Photo: Disney

Jussie Smollett is celebrating his 40th birthday today.

Jussie Smollett was born on June 21, 1982, in Santa Rosa, California as the son of Joel and Janet (née Harris) Smollett. He has three brothers and two sisters: Jake, Jocqui, Jojo, Jurnee, and Jazz, some of whom are also actors. Smollett is biracial. His mother is African-American, and his father is Jewish. His family moved to the Elmhurst neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens when he was two years old, then to Los Angeles when he was about seven. Smollett graduated from Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey.

Smollett is an American actor and singer. He began his career as a child actor in 1991, acting in films such as The Mighty Ducks and more. In 2015, Smollett portrayed musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox drama series Empire. He made his directorial debut with the film B-Boy Blues in 2022.

Please help us wish him a happy birthday!