Justice Smith

Justice Elio Smith was born on August 9, 1995, in Los Angeles, California. He developed an early interest in acting and honed his skills while attending the Orange County School of the Arts, graduating in 2013. During this period, he also gained experience performing in various local shows. His career began with television appearances, including roles in Nickelodeon’s “The Thundermans” between 2014 and 2015 and in the HBO documentary series “Masterclass.” Early on, Smith demonstrated a commitment to his craft, even securing an Apple commercial role in middle school.

His breakthrough came with the role of Marcus “Radar” Lincoln in the 2015 film “Paper Towns.” This was soon followed by a leading role as Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Figuero in Netflix’s musical drama series “The Get Down” (2016-2017), where he employed method acting techniques by living in a dilapidated Bronx apartment to prepare for the character. In 2017, Smith was recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, highlighting his rising prominence in the entertainment industry. He also ventured into theater, appearing in the Off-Broadway production of “Yen” at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in 2017.

Smith gained widespread recognition for his roles in major film franchises, portraying Franklin Webb in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” (2018) and Tim Goodman in “Pokémon Detective Pikachu” (2019). He has continued to take on varied roles, such as Theodore Finch in “All the Bright Places” (2020) and Simon in “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” (2023). His recent work includes critically noted performances in “I Saw the TV Glow” (2024) and “The American Society of Magical Negroes” (2024), for which he received multiple nominations and a Breakthrough Award from Variety and the Golden Globe Awards.