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Jussie Smollett
[edit]Jussie Smollett | |
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| Born | Jussie Langston Mikha Smollett June 21, 1983 |
| Years active | 1991 - present |
| Known for | Acting; Jamal Lyon on Fox's Empire |
| Relatives | Jake Smollett, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Jojo Smollett, Jazz Smollett, Jocqui Smollett |
Jussie Langston Mikha Smollett (born June 21, 1983)[1] is an American actor, singer and photographer. As a child, he began his acting career for summer fun in 1987 starring in national network commercials in NYC. In 2015, Smollett took on the role of musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox Broadcasting Company music-industry primetime TV drama Empire - his most well known work to date. Smollett is set to appear in Ridley Scott's science-fiction film Alien: Covenant that is expected to release in August 4, 2017.
Early Life
[edit]Smollett was born in Santa Rosa, California, and is the son of Janet and Joel Smollett.[2] He has three brothers and two sisters: Jake, Jocqui, Jojo, Jurnee, and Jazz. His father was Jewish (his family emigrated from Russia and Poland). His mother is African-American.
Career
[edit]On television, he starred alongside his five real-life siblings in the ABC sitcom On Our Own from 1994 – 95.Smollett then appeared in the 1993 TV miniseries Queen, based on a book by Alex Haley, playing the son of the title character (Halle Berry). After a break, Smollett resurfaced as a singer with the 2012 EP Poisoned Hearts Club and as an actor with the film The Skinny. In 2015, he debuted his role as Jamal Lyon on the TV show Empire, a runaway ratings success. That same year, Smollett landed a recording contract with Columbia Records.[3]
Jamal Lyon
[edit]Jamal is the gay middle child of African-American music titan Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) and his ex-con ex-wife Cookie (Taraji Henson). While supported by his tenacious mother, he has a difficult relationship with his father because Lucious doesn't accept Jamal's sexual orientation. But viewers have had quite a different reaction to the character, who's served as an inspiration to many. As Smollett told Vanity Fair, "I received a letter from a kid that said Jamal gave him the courage to come out to his parents. It touched me deeply and it's an honor to help people."[4]
Personal Life
[edit]Jussie Smollett has revealed to the world that he is gay on Ellen Degeneres's daytime talk show. "There is without a doubt, no closet that I’ve ever been in, and I just wanted to make that clear...' Smollett tells DeGeneres. 'I've told Ellen, now who else do I need to tell?"[5]