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Cory Michael Smith

Cory Michael Smith

Actor, also producer · Born November 14, 1986 (39) · Columbus, Ohio, USA

Cory Michael Smith (born November 14, 1986) is an American actor and producer. He appeared in 2013 in Breakfast at Tiffany's on Broadway, which starred Emilia Clarke. Smith is most well-known for his role as The Riddler in the Fox series Gotham (2014–2019). He has appeared in several of Todd Haynes's films, including Carol(2015), Wonderstruck (2017), and May December (2023). Additional film roles include 1985 and First Man (both 2018), and Saturday Night (2024). The visual likeness of the character "Tanner" of the game Scrutinized is based on him. Description above from the Wikipedia article Cory Michael Smith, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 14, 1986 (39)
From
Columbus, Ohio, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 22 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Up 12% in 30 days

What are Cory Michael Smith's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Self.

Genres

Drama6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Power
25%
Self
24%
Bonds
20%
Morality
13%
Society
11%
Survival
5%
Ideas
2%
Purpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themePower2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 6

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 4 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 5 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 5

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 2 of 6 analyzed roles.

Shadow
2 of 6
Hero
2 of 6
Ally
1 of 6
Shapeshifter
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
11
Melancholic
8
Contemplative
4
Hopeful
4
Dread
2
Other
9

How their films linger

Thought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Bittersweet9
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Cory Michael Smith's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Cory Michael Smith's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

22 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Sun Never Sets(2026)

    Producer · as Chuck

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Sentimental Value(2025)

    as Sam

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Mountainhead(2025)

    as Venis Parish

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Saturday Night(2024)

    as Chevy Chase

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • May December(2023)

    as Georgie

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Incomplete (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    as Narrator

  • Transatlantic(2023)

    Show 7 episodes · as Varian Fry

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Call Jane(2022)

    as Dean

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Same Storm(2021)

    as Jeremy Salt

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Utopia(2020)

    Show 8 episodes · as Thomas Christie

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • 1985(2018)

    Executive Producer · as Adrian

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • First Man(2018)

    as Roger B. Chaffee

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Wonderstruck(2017)

    as Walter

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Carol(2015)

    as Tommy Tucker

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Olive Kitteridge(2014)

    Show 4 episodes · as Kevin Coulson

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Camp X-Ray(2014)

    as Bergen

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Gotham(2014)

    Show 100 episodes · as Edward Nygma

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all shows

  • Dog Food (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Declan

  • Law & Order(1990)

    Show 1 episode · as George Shavers

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • Famous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • October (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Michael Graves

  • The Temple (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Johnathan Baby

Career shape

Star power in the 97th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 22 titles, 19 of them dated from 1990 to 2026; peak year 2025.

Biggest box office

Carol (2015)

$44M worldwide

Highest rated

Sentimental Value (2025)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Gotham (2014)

Film career

19902026

Peak 2025 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 4 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting22 of 22: 20 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdProducing2 of 22: 0 only producing, 2 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · acting2010s8 · 8 acting · 1 crew2020s10 · 10 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 10% of 10 roles
1419

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Cory Michael Smith's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 12; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

93rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 17 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

The Same Storm (2021)

96th percentile spread · 46% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Sentimental Value (2025)

Midcredits 97th · 84% liked

Reviewers score the acting 82/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 86, detractors 58. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Cory Michael Smith's work okay for kids?

Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles9–86 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity11 titles24–58 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity10 titles24–88 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles33–49 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles17–70 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Cory Michael Smith work with?

People who share at least 2 of Cory Michael Smith's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Todd Haynes shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles