Jurnee Diana Smollett (born October 1, 1986) 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 ''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The show is about the recently widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend ...

'' (1992–1994). She gained greater recognition with her role in

Kasi Lemmons Kasi Lemmons (; born Karen Lemmons, February 24, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, and actress. She made her directorial debut with ''Eve's Bayou'' (1997), followed by ''The Caveman's Valentine'' (2001), ''Talk to Me (2007 film), ...

's independent film '' Eve's Bayou'' (1997), which earned her a Critics' Choice Movie Award. As an adult, Smollett starred in the films '' The Great Debaters'' (2007), '' Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor'' (2013), and ''

Birds of Prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

'' (2020). Her television roles include the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

sports drama '' Friday Night Lights'' (2009–2011), the

WGN America WGN America was an American subscription television network that operated from November 9, 1978 to February 28, 2021. The service was originally uplinked to satellite by United Video Inc. as a national feed of Chicago independent station WGN-T ...

period drama '' Underground'' (2016–2017), and the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

fantasy horrors ''

True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy Horror fiction, horror Drama (film and television), drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball (screenwriter), Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels ...

'' (2013–2014) and '' Lovecraft Country'' (2020), receiving a nomination for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

for the latter.

Early life

Jurnee Diana Smollett was born in New York City, to Janet Harris and Joel Smollett. Her father was

Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, with ancestors from Russia and Poland, while her mother is African American. She is the fourth of six siblings, all performers: one sister, Jazz Smollett, and four brothers, Jussie, JoJo,

Jake Jake may refer to: Name * Jake (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Katrin Jäke (born c. 1975), German swimmer * Jake (gamer), American ''Overwatch'' player and coach * Jake, a member of the band Enhy ...

, and Jocqui.

Career

Early works

Smollett began her acting career appearing on ''

Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...

'' and '' Out All Night'' in 1992. She then had recurring roles as Denise Frazer on the ABC family sitcoms ''

'' and '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper''. 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 Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...

film '' Jack'', making her big-screen debut. 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 Deborah Ann "Debbi" Morgan is an American film and television actress. Morgan has appeared in a number of film and TV productions, and may be best known for the role of Angie Baxter–Hubbard on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children''. Morgan ...

. In casting the role, writer-director

envisioned "a light-skinned black child who could convey the nuances of a Creole child in the 60s." She received the Critic's Choice Award and was nominated for an

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

. The following year, she joined the cast of the CBS sitcom '' Cosby'', for which she won two NAACP Image Awards. In 1999, Smollett starred in the ABC TV film '' Selma, Lord, Selma''. In 2000, she co-starred with

Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress and film producer. Known for primarily playing femmes fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the ...

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''.

2007–2012

In 2007, Smollett portrayed Samantha Booke (loosely based on Henrietta Bell Wells), the sole female debater at

Wiley College Wiley University (formerly Wiley College) is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the ...

in the historical film '' The Great Debaters''. The film was produced by

Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...

and

Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (, ; born March 19, 1952) is an American film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent ...

and starred

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor, producer, and director. Known for his dramatic roles Denzel Washington on screen and stage, on stage and screen, Washington has received List of awards and nominations ...

, 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 ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...

''. From 2009 to 2011, she was a regular cast member in the

DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...

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

In 2013, Smollett played the leading role in the drama film '' Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor'' directed by

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of Madea, Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her ...

. 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. From 2013 to 2014, she was a regular on the HBO series ''

''. She later played Juanita Leonard, the wife of boxer

Sugar Ray Leonard Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as Sugar Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning quintuple c ...

, in the 2016 biographical sport film '' Hands of Stone'' co-starring with Usher and

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...

. In 2015, Smollett was cast as lead character in the

period drama series '' Underground''. Smollett played Rosalee, a shy house slave working on a plantation in 1857. She portrayed

Black Canary Black Canary is the name of two superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As one of the earliest female superheroes in the DC Comics universe, the character has made numerous appearances in prominent team-up titles, ...

in the 2020 film ''

,'' and Letitia "Leti" Lewis in the 2020 HBO series ''Lovecraft Country''. 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. In November 2021, she joined Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones in Amazon Studios' courtroom drama project '' The Burial'' directed by Maggie Betts. In 2022, she executive produced and co-starred in the

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

thriller film, '' Lou''.

Personal life

Smollett has been active in

HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

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. 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 Ryan Wayne White (December 6, 1971 – April 8, 1990) was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States after his school barred him from attending classes following a diagn ...

Youth Conference, and is on the Board of Directors of Artists for a New South Africa, an organization dedicated to

HIV/AIDS in Africa HIV/AIDS originated in the early 20th century and remains a significant public health challenge, particularly in Africa. Although Africa constitutes about 17% of the world's population, it bears a disproportionate burden of the epidemic. In 20 ...

. Smollett was also on the board of directors for the Children’s Defense Fund in 2020. On October 24, 2010, Smollett married musician Josiah Bell. Their first and only child, a son named Hunter, was born on October 31, 2016. In March 2020, Smollett filed for divorce, which was finalized in August 2021.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smollett, Jurnee 1986 births Living people 20th-century African-American actresses 20th-century American actresses 21st-century African-American actresses 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American Jews Actresses from New York City African-American activists African-American child actresses African-American Jews American child actresses American film actresses American HIV/AIDS activists American people of Polish-Jewish descent American people of Romanian-Jewish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent American television actresses Jewish American activists Jewish American actresses Jewish American film people Jurnee