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 Kasi Lemmons's independent film Eve's Bayou (1997), which earned her a Critics' Choice Movie Award.
Jurnee Smollett | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Smollett in 2024 | |
| Born | Jurnee Diana Smollett October 1, 1986 New York City, U.S. |
| Other names | Jurnee Smollett-Bell |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Spouse |
Josiah Bell
(m. 2010; div. 2021) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Jussie Smollett (brother) Jake Smollett (brother) |
As an adult, Smollett 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 horrors 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.
Early life
editJurnee Diana Smollett was born in New York City,[2] to Janet Harris and Joel Smollett. Her father was Ashkenazi Jewish, with ancestors from 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
editEarly works
editSmollett 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 an 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
editIn 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
edita.jpg)
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
editSmollett 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 was also on the board of directors for the Children’s Defense Fund in 2020.[29]
On October 24, 2010, Smollett married musician Josiah Bell.[30] Their only child, a son named Hunter, was born on October 31, 2016, as a surprise given the two were living in separate homes and considering divorce.[31] In March 2020, Smollett filed for divorce after years of being legally separated,[32] which was finalized in August 2021.[33]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| † | 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 | |
| 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 | Also executive producer |
| The Burial | Mame Downes | ||
| 2024 | The Order | Joanne Carney[34] |
Television
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Out All Night | Laquita | Episode: "The Kid" |
| Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | Denise Frazer | 4 episodes | |
| Martin | Little Girl | Episode: "I Saw Gina Kissing Santa Claus" | |
| 1992–1994 | Full House | Denise Frazer | 12 episodes |
| 1994–1995 | On Our Own | Jordee Jerrico | Series regular (20 episodes) |
| 1996 | NYPD Blue | Hanna | Episode: "Where's 'Swaldo" |
| 1998–1999 | Cosby | Jurnee | Series regular (24 episodes) |
| 1999 | Selma, Lord, Selma | Sheyann Webb | Television film |
| 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" |
| 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 | Do No Harm | Abby Young | 2 episodes |
| Parenthood | Heather Hall | 7 episodes | |
| 2013–2014 | True Blood | Nicole Wright | Series regular (19 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" |
| Lovecraft Country | Letitia "Leti" Lewis | Series regular (10 episodes) | |
| TBA | Firebug † | Michelle | Upcoming miniseries |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Audie Awards | Audiobook of the Year | Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales | Won |
| Multi-Voiced Performance | Won | |||
| 1999 | Black Reel Awards | 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 | |
| 1997 | Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Young Performer | Eve's Bayou | Won |
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Superhero Movie | Birds of Prey | Nominated |
| Best Actress in a Horror Series | Lovecraft Country | Won | ||
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Drama Series | Lovecraft Country | Nominated |
| 1997 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Most Promising Actress | Eve's Bayou | Nominated |
| 2020 | IGN Awards | Best Movie Ensemble | Birds of Prey | Nominated |
| 2021 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Most Frightened Performance | Lovecraft Country | Nominated |
| Best Fight | Birds of Prey | Nominated | ||
| 1997 | NAACP Image Awards | 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 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Lovecraft Country | Nominated | |
| 1997 | San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actress | Eve's Bayou | Won |
| 2021 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Film | Birds of Prey | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Lovecraft Country | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Breakout Female | The Great Debaters | Nominated |
| 1995 | Young Artist Awards | 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 | |
| 1998 | YoungStar Awards | Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film | Eve's Bayou | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "Smollett, Jurnee 1986-". Encyclopedia.com. Cengage. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
- ^ "Jurnee Smollett Bio". BET. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Sheppard, 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Garmel, Marion (September 6, 1994). "You're never on your own in a big family". Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ "What a nice Girl". Hot Sauce. April 1, 2008. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
- ^ RandomTandem (December 31, 2010). "New Artist Alert: Jussie Smollett". Random Tandem. Archived from the original on May 4, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Jurnee Smollett". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ "Eve's Bayou". Rotten Tomatoes. June 1, 1996. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ Roger Ebert (November 7, 1997). "Eve's Bayou". Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ "Gridiron Gang". Rotten Tomatoes. September 15, 2006. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
- ^ "The Great Debaters". Rotten Tomatoes. December 25, 2007. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ "Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 23, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ Dickson, Evan (January 21, 2013). "Two Ladies Move Into Bon Temps For Some 'True Blood'". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on April 14, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2013.
- ^ "Usher & Jurnee Smollett gear up in Panama to film 'Hands of Stone'". MStarsNews. December 2, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ "Hands of Stone trailer: Robert De Niro coaches Edgar Ramirez". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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 March 2, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Yap, Audrey Cleo (August 16, 2020). "'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 August 18, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
- ^ "DC Films Developing 'Black Canary' Movie with Jurnee Smollett Starring And Misha Green Writing". Archived from the original on August 21, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Cover Story". Art & Understanding Magazine. August 2006. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. (AIDS-related issues magazine)
- ^ "Board of Directors". ANSA. Archived from the original on August 19, 2007.
- ^ "Board of Directors". Children's Defense Fund. Archived from the original on April 28, 2020. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ 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.
- ^ Mizoguchi, Karen. "Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Husband Josiah Welcome First Child, Son Hunter Zion". People. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Jurnee Smollett Addresses Being a 'Single Working Mom' After Josiah Bell Divorce". etonline.com. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
- ^ Bunbury, Stephanie (August 31, 2024). "'The Order' Review: Jude Law Shines In Justin Kurzel's Brilliantly-Shot, Sweeping Slice Of Political Americana — Venice Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood.
External links
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