Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Jurnee Smollett-Bell at the "Underground" panel during New York ComicCon, October 11, 2015
Born Jurnee Diana Smollett
(1986-10-01) October 1, 1986
New York City, New York, United States
Other names Jurnee Smollett
Occupation Actress
Years active 1991–present
Spouse(s) Josiah Bell (m. 2010)
Children 1
Relatives Jussie Smollett (brother)
Jake Smollett (brother)

Jurnee Diana Smollett-Bell (born October 1, 1986)[1] is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress appearing on television sitcoms, with her most significant regular role being on On Our Own (1994–95). She received critical acclaim and Critic's Choice Award for playing title role in the 1997 independent drama film Eve's Bayou.

In adult age, Smollett-Bell has starred in films The Great Debaters (2007) and Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013). She also had starring roles on number of television series, include NBC sports drama Friday Night Lights (2009–2011), and HBO vampire drama True Blood (2013–2014). In 2016, Smollett-Bell began playing a leading role as Rosalee, the house slave, in the WGN America period drama Underground. Smollett-Bell has won three NAACP Image Awards.

Early life

Smollett-Bell was born Jurnee Diana Smollett in New York City, the daughter of Janet (née Harris) and Joel Smollett. Her father was Jewish (his family immigrated from Russia and Poland), and her mother is African American.[2][3][4] She is the fourth of six performing siblings,[5] one sister, Jazz, and four brothers: Jussie, JoJo, Jake, and Jocqui.[6]

Career

Early works

Smollett-Bell began her acting career appearing in a recurring roles on the ABC family sitcoms include Full House and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper playing Denise Frazer.[7] 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.[7]

Smollett-Bell 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.[8][9] 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."[5] She received the Critic's Choice Award and was nominated for the NAACP Image Award.[10] The following year, she joined the cast of CBS sitcom Cosby, for which she won two NAACP Image Award.[10] In 1999, Smollett-Bell starred in the racially charged Disney channel 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.

2007–present

In 2007, Smollett-Bell portrayed Samantha Booke (loosely based on Henrietta Bell Wells), the sole female debater at Wiley College in the historical film The Great Debaters.[11] The film was produced by Oprah Winfrey and Harvey Weinstein and starred Denzel Washington, who also directed the feature. For her performance, Smollett-Bel 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 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. From 2013 to 2014, she was regular on HBO series True Blood.[12]

In 2013, Smollett-Bell 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 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.[13] 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.[14][15]

In 2015, Smollett-Bell was cast as lead character in the WGN America period drama series Underground. Smollett-Bell plays Rosalee, a shy house slave, working on a plantation in 1857.[16]

Personal life

Smollett-Bell has been active in HIV/AIDS causes since she was 11.[17] She spoke at the Ryan White Youth Conference. Her first encounter with the disease came at age seven when a crew member of On Our Own died of AIDS.[18] Smollett-Bell is on the Board of Directors of Artists for a New South Africa, an organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS in Africa.[19] She is also on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Defense Fund.

On October 24, 2010, she married musician Josiah Bell.[20] On June 7, 2016 Smollett-Bell announced via Instagram that she and Bell are expecting a child. She and her husband welcomed son Hunter Zion Bell on November 15, 2016.

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes
1996 Jack Phoebe
1997 Eve's Bayou Eve Batiste Critics' Choice Movie 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
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress
Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film
Nominated—YoungStar Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Film
2000 Beautiful Joe Vivien
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
2012 Captain Planet 4 Gaia Short film
2013 Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor Judith
2016 Hands of Stone Juanita Leonard
2017 One Last Thing[21]

Television

Year Film Role Notes
1991 Sunday in Paris Alison Chase Unsold pilot
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 Series regular, 20 episodes
Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten in a TV Series
1996 NYPD Blue Hanna Episode: "Where's 'Swaldo"
1998–2000 Cosby Jurnee Series regular, 8 episodes
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress (1999, 2000)
1999 Selma, Lord, Selma Sheyann Webb Television film
Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress: Television Movie/Cable
1999 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Ali Baba Episode: "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves"
2001 Ruby's Bucket of Blood Emerald Delacroix Television film
Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress: Television Movie/Cable
2002 Strong Medicine Ruby Episode: "Positive"
2002 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
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
2010–2011 The Defenders Lisa Tyler Series regular, 18 episodes
2012, 2013 The Mob Doctor Traci Coolidge 2 episodes
2013–2014 True Blood Nicole Wright Series regular, 19 episodes
2013 Do No Harm Abby Young 2 episodes
2013 Parenthood Heather Hall 7 episodes
2013 Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor Judith
2016–present Underground Rosalee Series regular

References

  1. ↑ "Jurnee Smollett-Bell - Awards & Bio". Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  2. ↑ Garmel, Marion (1994-09-06). "You're never on your own in a big family". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2011-03-20.
  3. ↑ http://www.hotsauce617.com/what-a-nice-girl/
  4. ↑ Random Tandem (2010-12-31). "New Artist Alert: Jussie Smollett". Random Tandem. Retrieved 2014-05-03.
  5. 1 2 Lena Williams (November 2, 1997). "Up and Coming - Jurnee Smollett - Calm Child at the Center of an Adult Storm". Nytimes.com. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Jazz Smollet, Troy Wharell Marry". Lipstick Alley.
  7. 1 2 "Jurnee Smollett". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Eve's Bayou". 1 June 1996. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  9. ↑ Roger Ebert (7 November 1997). "Eve's Bayou". Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  10. 1 2 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0810619/awards
  11. ↑ "The Great Debaters". 25 December 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  12. ↑ EvanDickson. "Two Ladies Move Into Bon Temps For Some 'True Blood'". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  13. ↑ "Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013) - Box Office Mojo". Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "Usher & Jurnee Smollett gear up in Panama to film 'Hands of Stone'". MStarsNews. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "Hands of Stone trailer: Robert De Niro coaches Edgar Ramirez - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  16. ↑ Cynthia Littleton (February 27, 2015). "WGN America Gives Series Order to Slavery Drama 'Underground'". Variety.
  17. ↑ "News". Voice of America. 2006.
  18. ↑ "Cover Story". Art & Understanding Magazine. August 2006. (AIDS-related issues magazine)
  19. ↑ "Board of Directors". ANSA.
  20. ↑ Zuckerman, Blaine (December 16, 2010). "See Friday Night Lights's Jurnee Smollett's Wedding Photo". People.
  21. ↑ Erik Pedersen. "Wendell Pierce, Jurnee Smollett-Bell Top 'One Last Thing'; 'Downsizing' Adds One - Deadline". Deadline. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
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