BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
Jurnee Smollett
| Jurnee Smollett | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jurnee Diana Smollett October 1, 1986 New York, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Spouse(s) | Josiah Bell (2010–present) |
Jurnee Diana Smollett-Bell (born October 1, 1986) is an American actress. She is known for the role of Jess Merriweather on the television series Friday Night Lights, as well as roles in the films Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor, Eve's Bayou, The Great Debaters, and the TV series True Blood.
Early life and career
Smollett was born Jurnee Diana Smollett in New York City, the daughter of Janet and Joel Smollett, a cable splicer.[1] Her father was Jewish (his family immigrated from Russia and Poland) and her mother is African American.[2][1][3][4] The fourth of six performing siblings, she received critical acclaim for her performance as ten-year-old Eve in the independent film Eve's Bayou (1997).[5] 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."[citation needed]
She co-starred with her siblings in the ABC television comedy On Our Own (1994–1995) and guest appeared in numerous television shows: Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Full House,Martin, Wanda At Large, House, Grey's Anatomy, etc. Smollett co-starred in the last two seasons of Friday Night Lights.
Smollett was featured in the 1996 Francis Ford Coppola film Jack. She starred in the racially charged 1999 Disney film Selma, Lord, Selma. In 2000, she co-starred with Sharon Stone (Smollett played daughter of Stone's Hush) and Billy Connelly in the comedy film Beautiful Joe. 2001 would find Jurnee co-starring as daughter to another popular actress,Angela Bassett, in the film Ruby's Bucket of Blood. Smollett co-starred with actors Bow Wow and Brandon T Jackson in the 2005 skater movie Roll Bounce. In 2006, she joined the film Gridiron Gang. In 2007 actor/director Denzel Washington cast Smollett in his starring/directorial vehicle The Great Debaters. The film was produced by Oprah Winfreyand Harvey Weinstein.
On March 17, 2009, she visited eKhaya Multi Arts Centre for Arts and Performance, KwaMashu, north of Durban, South Africa, where she led an exchange youth forum sharing her experiences with KwaMashu youth.
From September 2010 to March 2011 she co-starred with Jim Belushi and Jerry O'Connell in the CBS legal drama The Defenders.
In 2013 Smollett starred with Lance Gross and Brandy Norwood in Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. In January of the same year, it was announced that Smollett would be joining the cast of True Blood when the series' sixth season began on June 16.[6]
Personal life
Smollett has one sister, Jazz and four brothers: Jussie, JoJo, Jake and Jocqui.[7] The Smollett siblings starred together on ABC's 1994-95 series On Our Own.
She has been active in HIV/AIDS causes since she was eleven.[8] She spoke at the Ryan White Youth Conference, and elsewhere, on this issue. Her first encounter with the disease came at age seven when a crew member of On Our Own died of AIDS.[9] Smollett is on the Board of Directors of Artists for a New South Africa,[10] dedicated to dealing with HIV/AIDS in Africa. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Defense Fund.
On October 24, 2010, Smollett married musician Josiah Bell.[11]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Sunday in Paris | Alison Chase | Short film |
| 1996 | Jack | Phoebe | |
| 1997 | Eve's Bayou | Eve Batiste | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Child Performance San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress |
| 1999 | Selma, Lord, Selma | Sheyann Webb | Television movie |
| 2000 | Beautiful Joe | Vivien | |
| 2001 | Ruby's Bucket of Blood | Emerald Delacroix | Television movie |
| 2005 | Roll Bounce | Tori Turner | |
| 2006 | Gridiron Gang | Danyelle Rollins | |
| 2007 | The Great Debaters | Samantha Booke | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Breakout: Female |
| 2013 | Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor | Judith | |
| 2015 | Hands of Stone | Juanita Leonard | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Out All Night | Laquita | Episode: "The Kid" |
| 1992–1994 | Full House | Denise Frazer | 13 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 | 20 episodes |
| 1996 | NYPD Blue | Hanna | Episode: "Where's 'Swaldo" |
| 1998–2000 | Cosby | Jurnee | 8 episodes |
| 1999 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Ali Baba | Episode: "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" |
| 2002 | Strong Medicine | Ruby | Episode: "Positive" |
| 2002 | ER | Romy | Episode: "Next of Kin" |
| 2003 | Wanda at Large | Holly Hawkins | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | House M.D. | Tracy | Episode: "Fools for Love" |
| 2008 | Grey's Anatomy | Beth | 2 episodes |
| 2009–2011 | Friday Night Lights | Jess Merriweather | 25 episodes Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series |
| 2010–2011 | The Defenders | Lisa Tyler | 18 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | The Mob Doctor | Traci Coolidge | 2 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | True Blood | Nicole Wright | 17 episodes |
| 2013 | Do No Harm | Ms. Young's Daughter | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Parenthood | Heather Hall | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Underground | Rosalee | Upcoming series |
Awards/nominations
- Teen Choice Awards
- 2008: Nominated – Choice Movie: Breakout Female for The Great Debaters
- Young Artist Awards
- 1995: Nominated – Best Performance by an Actress Under 10 in a TV Series for On Our Own
- 1998: Nominated – Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actress for Eve's Bayou
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