“Workaholic and very ambitious”: Smoke star Jurnee Smollett reflects on her character’s emotional and physical demands

Smoke star Jurnee Smollett is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to honing her skills as an actor. In the Apple TV + drama series, which premiered on June 27, 2025, on the streaming platform, Smollett plays the role of Michelle Calderon, an arson investigator who teams up with a police detective to stop two serial arsonists. Smollett came well-prepared for the series, which also included strict workouts to showcase the role of the former marine.

While speaking about her role in Smoke, Smollett told People:

“She's someone who uses working out as an escape, and she tries to push herself pretty hard. She's running away from a lot of her emotions and pours it into different aspects of her life working out, but overworking out toxic relationships. She's a workaholic and very ambitious. So, I knew physically that Michelle needed to have more of a muscular presence than I personally did.”

Smoke on Apple TV+ is created by Dennis Lehane known for Black Bird and Mystic River. The series is based on the true crime podcast, Firebug, which tells the story of California arsonist John Leonard Orr. Along with Smollett, the series also stars Taron Egerton, Greg Kinnear, Rafe Spall, John Leguizamo, Hannah Emily Anderson and Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine. The series comprises of 9 episodes, with the finale slated to premiere on August 15, 2025.

Jurnee Smollett in Apple TV+’s Smoke

Smollett plays the role of Michelle Calderon, a former Marine who is a detective assigned with arson investigator Dave Gudsen (played by Taron Egerton) to find two serial arsonists. The series, which is inspired by true events, brings forth several thrilling chases and emotional roller coaster for the viewers.

To prepare for her role, Smollett shared that she had worked on her physical appearance. She said:

“I did put on initially 15 pounds, and by the end of shooting, I was up to 20 pounds, because I wanted that part to feel more truthful. She's a loner. She's a lone wolf. And so, yeah, she has a little bit of body dysmorphia.”

In Smoke, Michelle is seen dealing with her own personal demons as she finds herself grappling with the past where her mother had started a fire when she was just a child. Smollett drew experiences from her own life to portray the bleaker side of the role. She said:

“I had an estranged relationship with my late father growing up. My parents separated when I was really young, when I was 11 or 12 years old, so I could relate to what it's like to have that parental wound. My mom and I are — it's the opposite — I'm very close to my mom, so the relationship she has with her mom, I have to kind of fill in the blanks as to how it relates to the relationship I had with my dad.”

The official synopsis of Smoke states:

“When an arson investigator begrudgingly teams up with a police detective, their race to stop two arsonists ignites a twisted game of secrets and suspicions.”

Smoke is currently streaming on Apply TV+.

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