Do you remember ’70s heartthrob Rex Smith?
At the height of his fame, Rex starred as leading man Danny Zuko in Grease on Broadway. He’s cranked out chart-topping radio singles and even appeared on As the World Turns for two years.
But in 1997, Rex’s life was turned upside down. He was performing in Sunset Boulevard when he noticed a teenage boy sitting “dead center” in the audience.
Rex couldn’t help but notice that the boy’s eyes were trained on him, following him around the stage no matter what he did.
After the show, Rex was signing autographs in the lobby when he noticed the teen again. Assuming he was interested in becoming an actor like him, Rex began to talk to the kid. But when he got a closer look, Rex says: “[I] knew I was looking into the eyes of my firstborn son.”
The teen was named Brandon. His mom, Karen Lakey, had known Rex for one night, so she never told him he’d gotten her pregnant. It wasn’t until Karen’s death from cancer that Brandon learned the truth about his birth father.
Brandon didn’t believe his mom at first — but when he saw a picture of Rex, he couldn’t believe how alike they looked. After his mother’s death, Brandon “went on an adventure” to find his birth father.
In the video below, Rex explains how intense it was to meet Brandon for the first time, and how he has fit into Rex’s family. The two are now closer than they ever expected to be, even working together.
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