Jurnee Smollett

Jurnee Smollett is a critically acclaimed American actress who has been performing since early childhood. Born into a family of performers in New York City, she began acting at the age of two and gained her first significant recognition for her role as Denise Frazer on the sitcom “Full House” and later as Michelle Tanner’s friend on the show. Her breakout role came in 1997 when she starred as Eve in the critically acclaimed film “Eve’s Bayou,” delivering a performance that was remarkably mature for a child actress and earned widespread praise.

As she transitioned from child star to adult actress, Smollett continued to take on meaningful roles. She starred as Jess Merriweather on the critically acclaimed but short-lived series “Friday Night Lights” (2009-2011) and played the lead role of Nicole Wright in the BET series “Underground” (2016-2017), which depicted the stories of enslaved people using the Underground Railroad. Her powerful performance in “Underground” earned her NAACP Image Award nominations and established her as a dramatic actress of significant depth.

Smollett’s career reached new heights in 2020 when she starred as Letitia “Leti” Lewis in HBO’s “Lovecraft Country,” a genre-bending series that combined horror, science fiction, and the realities of racism in 1950s America. Her performance was widely praised and earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She followed this with a role as Dinah Lance/Black Canary in the DC film “Birds of Prey” (2020) and was set to star in a standalone Black Canary film for HBO Max.

Beyond acting, Smollett is an outspoken activist for social justice and civil rights causes. She has used her platform to advocate for racial equality and has been involved with organizations like Artists for a New South Africa. With her earnings from television series, major film roles, producing work, and her growing profile in the DC Universe, Jurnee Smollett has built an estimated net worth of $5 million.