Jason Lewis Steps Away from Spotlight to Write Epic Fantasy Series in Costa Rica

Jason Lewis is opening up about his life away from the cameras.

The 54-year-old actor, known for playing Smith Jerrod on HBO's Sex and the City, has largely stepped back from the entertainment industry following his time on the beloved series. Now he's revealing what's kept him occupied during his hiatus from Hollywood.

Lewis made the move from California to Costa Rica, where he's been developing an ambitious fantasy book series spanning nine novels. He describes the project as falling squarely in the epic fantasy category, drawing inspiration from the Lord of the Rings universe.

"It's epic fantasy. It's my own magic system based more in physics than the soft magic of casting spells and stuff like that," Lewis shared in an interview with THR.

The decision to leave the entertainment capital behind stemmed from a deliberate life assessment. After recognizing the scope of his writing project during the planning stages, Lewis sat down to determine what he truly needed and wanted from his next chapter.

"I'd been working on it for quite a while and I found myself at a point where I knew it was large when I started, but it just kept expanding and growing into this bigger and bigger world as I plotted it and figured it out," he explained. "I literally sat down with pen and paper and did kind of a 'what do I need, what do I want' design-of-life list."

The relocation offered multiple benefits for the actor's creative pursuits. Beyond providing the necessary space for his literary endeavor, Costa Rica's lifestyle aligned with his personal goals. Lewis prioritized access to quality food, the ability to maintain his health through surfing near the beach, and the opportunity to become fluent in Spanish.

"I wanted a healthy lifestyle and access to good food. I surf, and being right next to a beach is very easy motivation for me to stay healthy. Sometimes you don't want to go to the gym, but I always like to go play in the water. And I also wanted to learn Spanish," Lewis noted.

Currently, Lewis is deep into the writing process on Book 7, which marks his first completed manuscript in this series. He's on his fourth draft—or 3.5 by his count—after completing an initial 150-page summary.

The unconventional release strategy involves beginning publication with the seventh book, a choice inspired by his love of franchises like Star Wars. As Lewis developed the narrative, three distinct thematic arcs emerged across the trilogy structure. The first trilogy presents an idealistic narrative, the middle section explores how good intentions can corrupt and transform someone into the very thing they fear, and the final trilogy focuses on redemption and making the best of circumstances.

"The first trilogy is an idealistic tale. The middle one is when good intentions go terrible, when you become the monster so the monster can't hurt you. And the last one is more of a redemption story. A more realistic worldview of doing our best with what's handed to us," Lewis explained.