1979 Pop Smash Hailed From a Coming-of-Age TV Movie That Turned a Rocker Into a Teen Idol Overnight
Rex Smith was on a fast track to stardom as a rock and roller and Broadway star when a starring role in a coming-of-age TV movie in 1979 changed his life overnight.
The television film Sooner or Later catapulted Smith into teen idol status. Debuting in March of that year, it quickly introduced him to a young audience and helped launch his rise to pop stardom.
Sooner or Later had the distinction of not only being an NBC television movie, but was also a long-form music video woven into a love story between Smith's rocker character Michael Skye and Denise Miller's Jessie Walters. The film blended narrative and performance by using musical sequences to deepen the emotional arc between the two characters.
Smith was able to parlay his talents as both a musician and frontman to bring a smoldering sexiness to 17-year-old Michael, who falls in love with Jessie, whom he believes is 16 but in reality is 13. The film's soundtrack echoed their romance, with the title track "You Take My Breath Away" reinforcing the emotional tension and youthful longing at the story's core.
Parade Daily🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬
Smith said in an interview with Arizona Central, "I was being groomed to be a Van Halen, if you will, then Sooner or Later happened. It played on a Sunday, and the next day I was at Bloomingdale's to buy a shirt, and 20 minutes later I was locked in a dressing room with fans outside. In today's world of a thousand channels, that kind of overnight stardom doesn't happen anymore."
Smith told podcaster David A.R. White, "I knew anything that went that hard and fast comes down that hard and fast."
The song reached No. 10 on the Billboard charts and cemented Smith's status in the recording industry. Two years later, he was back on the charts via a No. 32 ranking duet with Rachel Sweet, "Everlasting Love."
After the runaway success of his solo album and Sooner or Later, Smith continued to work in the theater. Following his debut run as Danny Zuko in Grease, the actor appeared in The Pirates of Penzance, Grand Hotel, Sunset Boulevard, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Annie Get Your Gun, and Kiss Me, Kate.
Additionally, per his official website, Smith hosted the TV music countdown series Solid Gold, starred in the series Street Hawk, was the first actor to play the Marvel Comics superhero Daredevil, and acted in the daytime soap opera As The World Turns.
Smith was also seen in the films Once In A Lifetime, Passion To Kill, and Ballerina And The Blues. He guest-starred in the television series Daredevil, The Sentinel, JAG, Baywatch, Caroline In The City, Just Cause, Pope Dreams, and Collier & Co.
Rex Smith continues to perform.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 8:45 AM.