Justice Smith Bio
Justice Elio Smith (born August 9, 1995) is an American actor recognized for his work across film, television, and stage. He first gained attention with the Netflix musical drama series The Get Down and went on to land major roles in studio productions including Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Detective Pikachu, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. His performances in independent and genre films such as All the Bright Places and I Saw the TV Glow have reinforced his standing as a versatile young performer.
Early Life and Background
Justice Elio Smith was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in the surrounding region. Growing up in Southern California placed him within easy reach of both Hollywood productions and a vibrant local theatre scene, which helped shape his early interest in performing.
Smith comes from a mixed background. His father is Black and his mother is white, a heritage he has occasionally referenced in public discussions about identity and representation in entertainment. He has spoken about the importance of visibility for multiracial and queer audiences.
He attended the Orange County School of the Arts, a public secondary school known for its conservatory-style training in the performing and visual arts. Smith graduated in 2013 and, while still a student, performed in theatre productions around Orange County, building practical stage experience alongside his academic coursework.
Path to Acting
Smith began building his résumé in 2012, the year credited as the start of his professional career. His earliest screen appearances included small guest parts and online work, including episodes of Nickelodeon’s superhero comedy series The Thundermans, in which he played a character named Angus across two episodes in 2014. He also appeared in the HBO documentary series Masterclass and contributed to a handful of Vlogbrothers videos, giving him early exposure to both mainstream television and digital audiences.
In 2015, he landed a supporting role as Marcus “Radar” Lincoln in the film Paper Towns, an adaptation of the John Green novel. The role introduced him to a wider teen audience and signaled his transition from student projects to studio features.
His path took a defining turn in 2016 when he was cast in a lead role on the Netflix musical drama series The Get Down, playing Ezekiel Figuero. To prepare, Smith used method acting techniques and took up residence in a dilapidated Bronx apartment, immersing himself in the show’s 1970s New York setting. The series premiered in August 2016 and ran until April 2017, firmly establishing him as a rising talent. In 2017, he was also named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Justice Smith Career
Early Career (2012-2016)
Between 2012 and 2014, Smith worked steadily in minor television and online projects, treating each role as a chance to sharpen his craft. His small-screen turn on The Thundermans in 2014 gave him a foothold in network television and connected him with younger audiences who would later follow his career.
His supporting role in Paper Towns in 2015 proved pivotal, pairing him with a high-profile young-adult adaptation and a wider cast. The momentum from that film carried directly into his audition for The Get Down, the Baz Luhrmann-produced Netflix series that would become his first sustained leading performance.
Breakthrough (2016-2020)
The Get Down marked Smith’s breakthrough, earning him critical attention and a wider fan base. In early 2017, while the series was still airing, he returned to the stage in the Off-Broadway production of Yen by playwright Anna Jordan, appearing opposite Lucas Hedges at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in New York. The run began in January 2017 and closed on March 4, 2017.
In February 2018, Smith co-starred in the romantic fantasy film Every Day as Justin, expanding his work beyond television. That same year, he portrayed Franklin Webb in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, his first major studio blockbuster. The 2018 film cemented his presence in large-scale franchise cinema.
He followed that success with a starring role in the 2019 film Detective Pikachu, a live-action entry in the Pokémon franchise that became a global hit. Also in 2019, he starred alongside Elle Fanning in All the Bright Places, a drama that began filming in the fall of 2018. During the early months of 2020, Smith participated in Acting for a Cause, a live play and screenplay reading series, taking on the role of Jack in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and Dennis Ziegler in Kenneth Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth to raise funds for nonprofit organizations including Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Continued Work (2021-2025)
Smith continued to balance franchise work with smaller, more personal projects. In 2023, he appeared in the fantasy adventure film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, joining an ensemble cast for the adaptation of the iconic tabletop role-playing game. The film further showcased his range in genre storytelling.
In 2024, he starred in the critically discussed independent film I Saw the TV Glow, adding another distinctive credit to his filmography. He is also associated with Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, a 2025 title that extends his work into the heist-thriller space. His 2025 calendar also includes ongoing interest in stage and screen projects consistent with his established career path.
Notable Works and Milestones
Smith’s signature works include The Get Down, Paper Towns, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Detective Pikachu, All the Bright Places, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and I Saw the TV Glow. His selection to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017 marked an early industry milestone, while his ability to move between blockbuster franchises and intimate independent films has defined his career arc.
Justice Smith Award Nominations
Public records supplied for this page did not include a verified list of individual award nominations for Justice Elio Smith. Where detailed nominations cannot be confirmed from reliable inputs, that section is intentionally left blank rather than reconstructed from uncertain sources.
Justice Smith Awards Won
Public records supplied for this page did not include a verified list of award wins for Justice Elio Smith. Because specific honors, totals, and years could not be confirmed from the available sources, no awards table is included here, and the section is presented without speculative claims.
Justice Smith Family
Justice Elio Smith was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. His father is Black and his mother is white, a multiracial family background that has informed parts of his public commentary on identity and representation. Beyond those basic facts, additional verified details about parents, siblings, or extended family were not available in the supplied sources.
Personal Life
Smith came out as queer in an Instagram post on June 5, 2020, speaking openly about his identity and the importance of authentic representation. He is in a relationship with actor Nicholas L. Ashe, and the two appeared together in a Calvin Klein campaign ad shot in mid-2022.
In 2025, Smith shared that he had no plans to date women again, while clarifying that he remains attracted to women as well as men. He has described heterosexual relationships as feeling restrictive, citing pressure to conform to traditional male roles, and has said that same-sex relationships feel more freeing to him personally. Outside of acting, Smith is an avid Pokémon fan, an interest that aligns with his starring role in Detective Pikachu.
