Jussie Smollett already working on showbiz comeback ahead of verdict
Jussie Smollett is already desperately trying to revive his showbiz career even as he waits for a verdict on charges that he staged his race-hate attack for publicity.
In the nearly two years since his scandal broke, the 39-year-old actor was dumped from TV hit “Empire,” dropped by his talent agency and has failed to get any other acting gigs, The Hollywood Reporter noted.
But he still managed to finance his directorial debut, “B-Boy Blues,” which was shot over 12 days last year in the Big Apple — but has yet to be bought, the industry outlet noted.
Key backer Tom Wilson, a Cleveland radio and TV station owner, told the media mag that he and the embattled actor are working hard at finding a distributor — and even filming a follow-up series.
“I believe in Jussie,” said Wilson, who has known the embattled actor for more than 15 years and is in Chicago supporting him during his trial, which is with the jury for deliberations.
Wilson insisted that “people are interested in buying” their “B-Boy Blues” flick, based on a James Earl Hardy novel about a love story between two black men from different worlds.
Wilson said they have already shot the movie’s follow-up — an untitled series pilot starring Smollett, who also directs — in both New York and Los Angeles.
They also created a company, A Supermassive Movie, in anticipation of their project’s taking off, Wilson told The Hollywood Reporter.
That obviously depends on the outcome of Smollett’s trial, which could see him jailed for up to three years if convicted of the felony counts of disorderly conduct, which he has denied.
“We just want the right verdict … so we can get on with making projects that allow minorities, blacks and gays the opportunity to show their artistry,” Wilson told the outlet.
