Joel Smollett's bio: Who is the patriarch of the Smollett family?
Joel Smollett is best known as the patriarch of the Smollett family. He was not in the limelight most of his life but is respected as the pillar that built his famous children. He inspired and encouraged his children to pursue careers in the entertainment industry.
Source: UGC
Joel Smollett built a close-knit family that supported each other to become stars. His legacy lives on through his children, who often state how instrumental he was in their lives.
Profile summary
| Full name | Joel Smollett |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 8th October 1956 |
| Date of demise | 7th January 2015 |
| Age at death | 58 years |
| Place of birth | Russia |
| Place of demise | United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Jewish-Russian-Polish |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height in feet | 5’ 7" |
| Height in centimetres | 170 |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Marital status | Married until death |
| Wife | Janet Smollett |
| Children | 6 |
| Father | Peter Smollett |
| Mother | Molly Hirschenson |
| Siblings | 1 |
| Profession | Former civil rights champion and cable splicer |
Who is Joel Smollett?
Joel Smollett is a former cable splicer and civil rights champion. He is best known as the patriarch of the Smollett family, which is famous for its impact on the global entertainment scene.
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How old is Joel Smollett?
Joel Smollett died at the age of 58 years. He was born on 8th October 1956 and took his last breath on 7th January 2015. His Zodiac sign was Libra.
What nationality was Joel Smollett?
The late cable splicer's nationality was American. He was born in Russia and spent part of his early years in Poland. His family immigrated to the United States of America when he was in his late teens. He acquired American citizenship.
What race is Jussie Smollett's father?
Joel Smollett's race is White. He had Jewish-Russian-Polish ancestry. He was raised in the Jewish religion.
Who are Joel Smollett's parents?
Joel Smollett's father was Peter Smollett, a Polish Jew. His mother was Molly Hirschenson, a hardworking lady of Russian descent. The cable splicer reportedly had one sibling, but little is known about them.
How did Joel Smollett die?
Joel Smollett's cause of death was cancer. He battled the disease bravely until his demise. His children spent time with him before his demise and did their best to give him the best medical treatment and care.
What type of cancer did Joel Smollett have? The family did not disclose the type of cancer he battled. During his burial ceremony, Joel Smollett's obituary featured beautiful tributes from his children and other family members.
Career
After immigrating to the United States of America, Joel started working as a cable splicer to support his family. He was also actively involved in the fight for civil rights.
Who is Joel Smollett's wife?
The late cable splicer was married to Janet until his demise. The two first met in the Bay Area as he was championing civil rights.
Janet was a young and driven lady of African-American heritage. She was from New Orleans and was also passionate about defending civil rights. The two fell in love and got married in their twenties. Their union thrived, and they were blessed with six mixed-race children.
Who are Joel Smollett's children?
Joel and Janet built a family of six children, four male and two female children. All his children are adults.
Jojo Smollett
Source: Getty Images
Jojo is the firstborn in the family. He was born on 28th August 1977 in New York City, New York, United States of America, making him 44 years old as of 2022. His Zodiac sign is Virgo.
Jojo is an actor and producer. He was more active in the 1990s. He has not appeared on the big screen in a while. He has six acting credits.
| Title | Year | Role |
| City of Hope | 1991 | Desmond |
| Roseanne | 1991 | Chuck Jr. |
| Last Breeze of Summer | 1991 | Elijah |
| On Our Own | 1995 - 1995 | Jimi Jerrico |
| The Practice | 1997 | Stephan Furnald |
| Moesha | 1997 | Frasier Norris |
Jazz Smollett
Jazz is the secondborn and the first daughter in the family. She was born on 1st April 1980, making her 42 years old as of 2022.
She is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and is an actress and producer. She was married to Troy Warwell from 2012 to 2019 and is a mother of a daughter called Nylah.
She produced the 29th Annual Trumpet awards, Living by Design with Jake and Jazz, and Urban One Honors 2021 and has three acting credits.
| Title | Year | Role |
| On Our Own | 1994 - 1995 | Jai Jerrico |
| I Want You | 2007 | Lennox Jones |
| Living by Design with Jake and Jazz | 2019 | Self |
Jussie Smollett
Jussie is arguably the most famous male child in the family because he has appeared in over 20 films and television shows. He is the second male child and the third born in the home.
He was born on 21st June 1982 in Santa Rosa, California, United States of America. He is 40 years old as of 2022, and his Zodiac sign is Gemini.
Jussie has 22 acting, six producer, and two director credits. Some of his roles are listed below.
| Title | Year | Role |
| A Little Piece of Heaven | 1991 | Salem Bordeaux |
| Queen | 1993 | Simon |
| North | 1994 | Adam |
| On Our Own | 1994 - 1995 | Jesse Jerrico |
| The Mindy Project | 2012 | Barry Stassen |
| Revenge | 2014 | Jamie |
| Underground | 2016 | Josey |
| Alien: Covenant | 2017 | Ricks |
| Star | 2017 | Jamal Lyon |
| Empire | 2015 - 2019 | Jamal Lyon |
Jurnee Smollett
Jurnee is the second daughter and the fourth-born of the family. She is an award-winning actress and activist of rare talent and conviction.
Jurnee was born on 1st October 1986 in New York City, New York, United States of America, and is 35 years old as of 2022. Her Zodiac sign is Libra. She has starred in over 40 films and television series and has two producer credits. Check out some of her works below.
| Title | Year | Role |
| Sunday in Paris | 1991 | Alison Chase |
| Full House | 1992 - 1994 | Denise Frazer |
| On Our Own | 1994 - 1995 | Jordee Jerrico |
| Wanda at Large | 2003 | Holly Hawkins |
| Grey's Anatomy | 2008 | Beth Monroe |
| Bad Girls | 2012 | Gwen Delfino |
| True Blood | 2013 - 2014 | Nicole Wright |
| Underground | 2016 - 2017 | Rosalee |
| Sofia the First | 2017 - 2018 | Chrysta |
| Lovecraft Country | 2020 | Letitia 'Leti' Lewis |
| Spiderhead | 2022 | Lizzy |
| Untitled Birds of Prey/Black Canary Project | 2023 | Dinah Lance/ Black Canary |
Jake Smollett
Jake, the fifth child in the family, is also an actor. Besides acting, he is a celebrity chef, television host and best-selling cookbook author.
He was born on 29th July 1989 and is 33 years old as of 2022. His Zodiac sign is Leo, and he has six acting credits.
| Title | Year | Role |
| Hangin' with Mr. Cooper | 1992 | Jake |
| On Our Own | 1994 - 1995 | Joc Jerrico |
| Eve's Bayou | 1997 | Poe Batiste |
| The Middleman | 2008 | Noser |
| Pitch This | 2009 | Luke |
| Living by Design with Jake and Jazz | 2019 | Self |
Jocqui Smollett
Jocqui is the last born in the family. He was born on 1st August 1993 in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. He is 29 years old as of 2022, and his Zodiac sign is Leo.
He starred in On Our Own as Jarreau Jerrico, alongside his siblings. He also appeared in Amanda's Return (2009) and Pitch This (2009).
Unlike his siblings, Jocqui does not like being in the limelight. He is into tech, real estate investment, and public speaking.
Are Jake and Jazz Smollett twins?
Jake and Jazz are not twins. Jake is the fifth born, while Jazz is the second. The two have a nine-year gap.
Are Jurnee and Jussie Smollett twins?
Jurnee and Jussie are not twins. However, they follow each other in their birth order. Jussie was born on 21st June 1982 and is the third born, while Jurnee was born on 1st October 1986 and is the fourth born in the family.
How tall was Joel Smollett?
The patriarch of the family was 5’ 7" or 170 centimetres tall. He has black hair and brown eyes.
Trivia
- His grandparents were David Smollett and Dawley Levy.
- He was approximately four years younger than his wife Janet, born on 27th November 1952.
The late Joel Smollett was a dedicated family man who raised wonderful children. He passed away in early 2015, leaving behind his wife Janet and his six successful kids.
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Source: Legit.ng
Mercy Mbuthia (Lifestyle writer) Mercy Mbuthia is a content writer with five years of experience writing on various topics, including biographies, entertainment, and lifestyle. She joined the Legit team in 2019. Mercy earned a Master of Science (Food, Nutrition & Dietetics) from Dedan Kimathi University in 2022. Her articles have appeared on several media sites such as The Health Channel, The Nation, Tekrati, ValiantCEO and Celebrity Leader. In 2023, Mercy finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. Email: mercymmbuthia18@gmail.com
Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over six years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University. Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She received the 2023 Writer of the Year Award. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com
