Jurnee Smollett-Ball - Biography

Who is Jurnee Smollett-Ball?

Jurnee Smollett-Ball is an actress by profession and American by nationality. She is well known for starring in Eve's Bayou, The Great Debaters, Friday Night Lights, True Blood, Birds of Prey.

Jurnee Smollett-Ball – Age, Parents, Siblings, Education, Ethnicity

Jurnee Smollett-Ball’s birth took place on October 1, 1986, in New York, New York, USA. She was born as Jurnee Diana Smollett tom mother Janet Smollett and father Joel Smollett. 

She is not the only child of her parents and has five siblings – sister Jazz Smollett and four brothers Jussie Smollett, JoJo Smollett, Jake Smollett, Jocqui Smollett, who are all performers.

Jurnee Smollett-Ball with her siblings (Image: Instagram)

Smollett-Ball was home-schooled by her mother. She is of Ashkenazi-Jewish (father), African-American (mother) ethnicity.

Jurnee Smollett-Ball – Boyfriend, Husband, Children, Divorce

Jurnee Smollett-Ball married her longtime boyfriend Josiah Bell, a musician on 24 October 2010. She and her husband welcomed a child together – son Hunter Zion Bell, who was born on October 31st, 2016.

Currently, the couple is living in a blissful marriage without rumors of extra-marital affairs or divorce.

Jurnee Smollett-Ball, Josiah Bell (Image: Just Jared)

Jurnee Smollett-Ball – Net Worth, Salary

Her net worth has been estimated at around $2 million while the figures on her annual salary/income have not been shared with the public.

Jurnee Smollett-Ball – Career

Early Career

Jurnee Smollett-Ball first appeared on TV at 10 months old when she modeled for diapers. At the age of 3, she was featured in a Pepsi TV commercial with NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana. 

In her teen years, she had appearances on Full House, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper and with her siblings had recurring appearances in ABC sitcom On Our Own (1994-1995). 

Finally, in 1996 Jurnee Smollett-Ball landed big-screen debut as Phoebe in 1996 film Jack. And in 1997 she starred in the film Eve's Bayou as 10-year-old Eve. Her performance in the film was critically acclaimed.

Jurnee Smollett-Ball (left) in Eve's Bayou as Eve (Image: flickminute)

Films, Series

Just a year after her breakthrough role, Jurnee Smollett-Ball was cast in Cosby followed by a role in 1999 TV film Selma, Lord, Selma. 

Since then Smollett-Ball has starred in films Beautiful Joe (2000), Roll Bounce (2005), The Great Debaters (2007), Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013), Hands of Stone (2016), Birds of Prey (2020) as Dinah Lance / Black Canary.

Jurnee Smollett-Ball has also had guest appearances in TV series Grey's Anatomy (2008), The Mob Doctor (2012), Do No Harm (2013). Moreover, she is a series regular in Friday Night Lights (2009-2011), The Defenders (2010-2011), True Blood (2013-2014), Underground (2016-2017), Lovecraft Country (2019).

Moreover, she has been active in HIV/AIDS causes since the age of 11.

Jurnee Smollett-Ball (right) with Birds of Prey  cast (Image: Deadline)

Co-stars

Jurnee Smollett-Ball’s fellow Birds of Prey cast includes Rosie Perez, Ali Wong, Chris Messina, Charlene Amoia.

Jurnee Smollett-Ball – Awards, Nominations

Smollett-Ball has been nominated for Young Artist Awards (1995), NAACP Image Awards (1997), Black Reel Awards (1999, 2001), Teen Choice Awards (2007) and has won Critics' Choice Movie Awards (1997), San Diego Film Critics Society (1997), NAACP Image Awards (2008).

Jurnee Smollett-Ball – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

On social media handle including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Jurnee Smollett-Ball is active with around a million followers and counting.