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   » » Wiki: Jurnee Smollett
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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 (1992–1994). She gained greater recognition with her role in '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), (2013), and Birds of Prey (2020). Her television roles include the sports drama Friday Night Lights (2009–2011), the period drama Underground (2016–2017), and the fantasy horrors (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
Jurnee Diana Smollett was born in New York City, to Janet Harris and Joel Smollett. Her father was , 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,Jessica Fecteau. From Actors to Cookbook Authors: How the Smollett Siblings Are Breaking Into the Food World . People.com. July 6, 2018. and four brothers, , JoJo, , 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 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 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 , Samuel L. Jackson and . 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 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 and in the film Beautiful Joe. In 2001, she played the daughter of 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 . In 2006, she appeared in the drama film .


2007–2012
In 2007, Smollett portrayed Samantha Booke (loosely based on Henrietta Bell Wells), the sole female debater at in the historical film The Great Debaters. The film was produced by and 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 drama series Friday Night Lights playing Jess Merriweather. From 2010 to 2011, she also co-starred with 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 directed by . 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, in the 2016 biographical sport film Hands of Stone co-starring with Usher and Robert De Niro.

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 in the 2020 film Birds of Prey, 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 thriller film, Lou.


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. (AIDS-related issues magazine) She was inspired by the HIV/AIDS survivor , with whom she eventually worked for HIV/AIDS awareness, including for the Black AIDS Institute and Red Cross. She spoke at the Youth Conference, and is on the Board of Directors of Artists for a New South Africa, an organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS in Africa. 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
+Key Denotes works that have not yet been released

1996JackPhoebe
1997Eve's BayouEve Batiste
2000Beautiful JoeVivien
2005Tori Turner
2006Danyelle Rollins
2007Samantha Booke
2013Judith
2016Hands of StoneJuanita Leonard
2018One Last ThingLucy Dillinger
2020Birds of Prey
2022Lizzy
LouHannah DawsonAlso executive producer
2023We Grown NowDoloresAlso executive producer
The BurialMame Downes
2024The OrderJoanne Carney


Television
1992Out All NightLaquitaEpisode: "The Kid"
Hangin' with Mr. CooperDenise Frazer4 episodes
MartinLittle GirlEpisode: "I Saw Gina Kissing Santa Claus"
1992–1994Denise Frazer12 episodes
1994–1995On Our OwnJordee JerricoSeries regular (20 episodes)
1996HannaEpisode: "Where's 'Swaldo"
1998–1999CosbyJurneeSeries regular (24 episodes)
1999Selma, Lord, SelmaSheyann WebbTelevision film
Ali BabaVoice, episode: "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves"
2001Ruby's Bucket of BloodEmerald DelacroixTelevision film
2002RubyEpisode: "Positive"
ERRomyEpisode: "Next of Kin"
2003Wanda at LargeHolly HawkinsSeries regular (6 episodes)
2006HouseTracyEpisode: "Fools for Love"
2008Grey's AnatomyBeth2 episodes
2009–2011Friday Night LightsJess MerriweatherSeries regular (26 episodes)
2010–2011Lisa TylerSeries regular (18 episodes)
2012–2013Traci Coolidge2 episodes
2013Do No HarmAbby Young2 episodes
ParenthoodHeather Hall7 episodes
2013–2014Nicole WrightSeries regular (19 episodes)
2016–2017UndergroundRosaleeSeries regular (19 episodes)
2017–2018Sofia the FirstChrystaVoice, recurring role (8 episodes)
2020Jasmine DelanceyEpisode: "Ovation"
Lovecraft CountryLetitia "Leti" LewisSeries regular (10 episodes)
2025SmokeMichell CalderonSeries regular


Awards and nominations
2010Audiobook of the YearNelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales
Multi-Voiced Performance
1999Black Reel Awards Selma, Lord, Selma
2001Best Supporting Actress: Television Movie/CableRuby's Bucket of Blood
2017Best Actress, Drama SeriesUnderground
2024Outstanding Supporting PerformanceThe Burial
1997Critics' Choice Movie AwardsBest Young PerformerEve's Bayou
2021Critics' Choice Super AwardsBest Actress in a Superhero MovieBirds of Prey
Best Actress in a Horror SeriesLovecraft Country
2021Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Actress in a Drama SeriesLovecraft Country
1997Chicago Film Critics AssociationMost Promising ActressEve's Bayou
2020Best Movie EnsembleBirds of Prey
2021MTV Movie & TV AwardsMost Frightened PerformanceLovecraft Country
Best FightBirds of Prey
1997NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Youth Actor/ActressEve's Bayou
1999Cosby
2000
2008Outstanding Actress in a Motion PictureThe Great Debaters
2010Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesFriday Night Lights
2017Outstanding Actress in a Drama SeriesUnderground
2018
2021Lovecraft Country
Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Drama SeriesLovecraft Country
1997San Diego Film Critics SocietyBest Supporting ActressEve's Bayou
2021Best Supporting Actress in a FilmBirds of Prey
Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesLovecraft Country
2008Teen Choice AwardsChoice Movie Breakout FemaleThe Great Debaters
1995Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by an Actress Under Ten in a TV SeriesOn Our Own
1997Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature FilmEve's Bayou
1998Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature FilmEve's Bayou


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