JURNEE SMOLLETT: Smoke, Birds of Prey & Lovecraft Country

In this episode of Reel Insights, Sean Tajipour, the Mayor of Nerdtropolis, chats with the incredible Jurnee Smollett to talk about her gripping new Apple TV+ series, Smoke.

Jurnee dives into the emotional complexities of playing Detective Michelle Calderon—a workaholic drawn to self-destructive behavior—and reveals how real-life experiences shaped her approach to the character.

She also opens up about her explosive on-screen chemistry with Taron Egerton, the intensity of their cat-and-mouse dynamic, and what made working with him so effortless and authentic.

Plus, hear what shocked Jurnee most about the series and why she says audiences have no idea what’s coming. Buckle up—Smoke is a wild ride.

Smoke is streaming on Apple TV+ on June 27.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello Journey, so great to meet you.
So great to meet you too. I've got to say, it feels like I
grew up with you watching it work since the 90s.
It's been such a ride. It's been amazing to see your
career evolve, and Smoke is another powerful chapter.
Thank you. Thank you for the love.
Of course. And when you first read the

(00:20):
script, what was it about Detective Michelle Calderon?
I immediately pulled you in. Oh, I know people like Michelle.
I see myself a bit in Michelle. She's a workaholic.
She has certain attachment issues.
And I think like so many of us, Michelle is drawn to certain
elements and behaviors that willbe her downfall or that will

(00:45):
destroy her. You know, like, why are we as
human beings drawn to the very thing that we know will kill us
or ruin us? Whether it's being too ambitious
or workaholic or being in toxic relationships, I mean, it
manifests in different ways and different colours in all of us.

(01:05):
But I was really interested in in exploring that that side of
Michelle. Yeah, this show is absolutely
mesmerizing watching you and Tara and Edgerton share the
screen. It's it's rare to see this
really raw chemistry between you2 that feels totally authentic.
So what was it like building that kind of dynamic with him on
set? I got to say I was, I was so

(01:27):
blessed because it was so natural.
We didn't actually meet until the table read, which was cool
because our characters were meeting.
I wasn't meeting Taryn. He wasn't meeting Journey.
It was Dave and Michelle meetingin real time.
And I, I, I, I don't think you can bottle up chemistry.

(01:47):
I think 2 actors just go off anddo their work and you come
together and the electricity andthe magnetism is there or it
isn't. And it's interesting because our
characters are in this cat and mouse game, right?
And it's like, well, how much of, you know, how much is he
going to get into my head and how much am I going to get into

(02:09):
his head? And this power struggle that
we're in? And yet in real life, like
that's my brother, that's my homie, you know, like he's, it
was an awesome collaboration with him, really.
Yeah, y'all play some great characters.
My wife and I just watched the 1st 2 episodes but when that
second episode ended we both looked at each other like OK
we're going to buckle up. We got to save the rest for
later. But it's clear the viewers are

(02:30):
in for a wild ride. A fantastic show from Apple TV
Plus has been knocking out of the park with these shows.
But Journey is really great chatting with you and until next
time. Thank you, I'm so happy to hear
you and your wife enjoyed it. And yes, you have no idea where
this show is going, man Bubble up.