Smollett was born in
New York City to a family of
actors, the son of Janet ( Harris) and Joel Smollett. His father’s family immigrated from Russia and Poland, and his mother is African American. Smollett began his career as a diaper model. His first role in a scripted series was in ''
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. He then starred alongside his five brothers and sisters in the ABC sitcom, On Our Own''. Smollett also starred alongside his sister
Jurnee Smollett as
Samuel L. Jackson's son in the critically acclaimed feature film ''
Eve's Bayou'', directed by
Kasi Lemmons. He was in
ABC Family's
The Middleman. Jake portrayed Noser, a character derived from
Javier Grillo-Marxuach's comic book. The entire cast of
The Middleman sat on the panel for
Comic-Con in July 2009.
The Middleman In 2016, Smollett joined his five siblings—brothers Jojo Smollett,
Jussie Smollett, Jocqui Smollett and sisters Jazz Smollett and
Jurnee Smollett—on
Food Network to cook family-style meals every Saturday on
Smollett Eats. He also appeared as a guest judge on Food Network's hit show
Chopped Junior. In 2017, Jake joined
Rachael Ray on
The Rachael Ray Show all season long for cooking segments. In 2019, Smollet launched the lifestyle and home makeover series
Living by Design on CLEO TV, appearing alongside his sister, designer and stylist Jazz Smollet. The show centers on home renovation, interior design and meal preparation segments tailored to each household. The program mixes cooking and design in the same show. In recent years, Jake Smollett has continued his work in the food and lifestyle space, leveraging his experience as a cooking personality to explore new ventures. In late 2024 he participated in an extended interview discussing the release of the family cookbook The Family Table, which he co-authored with his siblings and was published in 2018, emphasizing how food and family heritage drive his current career focus. ==Acting roles==