Jussie Smollett Biography

(Actor)

Birthday: June 21, 1982 (Gemini)

Born In: Santa Rosa, California, United States

Jussie Smollett is an American actor, photographer, and singer. He cemented his place in the film industry by playing the role of Jamal Lyon in the ‘Fox’ television series ‘Empire.’ His popularity increased when he was cast to play an important role in Ridley Scott’s science fiction film ‘Alien: Covenant’ which released in 2017. Jussie Smollett, who began his career as a child artist, had starred in commercials at the age of five. In fact, he had also starred in the comedy film ‘The Mighty Ducks’ even before his teenage years. He took a short break from the industry before making a comeback in a TV show titled ‘The Mindy Project’ where he was seen in a guest role. Ever since his return, he has taken over American television with his versatile acting skills. He has even managed to win the hearts of music lovers with his singing skills. In 2015, he signed a record deal with the reputed ‘Columbia Records’ after launching his debut extended play ‘Poisoned Hearts Club.’ He has candidly stated that he takes pride in being a ‘black gay man’ and believes that love comes before gender. He is also a social activist who advocates LGBT rights, supports HIV victims, and opposes racism.

79
Quick Facts

Also Known As: Justin Smollett

Age: 42 Years, 42 Year Old Males

Family:

father: Joel, Joel Smollett

mother: Janet, Janet Smollett

siblings: Jake, Jake Smollett, Jazz, Jazz Smollett, Jocqui, Jocqui Smollett, Jojo, Jojo Smollett, Jurnee, Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Born Country: United States

Gays Actors

Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Males

U.S. State: California

  • 1

    Why was Jussie Smollett arrested?

    Jussie Smollett was arrested for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself in January 2019.
  • 2

    What were the charges against Jussie Smollett?

    Jussie Smollett was charged with filing a false police report and disorderly conduct for allegedly staging a hate crime against himself.
  • 3

    Did Jussie Smollett's charges get dropped?

    In March 2019, all charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago.
  • 4

    Was Jussie Smollett involved in a legal battle after the charges were dropped?

    Yes, Jussie Smollett faced a legal battle as the City of Chicago sued him for the cost of the police investigation into the alleged hate crime.
  • 5

    Did Jussie Smollett return to acting after the legal issues?

    Jussie Smollett returned to acting, making appearances in various projects following the legal issues surrounding the alleged hate crime incident.
Childhood & Early Life
Jussie Smollett was born Jussie Langston Mikha Smollett on 21 June, 1982, in Santa Rosa (Soma County), California, USA, to Janet and Joel. His father is Ashkenazi Jewish and his mother is Afro-American.
He grew up along with his siblings, Jake, Jojo, Jocqui, Jazz, and Jurnee. His siblings grew up to become actors.
He graduated from ‘Paramus Catholic High School’ in Paramus, New Jersey.
Smollett revealed to his parents that he was gay when he was 19 years old.
Continue Reading Below
Child Artist
From the age of five, Jussie was a known face on TV; he was often seen in numerous commercials until he landed his first movie role in the film ‘The Mighty Ducks.’
He was signed for the role of Terry Hall in the 1992 Stephen Herek’s American sports-comedy film ‘The Mighty Ducks’ which was produced under the banner, ‘Walt Disney Pictures.’ While filming the project, he worked with Emilio Estevez and Joshua Jackson.
Following his appearance in the film, he was seen in the 1993 TV miniseries ‘Queen.’ In the series, he was seen alongside Halle Berry, playing the role of Simon, the son of the lead character. The show was based on Alex Haley’s novel, ‘Queen: The Story of an American Family.’
In 1994, he starred alongside his siblings on ‘ABC’ network’s sitcom ‘On Our Own.’ In the show, Jussie and his siblings played orphans and their elder brother, played by Ralph Harris, takes up the responsibility of raising his younger siblings.
He also landed the role of Adam in the 1994 American comedy film ‘North’ which was based on Alan Zweibel's novel. The film starred Elijah Wood and was also Scarlett Johansson’s debut film.
Music & Acting
He took a break from appearing in feature films and TV series. While still on a break, Jussie featured as Mike in a short film titled ‘Pitch This.’ He made his comeback by playing Barry Stassen in an episode titled ‘Josh and Mindy’s Christmas Party’ (2012) in the TV series ‘The Mindy Project.’
During his break, he focused on his vocal skills and ended up releasing his debut EP ‘Poisoned Hearts Club’ (2012), comprising of seven songs.
In 2012, he took on the lead role of Magnus in the LGBT comedy drama film ‘The Skinny’ where he was seen alongside Blake Young-Fountain who played the role of Sebastian.
2014 was a busy year for him; he featured in two Hollywood movies – as Tariq in ‘Born to Race: Fast Track’ and as Nico Demper in the Allison Burnett film ‘Ask Me Anything’ where he was seen alongside Britt Robertson, Justin Long, and Christian Slater. He also guest-starred in the ‘Ashes’ episode of the soap opera, ‘Revenge.’
Continue Reading Below
Jussie’s best performance is undoubtedly his portrayal of Jamal Lyon in Fox’s musical TV series ‘Empire.’ The show is based on a hip-hop music company called ‘Empire Entertainment’ and the rifts between the families of the founders of the company.
‘Empire’ was aired in 2015, and Jussie played Jamal Lyon, a talented member of the Lyon family, who is also a spectacular singer-songwriter. Jamal Lyon has distaste for politics in the music industry and is ridiculed as the ‘black sheep of the family’ by his father.
In 2016, he guest-starred as Josey in the ‘WGN’ American drama series ‘Underground.’ Jussie’s younger sister, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, played the lead role of Rosalee on the show. He also appeared in the ‘Live! With Kelly’ show as a guest host.
In 2017, he played Ricks in the sci-fi horror film ‘Alien: Covenant’ which is a sequel to the 2012 movie ‘Prometheus.’ Produced by ‘20th Century Fox,’ the film was directed by Ridley Scott and starred actors like Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, and Billy Crudup.
Mollett released his debut album ‘Sum of My Music’ in March 2018.
On April 2019, it was said that his character in ‘Empire’ will not appear during the season, although ‘Fox Entertainment’ had extended his contract for the sixth season.
Major Works
His first major performance was in the short-lived sitcom ‘On Our Own.’ After the first season, which consisted of 20 episodes, the show was canceled. The performance of the star cast, including Jussie’s performance, was critically acclaimed.
His performance in the 2012 American rom-com movie ‘The Skinny,’ where he played a homosexual medical student, received good reviews. The movie was released in selected theatres and his excellent portrayal of Magnus won the hearts of many.
In 2016, 'Empire' was placed amongst the top 50 television shows by the ‘New York Times.’
Continue Reading Below
Awards & Achievements
He was first nominated at the ‘Young Artist Awards’ under the category of ‘Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture’ for ‘The Mighty Ducks’ when he was 11. He was also nominated for ‘Best Actor’ at the ‘BET Awards’ in 1993.
He won his first award in 2016 at the ‘NAACP Image Awards.’ That night, he took home multiple awards under the categories of ‘Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration’ and ‘Outstanding New Artist.’ Also, his single ‘You’re So Beautiful’ won the ‘Outstanding Song’ award.
In 2017, he won a ‘NAACP Image Award’ under the category of ‘Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series’ for his portrayal of Jamal Lyon in ‘Empire.’
Personal Life & Legacy
He has been an activist since his childhood. When he was ten, he lost one of his co-actors to HIV. As a young boy, he was devastated on learning about the incident and henceforth took initiative to spread awareness about HIV, racism, and homophobia.
At the age of 16, he began volunteering at the ‘Black AIDS Institute’ under the mentorship of Phill Wilson. He also worked closely with the ‘New South Africa’ organization and its artists, such as Samuel L. Jackson, Carlos Santana, and LaToya Jackson.
While appearing on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show,’ Jussie told Ellen that he is gay and that this wasn’t coming out of the closet for him as he had never hidden the truth. He also said that he is proud of his sexuality.
Smollett told police on January 29, 2019, that he was attacked outside his apartment building by two men in ski masks.
Facts About Jussie Smollett

He is a dedicated philanthropist, actively involved in various charitable causes, including LGBTQ+ rights and mental health awareness.

Jussie Smollett has a passion for cooking and enjoys experimenting with new recipes in his spare time.
He is multilingual, fluent in both English and French, showcasing his diverse linguistic abilities.
Jussie Smollett is a talented photographer and often shares his artistic vision through captivating images on his social media platforms.

Jussie Smollett Movies

1. Marshall (2017)

  (Biography, Drama)

2. Alien: Covenant - Prologue: Last Supper (2017)

  (Sci-Fi, Horror, Short)

3. Alien: Covenant (2017)

  (Horror, Thriller, Sci-Fi)

4. The Mighty Ducks (1992)

  (Drama, Sport, Family, Comedy)

5. Ask Me Anything (2014)

  (Drama)

6. North (1994)

  (Drama, Family, Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy)

See the events in life of Jussie Smollett in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Jussie Smollett Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/jussie-smollett-30418.php

People Also Viewed

Jake Smollett Biography
Jake Smollett
(American)
 
Jojo Smollett Biography
Jojo Smollett
(American)
 
Jazz Smollett Biography
Jazz Smollett
(American)
 
Zac Efron Biography
Zac Efron
(American)
 
Jack Quaid Biography
Jack Quaid
(American)
 
Donald Glover Biography
Donald Glover
(American)
 
Timothée Chalamet Biography
Timothée Chalamet
(American)
 
Shia LaBeouf Biography
Shia LaBeouf
(American)