Smith attended the University of Dayton on a full academic scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Communications. During this time, she completed a Communications and Marketing program at the University of London. Candace began life coaching while attending law school at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. After passing the Ohio Bar exam in 2002, she began practicing commercial real estate law at the largest law firm in Ohio. During this time, she won the title of Miss Ohio USA.
Miss Ohio USA
Smith won the title of Miss Ohio USA 2003 in Portsmouth, Ohio. She went on to represent Ohio in the Miss USA 2003 in San Antonio, Texas. As Miss Ohio USA 2003, she dedicated her time to several charities including the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Artemis House and the USO.
Entertainment career
Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Candace was asked to be a "Barker's Beauties" on The Price Is Right game show. After a brief stint, Candace refocused on her acting career and went on to have roles on Fox's Method & Red, HBO's Entourage and NBC's Joey. In 2006 she landed a role in the Broken Lizard comedy Beerfest. She worked with Broken Lizard again in The Slammin' Salmon, in which she plays the sister of Michael Clarke Duncan, and in The Babymakers. She appeared in David Ayer's End of Watch, as a distressed mother who receives help from Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña. Smith plays the lead female role in the action film "My Father, Die", produced by Pierce Brosnan. In the film Gimme Shelter, she plays Marie Abeanni, an African social worker, starring opposite Rosario Dawson and Vanessa Hudgens. Smith competed on Survivors 18th season, , in 2009 as a member of the Timbira tribe. Her time on the show was short-lived; she became the second person voted out on Day 6, which also landed her in fifteenth place. Candace appears in ABC's holiday film Same Time, Next Christmas starring Lea Michele, as the sister to Charles Michael Davis. In the Netflix comedy "The Wrong Missy", Candace plays opposite David Spade as the wife to Roman Reigns. Candace has appeared as a life coach and love expert on several networks including Bravo, E!, WE tv and the USA network. As an associate producer, Candace has worked on the VH1 documentary "Finding the Funk" and an unscripted dating show. Candace created "Love By Candace" in an effort to live an authentically healthy and happy life. This approach to life encourages people to nurture the mental, physical and spiritual. She is writing a memoir detailing her struggles growing up in the inner-city of Dayton as the illegitimate daughter to C.J. McLin and how she overcame incredible odds in hopes of inspiring others. Candace trained at Upright Citizen's Brigade and performed her first stand up comedy routine at the Comedy Store on Sunset.
