On this week’s Pour Minds, hosts Lex P and Drea Nicole welcome Cortez “Nuck” Smith of The Chi for a journey that’s equal parts candid, street-smart, and relentlessly real. Expect candid reflections, ground-level storytelling, and even some bone-hitting honesty, literally.
Born and raised in Chicago’s tumultuous landscape, Nuck grew up amid gang activity, but he was the “good kid,” someone cherished by both rival sides. His entrée into acting came from an unexpected source: a Pro Scout competition in 2010, followed by theater work in high school and college. After dropping out of college in 2014 to chase his dreams, modeling became his springboard. In 2015, he auditioned for Spike Lee, earning not just feedback but a small role. That moment proved pivotal. By December 2015, he’d moved to L.A., chasing connections and opportunity. Years before The Chi premiered, he auditioned, but didn’t land the part until 2019. That “yes” changed everything.
The term “hobosexual” fine men with no place to live, gets unpacked with guiding clarity. Nuck didn’t sugarcoat it: trying to build an acting career, he often found himself homeless or couch-surfing with romantic partners, channeling “Spread” (the Ashton Kutcher film) vibes for survival. Jobs, including a stint at Target, were lost because auditions came first. When money and housing were low, but his ambition never wavered, it was one “yes” that turned the tide.
Nuck’s tattoos, some mistakes, some deliberate declarations, now create a unique hurdle: they pigeonhole him into gangster-type roles. He admits to regretting many early choices (like a random smiley face) and even nearly got a face tattoo before artists intervened. Still, with tattoos that shout “gangbanger” on screen, he’s had to work “10 times harder,” aspiring instead to play diverse characters, fathers, astronauts, even superheroes.
Romantic highs, pitfalls, and Reality TV cross paths in Nuck’s journey. He appeared on a dating series, Love at First Kiss, and walked away with $5,000. But drama followed when a partner claimed he misrepresented himself (he had a girlfriend back home). Balancing that with the show added stress, but the experience shaped his modern dating outlook.
With two children, Nuck’s relationship barometer has shifted. He and the hosts dissect the “curse of pretty privilege”, the idea that handsome people coast on looks alone while substance gets sidelined. He now values ambition, teamwork, shared goals, and character over curves or abs, and dismisses average, but empty, “abs” in favor of meaningful “vibes.”
This episode doesn’t just stay in the studio. Lex P brings Arya Star’s “Hot Body” as her weekly bop; Nuck counters with an R&B love letter to Givian. Travel woes come up too, from Miami’s questionable airport carpets to Jamaica’s questionable cleanliness, and Nuck shares a few irreverently honest airport hacks, even admitting to using wheelchair assistance to breeze past lines.
The conversation takes a cinematic turn when the trio dives into intimate scenes on camera. Nuck discusses working with intimacy coordinators, choreographed safeguards, method-style immersion, and protective gear. His professionalism here underscores how seriously he takes his craft, even when stories get up close.
A listener’s disclosure about dating someone with domestic-violence history brings the trio to a sharp, unanimous consensus: file a police report, and exit that relationship immediately. No shades, no sugarcoating, just clear, unwavering advice.
Between the laughs and the advice, Nuck reflects on growth. He shares how his relationship with his mother evolved, especially now that he’s a father. From rebellious teenage years to hard-earned maturity, his journey arcs upward. His aspirations branch beyond acting into fashion design and public speaking, a multifaceted ambition for an actor who’s already defied definitions.
