Joel Smollett is Jussie Smollett’s father and the patriarch of the Smollett family. He was born on 8th October 1956, and died on 7th January 2015 at the age of 58. Joel shared with his wife six children, who all have successful careers in the movie industry.
Throughout his lifetime, Joel Smollett was not in the limelight but is well recognized for his huge support in building his children to become who they are today. The most popular out of his six children is Jussie Smollett. Despite the fact that he is not famous in his own right, the late Joel worked as a civil rights champion. Here’s all you need to know about him, the legacy he left, and his famous children.
Summary of Joel Smollett’s Bio
- Full name: Joel Smollett
- Gender: Male
- Date of birth: 8th October 1956
- Date of Death: 7th January 2015
- Age at Death: 58 years
- Ethnicity: White; Jewish-Russian-Polish
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Jewish
- Marital Status: Married until death
- Joel Smollett’s Wife: Janet Smollett
- Joel Smollett’s Children: 6; Jojo, Jazz, Jussie, Jurnee, Jake, and Jocqui
- Joel Smollett’s Parents: Peter Smollett and Molly Hirschenson
- Siblings: 1
- Joel Smollett’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 7 inches
- Joel Smollett’s Height in Centimetres: 170 cm
- Joel Smollett’s Net Worth: $500,000
- Famous for: Being the father of Jussie Smollett and his actor siblings
Who is Joel Smollett?
Best known as the patriarch of the Smollett family, Joel Smollett was born on the 8th of October 1956 in Russia. He, however, spent part of his early years in Poland before his family immigrated to the United States of America when he was in his teens. He then acquired American citizenship. He is of the white race and has a mixture of Jewish-Russian-Polish ancestry.
Smollett was born and raised in a family that practice the Jewish religion. His parents are Peter Smollett and Molly Hirschenson. While his father, Peter, was a Polish Jew, his mother, Molly, is of Russian descent. He reportedly had one sibling, but nothing is known about him/her.
How Old was Joel Smollett When We Died?
Joel Smollett died at age 56 on 7th January 2015 in the United States. The cause of his death is recorded as cancer, but the family did not disclose the type of cancer it was. His children were all around him just before his demise, after having done all they could to give him the best medical care.
Who Was Joel Smollett’s Wife?
Joel Smollett was married to Janet Smollett until his demise. The duo met in the San Francisco Bay Area during the time he was championing civil rights. Janet Smollett is of African-American heritage and originally hails from New Orleans. She was also passionate about defending civil rights, and that made a common interest for her and Joel.
The couple got married in their twenties; exactly the year is not known, but they remained together until Joel’s demise in 2015. Their union flourished, and they were blessed with six children; four sons and two daughters.
How Many Children Did Joel Smollet Have?
Joel Smollet has six grown-up children, and their names are Jojo, Jazz, Jussie, Jurnee, Jake, and Jocqui. They all grew up together with their parents and are renowned in the acting scene, having starred in numerous movies and TV shows.
Jojo Smollett
Jojo is the first and oldest child of Joel Smollett. He was born in New York City, New York, on 28th August 1977, making him 46 years old now. He is an actor and producer. Jojo is more popular in the 1990s and has not appeared on the screen in recent times. He has about six acting credits, and they include;
- City of Hope (1991)
- Roseanne (1991)
- Last Breeze of Summer (1991)
- On Our Own (1995-1995)
- The Practice (1997)
- Furnald Moesha (1997)
Jazz Smollett
Jazz is the secondborn and first daughter in the family, born on 1st April 1980. She is currently 44 years old. Upon graduating from The New York University Tisch School of the Arts, Jazz took off her career as an actress and producer. Some of her popular movies are On Our Own, Living by Design with Jake and Jazz, I Want You, etc.
She is the producer of the 29th Annual Trumpet Awards, Urban One Honors, and Living by Design with Jake and Jazz. Joel Smollet’s first daughter was once married but is now divorced. She married Troy Warwel from 2012 to 2019, and they share a daughter named Nylah.
Jussie Smollett
As stated earlier. Jussie is unarguably the most famous among Joel Smollett’s six children. Born in Santa Rosa, California, on 21st June 1982, he is the third child and second son in the family. Jussie started acting as a child in 1991 and has since remained active in the industry. He is an award-winning actor and TV personality.
Jussie currently has over 22 acting credits, 6 producer credits, and 2 director credits. As a singer, he has released one album titled Sum of My Music, one EP Poisoned Hearts Club, and numerous hit singles. In March 2015, Jussie Smollett publicly came out as gay during a televised interview with Ellen DeGeneres.
Jurnee Smollett
Jurnee, Joel’s fourth child, was born on 1st October 1986 in New York City and is now 37 years old. A multiple award-winning actress, Jurnee also started acting as a child in 1991 and so far has over 20 acting credits. She is also a TV star and has acted in numerous TV shows. Jurnee Smollett got married to musician Josiah Bell in October 2010, but they divorced in 2021. They share a son named Hunter, who was born in 2016.
Jake Smollett
Jake, the fifth child and third son of Joel Smollet, is the second most famous actor in the family, following Jussie. He was born on 29th July 1989 and is presently 34 years old. He is an actor and TV host. Some of his popular movies include Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, The Middleman, Eve’s Bayou, Pitch This, On Our Own, and A Guy Named Max. In addition to acting, Jake is a celebrity chef and best-selling cookbook author.
Jocqui Smollett
Jocqui, born on 1st August 1993, is the last child in the family of Joel Smollett. He is also known to be an actor but does not like to stay in the limelight, unlike his other siblings. Alongside his brother, Jocqui starred in On Our Own and has also appeared in Amanda’s Return and Pitch This. Much more than acting, however, Jocqui Smollett has an interest in real estate, tech, and public speaking.
What Did Jussie Smollett’s Father Do For A Living?
Joel Smollett, in his lifetime, was a civil rights champion and cable splicer. Nothing is known about his academic history, but records show that immediately after he immigrated to the United States of America, he started working as a cable splicer to support his family. He also was actively involved in the fight for civil rights.
For the records, Joel Smollett is well respected and recognized for being the pillar that raised his famous children. He encouraged and inspired them to pursue careers in the entertainment industry, which has today paid them off hugely. Joel, in fact, did the most in building a close-knit family that supported each other to become successful in their careers
Most importantly, his legacy has continued to live on through his children. At every slightest opportunity they get, each and every one of them never fails to state and express how influential and involved their father was in their lives. This act has continued to keep Joel Smollett strongly established in the limelight despite having died many years ago.