Jurnee Smollett
Smollett in 2015
Born
Jurnee Diana Smollett

(1986-10-01) October 1, 1986 (age 37)
New York City, U.S.
Other namesJurnee Smollett-Bell
OccupationActress
Years active1991–present
Spouse
Josiah Bell
​
​
(m. 2010; div. 2021)​
Children1
RelativesJussie Smollett (brother)
Jake Smollett (brother)

Jurnee Diana Smollett (born October 1, 1986)[1] is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress appearing on television sitcoms, including On Our Own (1994–1995) and Full House (1992–1994). She gained greater recognition with her role in the critically acclaimed Kasi Lemmons directed film Eve's Bayou (1997), which earned her a Critics' Choice Movie Award.

As an adult, Smollett has starred in the films The Great Debaters (2007), Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013), and Birds of Prey (2020). Her television roles include the NBC sports drama Friday Night Lights (2009–2011), the WGN America period drama Underground (2016–2017), and the HBO fantasy horror dramas True Blood (2013–2014) and Lovecraft Country (2020), receiving a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the latter. In 2020, Smollett portrayed DC Comic superhero Dinah Lance / Black Canary in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) feature film Birds of Prey.

Early life

Jurnee Diana Smollett was born in New York City,[2] to Janet Harris and Joel Smollett. Her father was Ashkenazi Jewish, with ancestors from Romania, Russia and Poland,[3][4][5] while her mother is African American.[6][7][8] She is the fourth of six siblings, all performers:[9] one sister, Jazz Smollett,[10] and four brothers, Jussie, JoJo, Jake, and Jocqui.

Career

Early works

Smollett began her acting career appearing on Martin and Out All Night in 1992. She then had recurring roles as Denise Frazer on the ABC family sitcoms Full House and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper.[11] From 1994 to 1995, she co-starred with her siblings in the short-lived ABC sitcom On Our Own. In 1996, she appeared in the Francis Ford Coppola film Jack, making her big-screen debut.[11]

Smollett received critical acclaim for her performance as 10-year-old Eve in the 1997 film Eve's Bayou opposite Lynn Whitfield, Samuel L. Jackson and Debbi Morgan.[12][13] In casting the role, writer-director Kasi Lemmons envisioned "a light-skinned black child who could convey the nuances of a Creole child in the 60s."[9] She received the Critic's Choice Award and was nominated for a NAACP Image Award.[citation needed] The following year, she joined the cast of the CBS sitcom Cosby, for which she won two NAACP Image Awards.[citation needed] In 1999, Smollett starred in the ABC TV film Selma, Lord, Selma. In 2000, she co-starred with Sharon Stone and Billy Connolly in the film Beautiful Joe. In 2001, she played the daughter of Angela Bassett in the television film Ruby's Bucket of Blood. In 2005, she co-starred with Bow Wow and Brandon T. Jackson in the roller skating film Roll Bounce. In 2006, she appeared in the drama film Gridiron Gang.[14]

2007–2012

In 2007, Smollett portrayed Samantha Booke (loosely based on Henrietta Bell Wells), the sole female debater at Wiley College in the historical film The Great Debaters.[15] The film was produced by Oprah Winfrey and Harvey Weinstein and starred Denzel Washington, who also directed the feature. For her performance, Smollett received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. The following year, she returned to television, appearing in two episodes of ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. From 2009 to 2011, she was a regular cast member in the DirecTV drama series Friday Night Lights playing Jess Merriweather. From 2010 to 2011, she also co-starred with Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell on the short-lived CBS legal drama The Defenders.

2013–present

Jurnee Smollett and Julianne Moore at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018

In 2013, Smollett played the leading role in the drama film Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor directed by Tyler Perry. The film received negative reviews from critics, but was a box-office hit, grossing $53,125,354. It is the highest-grossing Tyler Perry film which the writer-director did not star in, and the highest-grossing Tyler Perry drama.[16] From 2013 to 2014, she was a regular on the HBO series True Blood.[17] She later played Juanita Leonard, the wife of boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, in the 2016 biographical sport film Hands of Stone co-starring with Usher and Robert De Niro.[18][19]

In 2015, Smollett was cast as lead character in the WGN America period drama series Underground. Smollett played Rosalee, a shy house slave working on a plantation in 1857.[20] She portrayed Black Canary in the 2020 film Birds of Prey,[21][22] and Letitia "Leti" Lewis in the 2020 HBO series Lovecraft Country.[23] In August 2021, it was revealed that Smollett will star in a solo Black Canary Movie from Warner Bros. and DC Films at HBO Max.[24] In November 2021, she joined Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones in Amazon Studios' courtroom drama project The Burial directed by Maggie Betts.[25] In 2022, she executive produced and co-starred in the Netflix thriller film, Lou.[26]

Personal life

Smollett has been active in HIV/AIDS causes since she was 11. Her first encounter with the disease came at age seven when a crew member of On Our Own died of AIDS.[27] She was inspired by the HIV/AIDS survivor Hydeia Broadbent, with whom she eventually worked for HIV/AIDS awareness, including for the Black AIDS Institute and Red Cross. She spoke at the Ryan White Youth Conference, and is on the Board of Directors of Artists for a New South Africa, an organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS in Africa.[28] Smollett is also on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Defense Fund.[29]

On October 24, 2010, Smollett married musician Josiah Bell.[30] Their first child, a son named Hunter, was born on October 31, 2016.[31] In March 2020, Smollett filed for divorce,[32] which was finalized in August 2021.[33]

She has two siblings who are also actors: Jake Smollett and Jussie Smollett. Jussie was a star of the television drama Empire and also convicted of a hate crime hoax in 2022.[34]

Filmography

Film

Key
† Denotes works that have not yet been released
Year Film Role Notes
1996 Jack Phoebe
1997 Eve's Bayou Eve Batiste
2000 Beautiful Joe Vivien
2005 Roll Bounce Tori Turner
2006 Gridiron Gang Danyelle Rollins
2007 The Great Debaters Samantha Booke
2012 Captain Planet 4 Gaia Short film
2013 Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor Judith
2016 Hands of Stone Juanita Leonard
2018 One Last Thing Lucy Dillinger
2020 Birds of Prey Dinah Laurel Lance / Black Canary
2022 Spiderhead Lizzy
Lou Hannah Dawson
2023 We Grown Now † Dolores Post-production; Also executive producer
The Burial Mame Downes
TBA The Order † Filming

Television

Year Film Role Notes
1992 Out All Night Laquita Episode: "The Kid"
1992–1994 Full House Denise Frazer 12 episodes
1992 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Denise Frazer 4 episodes
1992 Martin Little Girl Episode: "I Saw Gina Kissing Santa Claus"
1994–1995 On Our Own Jordee Jerrico Series regular (20 episodes)
1996 NYPD Blue Hanna Episode: "Where's 'Swaldo"
1998–2000 Cosby Jurnee Series regular (8 episodes)
1999 Selma, Lord, Selma Sheyann Webb Television film
1999 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Ali Baba Voice, episode: "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves"
2001 Ruby's Bucket of Blood Emerald Delacroix Television film
2002 Strong Medicine Ruby Episode: "Positive"
2002 ER Romy Episode: "Next of Kin"
2003 Wanda at Large Holly Hawkins Series regular (6 episodes)
2006 House Tracy Episode: "Fools for Love"
2008 Grey's Anatomy Beth 2 episodes
2009–2011 Friday Night Lights Jess Merriweather Series regular (26 episodes)
2010–2011 The Defenders Lisa Tyler Series regular (18 episodes)
2012–2013 The Mob Doctor Traci Coolidge 2 episodes
2013–2014 True Blood Nicole Wright Series regular (19 episodes)
2013 Do No Harm Abby Young 2 episodes
2013 Parenthood Heather Hall 7 episodes
2016–2017 Underground Rosalee Series regular (19 episodes)
2017–2018 Sofia the First Chrysta Voice, recurring role (8 episodes)
2020 The Twilight Zone Jasmine Delancey Episode: "Ovation"
2020 Lovecraft Country Letitia "Leti" Lewis Series regular (10 episodes)

Awards and nominations

Association Year Category Work Result
Audie Awards 2010 Audiobook of the Year Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales Won
Multi-Voiced Performance
Black Reel Awards 1999 Best Supporting Actress: Television Movie/Cable Selma, Lord, Selma Nominated
2001 Best Supporting Actress: Television Movie/Cable Ruby's Bucket of Blood Nominated
2017 Best Actress, Drama Series Underground Nominated
2024 Outstanding Supporting Performance The Burial Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards 1997 Best Young Performer Eve's Bayou Won
Critics' Choice Super Awards 2021 Best Actress in a Superhero Movie Birds of Prey Nominated
Best Actress in a Horror Series Lovecraft Country Won
Critics' Choice Television Awards 2021 Best Actress in a Drama Series Lovecraft Country Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association 1997 Most Promising Actress Eve's Bayou Nominated
IGN Awards 2020 Best Movie Ensemble Birds of Prey Nominated
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2021 Most Frightened Performance Lovecraft Country Nominated
Best Fight Birds of Prey Nominated
NAACP Image Awards 1997 Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress Eve's Bayou Nominated
1999 Cosby Won
2000 Won
2008 Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture The Great Debaters Won
2010 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Friday Night Lights Nominated
2017 Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Underground Nominated
2018 Nominated
2021 Lovecraft Country Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards 2021 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Lovecraft Country Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society 1997 Best Supporting Actress Eve's Bayou Won
Saturn Awards 2021 Best Supporting Actress in a Film Birds of Prey Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2021 Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Lovecraft Country Nominated
Teen Choice Awards 2008 Choice Movie Breakout Female The Great Debaters Nominated
Young Artist Awards 1995 Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten in a TV Series On Our Own Nominated
1997 Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film Eve's Bayou Nominated
YoungStar Awards 1998 Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film Eve's Bayou Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Smollett, Jurnee 1986-". Encyclopedia.com. Cengage. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  2. ^ "Jurnee Smollett Bio". BET. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  3. ^ Ryzik, Melena (March 9, 2016). "The Smollett Family Business: Acting and Activism". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  4. ^ Shepard, Linda (January 21, 2015). "Actress aims to keep 'Dream' alive". C & G Newspapers. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  5. ^ Bloom, Nate (March 18, 2016). "Celebrity jews". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Archived from the original on June 18, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  6. ^ Garmel, Marion (1994-09-06). "You're never on your own in a big family". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2011-03-20.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "What a nice Girl". Hot Sauce. April 1, 2008. Archived from the original on 2012-03-21. Retrieved 2015-02-19.
  8. ^ RandomTandem (2010-12-31). "New Artist Alert: Jussie Smollett". Random Tandem. Archived from the original on 2014-05-04. Retrieved 2014-05-03.
  9. ^ a b Lena Williams (November 2, 1997). "Up and Coming - Jurnee Smollett - Calm Child at the Center of an Adult Storm". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  10. ^ Jessica Fecteau. From Actors to Cookbook Authors: How the Smollett Siblings Are Breaking Into the Food World Archived 2021-07-09 at the Wayback Machine. People.com. July 6, 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Jurnee Smollett". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  12. ^ "Eve's Bayou". Rotten Tomatoes. 1 June 1996. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  13. ^ Roger Ebert (7 November 1997). "Eve's Bayou". Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Gridiron Gang". Rotten Tomatoes. Sep 15, 2006. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  15. ^ "The Great Debaters". Rotten Tomatoes. 25 December 2007. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  16. ^ "Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 23 November 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  17. ^ Dickson, Evan (21 January 2013). "Two Ladies Move Into Bon Temps For Some 'True Blood'". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  18. ^ "Usher & Jurnee Smollett gear up in Panama to film 'Hands of Stone'". MStarsNews. 2 December 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Hands of Stone trailer: Robert De Niro coaches Edgar Ramirez". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  20. ^ Cynthia Littleton (February 27, 2015). "WGN America Gives Series Order to Slavery Drama 'Underground'". Variety. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  21. ^ Couch, Aaron; McMillan, Graeme (November 20, 2018). "Margot Robbie Reveals Full 'Birds of Prey' Title: 'The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2019-03-02. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 26, 2018). "'Birds Of Prey' Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead Wins Role Of Huntress; Jurnee Smollett-Bell Is Black Canary". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  23. ^ Yap, Audrey Cleo (2020-08-16). "'Lovecraft Country' Star Jurnee Smollett and Creator Misha Green on If They Would Reteam for a Black Canary Project". Variety. Archived from the original on 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  24. ^ "DC Films Developing 'Black Canary' Movie with Jurnee Smollett Starring And Misha Green Writing". Archived from the original on 2021-08-21. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
  25. ^ Donnelly, Matt (November 18, 2021). "Jurnee Smollett Joins Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones in Amazon's 'The Burial' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
  26. ^ Richardson, Randi (September 23, 2022). "Jurnee Smollet is leaving the door open for a 'Lou' sequel". Today. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  27. ^ "Cover Story". Art & Understanding Magazine. August 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-06-12. (AIDS-related issues magazine)
  28. ^ "Board of Directors". ANSA. Archived from the original on 2007-08-19.
  29. ^ "Board of Directors". Children's Defense Fund. Archived from the original on 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2020-04-13.((cite news)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  30. ^ Zuckerman, Blaine (December 16, 2010). "See Friday Night Lights's Jurnee Smollett's Wedding Photo". People. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  31. ^ Mizoguchi, Karen. "Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Husband Josiah Welcome First Child, Son Hunter Zion". People. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
  32. ^ Hearon, Sarah (March 27, 2020). "Jurnee Smollett Files for Divorce From Josiah Bell After Nearly 10 Years of Marriage". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  33. ^ "Jurnee Smollett Addresses Being a 'Single Working Mom' After Josiah Bell Divorce". etonline.com. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  34. ^ Jacobs, Julia; Chiarito, Robert (2022-03-11). "Jussie Smollett Sentenced to Jail for False Report of a Hate Crime". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 2022-03-17.

External links

Awards for Jurnee Smollett
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