Background
Smollett was born in Santa Rosa, California, and is the son of Janet and Joel Smollett.
Actor Photographer television actor
Smollett was born in Santa Rosa, California, and is the son of Janet and Joel Smollett.
As a child, he began his acting career for summer fun in 1987 starring in national network commercials in New York City. He later co-starred in the films The Mighty Ducks (1992) and Rob Reiner"s North (1994). In 2015, Smollett received rave reviews for his portrayal of musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox music-industry primetime television drama Empire. His father was Jewish (his family emigrated from Russia and Poland).
His mother is African-American.
Smollett began his acting career as a child, co-starring in the films The Mighty Ducks (1992) and Rob Reiner"s North (1994). On television, he starred alongside his five real-life siblings in the short-lived American Broadcasting Company sitcom On Our Own from 1994-1995.
In 2012, Smollett returned to acting with the leading role in the LGBT-themed comedy-drama The Skinny. He later guest-starred on The Mindy Project and Revenge.
In 2014, Smollett was cast as Jamal Lyon—a gay musician who struggles to gain his father"s approval—opposite Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard in the Fox primetime soap opera Empire.
Smollett is also a singer-songwriter. In 2012, he released an European Parliament album, The Poisoned Hearts Club. In February 2015, he confirmed that he had signed a recording contract with Columbia Records and would be releasing an album in the future.
Smollett co-wrote the songs "I Wanna Love You" and "You"re So Beautiful" on the Original Soundtrack from Season 1 of Empire album, which was released in March 2015.
Smollett revealed he is gay during a backstage interview with Ellen DeGeneres in March 2015.