Joel Smollett was the father of the Smollett acting family, born on October 8, 1956, in Russia. He died on January 7, 2015, at age 58, after a battle with cancer.
Who is Joel Smollett?
Joel Smollett was the father of six children who went on to build careers in entertainment, including actors Jussie Smollett and Jurnee Smollett. He lived most of his life outside the public eye, working as a cable splicer while raising his family.
Smollett was also active in the civil rights movement, a cause that brought him together with his future wife, Janet, in the San Francisco Bay Area. He supported his children’s early acting careers, including their time together on the 1994 ABC sitcom On Our Own.
He died on January 7, 2015, the same day his son Jussie’s series Empire premiered on Fox. Jussie paid tribute to his father on Instagram the following day, calling him “the CHAMP.”
Early Life of Joel Smollett
Joel Smollett was born on October 8, 1956, in Russia, to Peter Smollett and Molly Hirschenson. His father was a Polish Jew, while his mother was of Russian descent.
He spent part of his childhood in Poland before his family moved to the United States when he was a teenager. Smollett and his relatives became American citizens after settling in the country.
He is believed to have had one sibling, though little public information exists about them.
Joel Smollett Age
Joel Smollett was 58 years old at the time of his death on January 7, 2015, having been born on October 8, 1956. His zodiac sign was Libra.
He spent his final years supporting his children as their entertainment careers began to take off.
Joel Smollett Ethnicity and Nationality
Joel Smollett was of Russian-Polish Jewish descent, later becoming an American citizen after his family’s move to the United States. He was known to push back firmly whenever anyone tried to describe him simply as white.
His marriage to Janet, an African-American woman, brought together two distinct cultural backgrounds within their household.
Joel Smollett Height and Weight
Joel Smollett stood at approximately 5 feet 7 inches, or 170 centimeters. He had black hair and brown eyes.
Family accounts describe him as a steady, hardworking presence throughout his children’s upbringing.
Joel Smollett Career
Joel Smollett worked as a cable splicer after settling in the United States, a physically demanding job he held to support his family. Alongside that work, he remained active in civil rights advocacy throughout his adult life.
It was through that activism that he met his future wife, Janet, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The two bonded over their shared commitment to social change before eventually marrying.
Smollett later supported his children as they entered the entertainment industry as a family. All six siblings appeared together on the ABC sitcom On Our Own, which aired from 1994 to 1995.
Joel Smollett Cause of Death
Joel Smollett died on January 7, 2015, following a battle with cancer. The specific type of cancer he faced was never disclosed publicly by his family.
His children stayed close to him in his final days, helping arrange his care. Smollett’s death came on the same day that Empire, the Fox series starring his son Jussie, premiered on television.
Jussie later shared a tribute to his father on Instagram, writing that the family had “lost our king” but “gained a righteous angel.”
Joel Smollett Wife
Joel Smollett was married to Janet Smollett, born Janet Harris, until his death in 2015. The two met in the San Francisco Bay Area while both were active in civil rights causes.
Janet was originally from New Orleans and is of African-American and Irish descent. Together, they raised six children in a household that blended both of their cultural backgrounds.
Joel Smollett Children
Joel and Janet Smollett had six children together: Jojo, Jazz, Jussie, Jurnee, Jake, and Jocqui, all of whose names begin with the letter J. Jojo, born August 28, 1977, became an actor and producer.
Jazz became an actress, producer, and co-founder of the Smollett Eats brand. Jussie, born June 21, 1982, became the most widely recognized of the siblings for his role as Jamal Lyon on Empire.
Jurnee, born October 1, 1986, built a career as an actress across film and television. Jake, born July 29, 1989, and Jocqui, born August 1, 1993, both also pursued careers in entertainment.
The Bottom Line
Joel Smollett spent much of his life working as a cable splicer while raising six children who went on to build careers in Hollywood. He met his wife, Janet, through their shared civil rights activism in the San Francisco Bay Area.
He supported his children through their early acting days on On Our Own, staying involved in their lives even as they grew into adulthood. Smollett accepted his son Jussie as gay years before Jussie shared that publicly.
Smollett died on January 7, 2015, the same day Jussie’s breakout series Empire premiered on Fox. We hope you enjoyed reading about Joel Smollett. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!