the devotion it deserved.
When the conversation turned to representation and the reality that darker-skinned actresses have historically been boxed into narrow lanes, Smith didn’t hesitate.
She recalls a high school moment when someone tried to use Pam from “Martin” as an insult, not realizing she didn’t consider it one at all.
“I always thought Tichina Arnold was gorgeous,” she says plainly and expresses her gratitude for the example she could see on TV in the ‘90s.
Smith acknowledges she has experienced colorism and understands that while the industry is shifting, there’s still work to be done in terms of the types of opportunities darker-skinned women receive.
She also recognizes the women who have widened the path. She points to Gabrielle Union, Viola Davis, and Angela Bassett as examples of strong, visible representation that helped reshape what audiences see as leading-lady material.
That perspective adds weight to the way she plays Rainn. There’s bite. There’s vulnerability. There’s control.
And there’s intention.
Beyond the screen, Smith continues to build. She appears in a music video for R&B singer Sammie’s single “Old Alone,” and she owns an Atlanta-based creative event space called Kiki Mats, an art studio hosting custom doormat painting events with themed rooms available for rent.
It’s a reminder that her creativity isn’t limited to scripted lines.
When “Beauty in Black” returns with Season 2, Part 2 on March 19, 2026, the story will continue exploring ambition, love, and identity. Rainn remains one of the characters most likely to shake the table when things get too comfortable.
Smith knows it.
Because even she admits Rainn has been “playing with fire.”
Whether you’re rooting for Rainn or waiting on her downfall, one thing is clear: Amber Reign Smith isn’t playing it safe.
She’s playing to be felt.
