Joel Smollett was the father of actors Jussie Smollett, Jurnee Smollett, and their four siblings. He was born on October 8, 1956, and died from cancer on January 7, 2015, at age 58.
Joel lived mostly outside the public spotlight. He worked as a cable splicer and was reportedly involved in civil rights causes. He and his wife, Janet Smollett, raised six children: Jojo, Jazz, Jussie, Jurnee, Jake, and Jocqui.
Joel Smollett’s Profile Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joel Smollett |
| Date of birth | October 8, 1956 |
| Age at death | 58 |
| Date of death | January 7, 2015 |
| Birthplace | Reportedly Russia |
| Nationality | American |
| Family background | Russian and Polish Jewish roots |
| Religion | Reportedly Jewish |
| Father | Peter Smollett |
| Mother | Molly Hirschenson |
| Siblings | Reportedly one |
| Profession | Cable splicer |
| Other work | Reportedly involved in civil rights causes |
| Wife | Janet Smollett |
| Children | Jojo, Jazz, Jussie, Jurnee, Jake, and Jocqui |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
Joel Smollett’s Early Life
Joel Smollett was born on October 8, 1956. Biography sources report that he was born in Russia and spent part of his early life in Poland.
His family later moved to the United States. Some reports say Joel was in his late teens when the family immigrated.
Details about the exact place of his birth and his childhood in Russia and Poland are limited.
Who Were Joel Smollett’s Parents?
Joel’s parents are reported to have been Peter Smollett and Molly Hirschenson.
Peter is described in biography sources as a Polish Jew. Molly is reported to have had Russian roots. This is why Joel is commonly described as having Russian and Polish Jewish ancestry.
Some sources also name David Smollett and Dawley Levy as Joel’s grandparents. However, this family information is not well documented in stronger public sources.
Joel reportedly had one sibling. The sibling’s name and other details are not widely available.
Joel Smollett’s Education
There is little reliable public information about Joel’s education.
The schools he attended and any college education or professional qualifications have not been publicly confirmed.
What Did Joel Smollett Do for a Living?
Joel worked as a cable splicer. This was one of the jobs through which he supported his wife and six children.
He was not an actor like many of his children. His own professional life remained largely private.
Joel is also frequently described as a civil rights activist or advocate. Reports say he was involved in civil rights causes after moving to the United States.
However, detailed information about the organizations he worked with, his position, or specific civil rights campaigns has not been clearly documented in the available sources.
Joel Smollett and the Civil Rights Movement
Joel’s reported involvement in civil rights is also connected to how he met his future wife.
Biography sources say Joel and Janet met in the San Francisco Bay Area while they were involved in civil rights causes.
Janet was also interested in civil rights. Their shared involvement reportedly brought them together.
The exact dates and details of their activism are not widely documented.
Who Was Joel Smollett’s Wife?
Joel was married to Janet Smollett. The couple remained together until Joel’s death in 2015.
Janet is African-American and is reported to be from New Orleans, Louisiana. Some biography sources list her date of birth as November 27, 1952, though this detail is not strongly documented.
Joel and Janet reportedly married while they were in their twenties. Their exact wedding date and year are not publicly confirmed.
They had six children together: four sons and two daughters.
Joel and Janet Smollett’s Six Children
Joel and Janet raised Jojo, Jazz, Jussie, Jurnee, Jake, and Jocqui Smollett.
Several of their children started acting when they were young. The siblings became especially known when they appeared together in the ABC sitcom On Our Own in the 1990s.
Jojo Smollett
Jojo Smollett is the oldest of Joel and Janet’s six children. He was born on August 28, 1977.
Jojo worked as an actor, particularly during the 1990s. His acting credits include City of Hope, Roseanne, Last Breeze of Summer, On Our Own, The Practice, and Moesha.
He has also worked as a producer.
Jazz Smollett
Jazz Smollett was born on April 1, 1980. She is Joel and Janet’s oldest daughter and their second child.
Jazz has worked as an actress and producer. Her credits include On Our Own, I Want You, and Living by Design with Jake and Jazz.
She has also worked behind the camera. Her production credits include the 29th Annual Trumpet Awards and the 2021 Urban One Honors.
Jazz attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
She was married to Troy Warwell. Reports say they married in 2012 and separated in 2019. They have a daughter named Nylah.
Joel Smollett Was Jussie Smollett’s Father
Jussie Smollett is Joel’s third child and one of the best-known members of the Smollett family.
Jussie was born on June 21, 1982, in Santa Rosa, California. His full name is Jussie Langston Mikha Smollett.
He began acting as a child. His early work included A Little Piece of Heaven, Queen, North, and the family sitcom On Our Own.
Jussie later became widely known for playing Jamal Lyon in the television series Empire. He has also worked as a singer, songwriter, director, and producer.
His other acting credits include The Mindy Project, Revenge, Underground, Alien: Covenant, and Star.
Joel is often discussed in celebrity biographies because he was Jussie’s father, although Joel himself stayed largely outside the entertainment spotlight.
Jurnee Smollett
Jurnee Smollett is Joel and Janet’s fourth child and their second daughter. She was born on October 1, 1986.
Jurnee began acting as a child and became one of the family’s most established actors.
Her early television work included Full House and On Our Own. She later appeared in projects including Eve’s Bayou, Grey’s Anatomy, True Blood, Underground, Lovecraft Country, and Spiderhead.
Jurnee has also worked as a producer and has been involved in activism.
Jake Smollett
Jake Smollett was born on July 29, 1989. He is the fifth child of Joel and Janet.
Jake has worked as an actor, television host, chef, and cookbook author.
His acting credits include Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, On Our Own, Eve’s Bayou, The Middleman, and Pitch This.
He later appeared with his sister Jazz in Living by Design with Jake and Jazz.
Jocqui Smollett
Jocqui Smollett is the youngest of the six siblings. He was born on August 1, 1993, in Los Angeles, California.
As a child, he appeared with his siblings in On Our Own. He has also been credited in Amanda’s Return and Pitch This.
Unlike several of his siblings, Jocqui has generally kept a lower public profile. Reports have connected his later work with technology, real estate investment, and public speaking.
The Smollett Family on On Our Own
An important part of the Smollett family’s entertainment history is the sitcom On Our Own.
The ABC series aired during the 1994–1995 television season. All six Smollett siblings appeared as members of the fictional Jerrico family.
Jojo played Jimi Jerrico, Jazz played Jai, Jussie played Jesse, Jurnee played Jordee, Jake played Joc, and Jocqui played Jarreau.
The series helped introduce the Smollett siblings to a wider television audience.
Joel did not act in the series. His connection to entertainment mainly came through the careers of his children.
Joel Smollett’s Relationship With His Children
Available accounts describe Joel as an involved father who supported his children’s careers.
He and Janet raised six children while several of them worked professionally as young actors.
The Smollett siblings have continued to speak publicly about their family over the years. Joel’s public recognition today largely comes from being the father of a family with several members working in film, television, music, food, and other industries.
How Did Joel Smollett Die?
Joel Smollett died on January 7, 2015. He was 58 years old.
His cause of death was cancer.
The family did not publicly identify the specific type of cancer he had. Reports say his children spent time with him during his illness and were involved in his care.
Joel was survived by his wife, Janet, and their six children.
What Was Joel Smollett’s Net Worth?
Joel Smollett’s personal net worth was never reliably disclosed.
Some online sources have made estimates based on the later success of his children. These estimates do not provide reliable evidence of Joel’s own finances.
It is therefore more accurate to say that his net worth is not publicly known.
Was Joel Smollett on Social Media?
There are no widely confirmed public social media accounts belonging to Joel Smollett.
He lived most of his life outside the public spotlight. Much of the information and photographs available about him have come from his children and other family members.
Facts About Joel Smollett
- Joel Smollett was born on October 8, 1956.
- He reportedly had Russian and Polish Jewish family roots.
- His parents are identified as Peter Smollett and Molly Hirschenson.
- He reportedly spent part of his early life in Poland before moving to the United States.
- He worked as a cable splicer.
- He was also reportedly involved in civil rights causes.
- He met his wife, Janet Smollett, in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to biography sources.
- Joel and Janet had six children.
- Their children are Jojo, Jazz, Jussie, Jurnee, Jake, and Jocqui Smollett.
- All six siblings appeared in the sitcom On Our Own.
- Joel was the father of Empire actor Jussie Smollett and actress Jurnee Smollett.
- His education and personal net worth are not reliably known.
- Joel died from cancer on January 7, 2015.
- He was 58 years old at the time of his death.
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