Justice Smith Biography 2026: Age, Height, Jurassic World, I Saw the TV Glow, Queer Identity & Net Worth

Justice Elio Smith (born August 9, 1995) is an American actor best known for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and the acclaimed independent film I Saw the TV Glow (2024).

He first drew attention as the lead of Netflix’s The Get Down and has since moved between blockbuster franchises and ambitious independent work. In 2020 he came out as queer, and he has spoken openly about identity and representation in Hollywood. Here is everything to know about his age, height, career, and net worth.

Quick Facts

Fans who follow Justice Smith often also search for Nicholas L. Ashe, Jurassic World, Detective Pikachu, I Saw the TV Glow, The Get Down, and Dungeons & Dragons — his former partner, his biggest franchises, and the role that earned him the most critical attention.

Early Life & Education

Justice Smith was born on August 9, 1995, in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in nearby Anaheim. He graduated from the Orange County School of the Arts in 2013 and performed in theatre around Orange County — a training ground that combined acting with the kind of live performance discipline that would later serve him on stage.

His heritage includes African American, French-Canadian, and Italian ancestry, and he has spoken about growing up Black and queer in an industry that has not always made room for either identity.

His path reflects a particular generation of actors who came of age on streaming television and social media rather than through the traditional studio system. He built an audience through The Get Down and Generation, then used franchise work to widen it — a sequence that would have been unusual a decade earlier and is now common.

Career Journey

Early Roles and The Get Down (2014–2017)

Smith began with small television roles, including two episodes of Nickelodeon’s The Thundermans in 2014 and an appearance in HBO’s Masterclass. In 2015 he played Marcus “Radar” Lincoln in the film adaptation of John Green’s Paper Towns.

His breakthrough came in 2016, when he was cast as the lead of Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix musical drama The Get Down, playing Ezekiel “Zeke” Figuero. Smith committed to the role so completely that he moved into a dilapidated Bronx apartment to prepare — a method approach that drew attention even though the series lasted only one season. That year he also appeared in the Off-Broadway production of Yen with Lucas Hedges, earning Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations. In 2017 he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Blockbusters and Indie Breakthrough (2018–2021)

Smith entered the blockbuster world in 2018 as Franklin Webb in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, a role he reprised in Jurassic World Dominion (2022). He followed with the lead role of Tim Goodman in Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019), a casting choice that delighted him personally — he has described himself as a lifelong Pokémon fan.

He balanced franchise work with independent film: Every Day (2018), All the Bright Places (2020) opposite Elle Fanning, The Voyeurs (2021), and the animated Ron’s Gone Wrong (2021). On television he played Chester in HBO Max’s Generation (2021), earning Black Reel and Pena de Prata nominations. He also voiced a character in the video game The Quarry (2022).

I Saw the TV Glow and Stage Work (2022–2025)

Smith’s most critically acclaimed performance came in I Saw the TV Glow (2024), in which he played Owen, a teenager drawn into a mysterious television program. The film became a landmark of queer cinema and earned him nominations from the Gotham Awards, the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the Dorian Awards, and others, as well as a Variety and Golden Globe Breakthrough Award in 2024.

That same year he appeared in The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024). He also returned to the stage in 2025 in a production of Creditors at the Minetta Lane Theatre, and appeared in Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (2025).

Recent and Upcoming (2026–Present)

In August 2026, Smith was cast as Harris Drover in the second season of Heated Rivalry. He also has two films in the pipeline: the horror film White Elephant and the Vietnam War thriller Trust the Man.

He has also been unusually willing to take risks on material that other young actors might avoid. I Saw the TV Glow in particular placed him at the center of a film about identity, memory, and the television that shapes us — and the performance is likely to define his career long after the franchises are forgotten.

Career Stats

• Breakthrough: The Get Down (2016–2017), lead role
• Blockbusters: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018); Detective Pikachu (2019); Jurassic World Dominion (2022)
• Critical acclaim: I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
• Stage: Yen (2017); The Mother (2019); Creditors (2025)
• Honors: Forbes 30 Under 30 (2017); Variety/Golden Globe Breakthrough Award (2024)
• Upcoming: Heated Rivalry season 2 (2027); White Elephant; Trust the Man

Personal Life

• Identity: Smith came out as queer in an Instagram post on June 5, 2020, and has spoken publicly about Black queer identity.
• Relationships: He previously dated actor Nicholas L. Ashe; the couple shot a Calvin Klein campaign together in 2022 and later separated.
• Dating: In 2025 he said he had no plans to date women again, while clarifying that he remains attracted to women as well as men.
• Interests: He is an avid Pokémon fan and gamer.
• Home: He grew up in Anaheim, California.

Dating History and Affairs

Smith’s most public relationship was with actor Nicholas L. Ashe. The couple worked together on a Calvin Klein campaign in 2022 and were open about their relationship before later separating. Smith has said the relationship “opened me up as a person.”

Since then he has spoken about his identity with unusual candor. In a 2025 interview, he said he had no plans to date women again, explaining that he found same-sex relationships more freeing and felt constrained by the expectations of heterosexual ones. He has not publicly confirmed a current partner.

Controversies

Smith has largely avoided personal scandal, though his career has included a few notable points of discussion.

• Golden Raspberry nomination (2019): He was nominated for Worst Supporting Actor for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, a nomination he has not addressed in detail.
• Queer identity and casting: He has spoken about being Black and queer in Hollywood and about the risk of losing roles over his identity, framing it as a matter of honesty rather than controversy.
• Cats and blockbuster criticism: His franchise roles have occasionally drawn criticism aimed at the films rather than at him personally.
• Net worth claims: Estimates ranging from $1 million to $5 million circulate widely but are not independently verified.

Awards & Achievements

• Variety and Golden Globe Breakthrough Award honoree (2024)
• Drama Desk Award nomination — Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Yen (2017)
• Lucille Lortel Award nomination — Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play, Yen
• Forbes 30 Under 30 (2017)
• Gotham Award nomination — Outstanding Lead Performance, I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
• Film Independent Spirit Award nomination — Best Lead Performance
• Black Reel and Pena de Prata nominations for Generation
• Golden Raspberry nomination for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2019)

Physical Statistics

• Height: About 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) — reported
• Weight: Not publicly disclosed
• Hair Color: Black
• Eye Color: Dark brown
• Build: Lean and athletic
• Style: A mix of streetwear and tailored red-carpet looks

Favorites

• Franchise: Jurassic World, his first blockbuster
• Role: Owen in I Saw the TV Glow
• Interest: Pokémon, which he has loved since childhood
• Medium: Independent film and theatre
• Cause: Queer and Black representation in Hollywood
• Food, Travel, Film: Not publicly disclosed

Earnings

Smith’s net worth is estimated between $1 million and $5 million, built from franchise films, independent work, television, and stage roles. His blockbuster salaries and streaming work are the primary sources, though he has never disclosed specific figures.

• Franchise salaries for Jurassic World, Detective Pikachu, and Dungeons & Dragons
• Streaming work on The Get Down and Generation
• Independent film fees, generally lower than franchise pay
• Stage work in Off-Broadway productions
• Voice and motion-capture work in The Quarry

No official net worth figure has been published. The range reflects press estimates rather than verified accounts.

Interesting Facts

• He graduated from the Orange County School of the Arts in 2013.
• He moved into a dilapidated Bronx apartment to prepare for The Get Down.
• He was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2017.
• He is a lifelong Pokémon fan.
• He voiced a character in the video game The Quarry.
• He earned Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations for his stage work in Yen.
• He came out as queer on June 5, 2020.

Did You Know Already?

• He was the lead of The Get Down while still a teenager.
• He has appeared in three major film franchises.
• He received a Golden Raspberry nomination for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
• I Saw the TV Glow became a landmark of queer cinema.
• He has been nominated for a Gotham Award and a Spirit Award.
• He will appear in Heated Rivalry season 2.

Social Media Links

• Instagram: @standup4justice
• X (Twitter): @standup4justice
• IMDb: Justice Smith at IMDb

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Justice Smith has spent his career moving between two very different kinds of filmmaking — the biggest franchises in the world and the smallest, most personal independent projects. That range, combined with his candor about identity, has made him one of the more interesting actors of his generation. With Heated Rivalry and two films in the pipeline, his next chapter is already in motion. If you found this biography helpful, please share it with other fans!