Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Jurnee Smollett-Bell is an award-winning actress and activist of rare talent and conviction. She was most recently seen on NBC’s critically acclaimed series, Parenthood, for it’s 5^th season and co-starring in HBO’s True Blood. Smollett-Bell was also seen in NBC’s Emmy Award Winning series, Friday Night Lights alongside Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler. She began her television acting career at the age of four with a recurring role on Full House, later reviving the character for a season of Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper.

Smollett-Bell starred in The Great Debaters with Forest Whitaker and Denzel Washington. In addition to receiving rave reviews, she won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture.

In addition to acting, she is an activist and the youngest board member of Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA), a nonprofit organization working in the U.S. and South Africa to combat HIV/AIDS, advance human rights, and educate and empower children orphaned by AIDS as well as other at-risk youth. She has been involved with ANSA since the age of 11.