5 Reasons We Can’t Help But Swoon Over Justice Smith

It’s only a matter of time before actor Justice Smith (“not will smiths son,” via his Twitter) becomes a household name. For some, he’s already there.

From working with Baz Luhrmann on the cancelled-too-early The Get Down to Off Broadway plays like Yen (opposite Lucas Hedges) and The Mother (opposite the Isabelle Huppert) to blockbusters like Detective Pikachu and Jurassic Park, the 25-year-old has proven that he has both the versatility and the acting chops to be the next big thing.

Here are 5 reasons we’re currently swooning over actor Justice Smith:

1. His role as Chester in the new HBO drama Genera+ion

If you’re not watching Genera+ion, you’re missing out. Justice Smith stars as Chester, who is “bold, brash, loud [and] provocative,” as described by the actor. While often these types of characters are written as two-dimensional and perhaps a little superficial, Chester has a complexity and what Justice describes as an “inner life,” which makes him so compelling.

2. His coming out story

On June 5, 2020, during the protests against police brutality and the murder of Black folks in this country, Justice Smith posted on his Instagram.