Smithfield the pig wasn't scheduled to showcase his painting prowess on "America's Got Talent" until July 18.

But last night, Richmond's celebrity swine popped up on the NBC show during what were billed as auditions from Dallas -- even though the Vietnamese pot-belly dabbed his canvas in New York during auditions there in April.

Call it the liberties of TV editing.

Smithfield received several minutes of camera time, first shown backstage snorting at host Jerry Springer, then gnawing on a piece of cardboard.

But when his moment arrived, the porker wouldn't pick up his brushes, despite the gentle urging from his owner, Fran Martin, who joined him on stage.

Judge Piers Morgan impatiently hit his buzzer -- the signal all three judges must provide to halt the act -- but his comrades Sharon Osbourne and David Hasselhoff waited out Smithfield's anxiety until the pig picked up his brushes with his mouth and spread several colors of paint across his canvas.

His artwork failed to impress the judging trio, however, ending his chance to head to Las Vegas for the next round.

Hasselhoff joked, "May the watercolors be with you," before rejecting Smithfield. Morgan went the more obvious -- and less sensitive -- route.

"I feel that the time may come that he can perform a more useful exercise as my bacon sandwich," Morgan said.

Smithfield could be comforted that the remark prompted a barrage of boos from the audience.
Contact Melissa Ruggieri at (804) 649-6120 or mruggieri@timesdispatch.com.