Multi-award-winning Sam Smith is one of Aotearoa’s most eminent comics who not only writes for and appears on the likes of 7 Days and Taskmaster NZ, but is also a podcaster, musician, stand-up comedian, emcee, author – and dentist!
The other Sam Smith that our Sam Smith is referring to is the chart-topping UK singer who has a massive soft spot for Aotearoa and has visited on several occasions, making for some confusing search engine results (googling ‘Sam Smith NZ’ throws up the popstar’s upcoming tour dates and pages about previous tours).
“That Sam Smith even had surgery to remove a stye from their eye so it’s like they’re stealing my blindness as well as my identity!” the convivial comedian tells Verve (googling ‘Sam Smith blind’ results in YouTube videos of blind auditions of UK Sam Smith’s songs on The Voice).
Sam lost vision in his left eye and part of his right in 2017, a couple of years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and now advocates for charities such as Able and Blind Low Vision NZ (for whom he hosts a podcast) and serves as an ambassador for Multiple Sclerosis Auckland.
“When I was diagnosed with MS, I knew very little about it,” he says. “There are lots of people out there with it who, aside from having to take medication, are living normal lives – the MP Golriz Ghahraman is a great example, and I’m still doing my comedy stuff.
“We need to see more blind people on TV, too. People like Josh Davies – who’s been on the podcast – he has a brilliant mind and is a fantastic comedian. We need to get used to having these people around until it just becomes normal.”
However, he might not be the most famous Sam Smith in New Zealand as he humorously and humbly acknowledges on his website: “… I sing and play music, but I am not THAT Sam Smith.”
Do you believe comedy an effective means of dealing with adversity?
“It totally helps for me, that’s my way of dealing with things. If something bad happens, joking about it, being silly, can make that badness disappear.”
Though born in Christchurch, Sam moved to the UK at a young age, and says that shows and comics such as Red Dwarf, One Foot in the Grave, and Rowan Atkinson remain very much an influence. Michael Palin has even called Sam “God’s favourite comedian – and mine!”
“That was a little fabricated,” admits the Kiwi comedian with a laugh. “He was doing a book signing here and we got to hang out. People say that he’s the nicest man in comedy – and he really is, by the way – so I was trying to get him to call me an absolute bastard, but instead he said those kind words and we got it all on video.”
Were you the joker at school?
“I have a distinct memory of being in primary school in England and thinking me and my friends were the funny group. Teachers might disagree, but I don’t think I was disruptive, because I’m a bit of a nerd and enjoyed learning. In my last year at school, I did win the Ultimate Class Comedian Award at a comedy festival, so in a way I guess I was the class clown!”
Though seemingly destined for a career in performing, Sam sensibly still sought some job security and went on to study dentistry while continuing with comedy on the side, but his MS diagnosis meant he had to eventually swap the dental chair for the mic full time (“I highly recommend getting MS if you want to get out of your job!”). I ask if he had used humour to put nervous patients at ease.
“I did try to keep the two things quite separate. In fact, I was once doing a show and saw one of my patients in the audience and couldn’t stop thinking about it, and it made me feel more guarded.”
Sam has also written Snake Brought Cake, a children’s book inspired by a poem he wrote for his youngest son, Harry, illustrated by Daron Parton, and published by Hachette NZ.
“I can’t really read to my boys, so poems are a bit easier to remember. Daron’s pictures are so beautiful and funny and just perfect for the book.”
The comedian has just sold his second book, which is about how kids can help their dentists (“Most people don’t know this, but dentists are terrified of children!”), and is also working on a longer adventure series.
“I’ve got a few really cool secret projects coming out next year that I can’t tell you about, even though I really want to! 7 Days is also coming back – I absolutely love it – and I have podcast I do with my friend called The Big Fact Hunt where we challenge each other to find out the best facts on any given topic in the space of half an hour, which is heaps of fun. The Blind Low Vision podcast is ongoing, too.”
Sam will be kicking back with his family and switching off over the festive season (“though when your guard down is often when ideas will pop into your head”), his favourite time of the year.
“I just love Christmas,” he says. “I think it comes from growing up in England where it’s properly cold and you have to hunker down inside and do all the traditional things like sing carols. It’s really stuck with me. Either that, or I’m still just a child at heart.”
For more about Sam, including his book and podcasts, visit samsmith.co.nz, and find him on Instagram and Twitter @reelbigsmith.
