Xavier Smalls didn’t grow up dreaming of acting. In fact, while attending Sacramento State, the Sacramento native was on track to become an orthodontist. That changed when he enrolled in an acting class for extra credit.
“I was shaking in my boots. I was just so nervous,” Smalls recalled about his first time performing.
That experience would alter the course of his life. He switched his major to acting, completed his degree, and later moved to New York to further develop his craft.
“The adrenaline rush I got from acting reminded me of football or sports,” he says. “I was like, ‘You know what? I like this. Let me keep doing it.’”
That decision led him to opportunities few could have predicted. Smalls’ talent eventually caught the attention of Tyler Perry, earning him roles in multiple productions, including Netflix’s “Madea’s Destination Wedding” and the series “Beauty in Black.” The experience solidified his place as a promising new face in the industry, recognized for his versatility and range of characters.
But after years of acting in other people’s projects, Smalls wanted to take ownership of his creative projects.
“I don’t want to just wait on other people to give me opportunities,” he says. “I want to create opportunities for myself.”
That mindset led to “Picture Perfect,” a short that Smalls wrote, directed, and starred in. The film explores themes of mental health, trauma, and miscommunication through the story of a man who uses painting as a way to process pain.
Last week, Smalls returned to Sacramento to premiere “Picture Perfect” at the first night of the fourth annual Oak Park Black Film Festival. It was his first festival appearance as both a filmmaker and director.
The screening marked a full-circle moment. For Smalls, it was important he premiered his directorial debut in Sacramento because he says it is the place that first nurtured his artistic ability.
The audience that night included friends, family, and mentors who had watched Smalls’ growth over the years. Community leader and mentor Berry Accius has known Smalls since he was 14, when he joined Accius’ mentorship group.
“Watching him come into greatness is something that I pretty much knew was going to happen,” Accius says. “It is a beautiful thing to watch him create his own opportunity.”
While Smalls’ path has taken him from Sacramento stages to working with one of Hollywood’s most influential creators, he remains grounded in his approach to storytelling. His advice to aspiring filmmakers is direct and pragmatic.
“If you want to make movies, make movies on the device you have,” he says. “It can be as small as getting your siblings together and putting together a little story. The more stories you put together, the better you get.”
“Picture Perfect” sets a beginning of a new chapter for Smalls, one where he continues to build, create, and tell stories on his own terms while inspiring others to do the same.
