Jussie Smollett returns to the screen with The Lost Holliday, a deeply personal and thought-provoking drama premiering May 9 on Amazon Prime Video.
Vivica A. Fox stars as Cassandra Marshall, who arrives in Los Angeles to plan the funeral of her estranged son, Damien Holliday (Jabari Redd). Upon her arrival, Cassandra discovers that the funeral arrangements are already being handled by her son’s husband, Jason Holliday (Jussie Smollett), a man and a marriage she knew nothing about.
Through Jason, their adopted daughter Arielle (Londyn Carter), Jason’s sister Cheyenne (Brittany Hall), and best friend Duck (Marquise Vilsón), Cassandra learns more about her son in death than she ever did in his life.
“The Lost Holliday” explores themes of family dynamics, friendship, fatherhood, adoption, mother-son and father-daughter relationships, grief, and the bonds of love that transcend time, generational trauma, and even death.
The film also celebrates LGBTQIA+ representation and the importance of acceptance, shining a light on the adversity and triumphs of a same-gender-loving couple navigating family dissension and societal presumptions.
Set against the backdrop of personal loss and rediscovery, the film marks Smollett’s first major project since stepping back from the spotlight, and he’s ready to talk.
As writer, director, and star, Smollett offers an unfiltered creative vision with The Lost Holliday, a film that explores themes of grief, reconciliation, and the often-complicated journey of self-forgiveness.
Smollett describes the film as “raw, resonant, and timely” and believes it will generate conversation far beyond the screen.
The Atlanta Voice sat down with Smollett to discuss the upcoming film, this next chapter in his life, the importance of spreading love, and more.
The Atlanta Voice: Your new film, The Lost Holliday, comes out exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on May 9, tell me a little about how you’re feeling about the impending release.
Jussie Smollett: I feel amazing. We had the limited release in theaters in September, and it did well, but not a lot of people or cities got to see it because it was limited. We were in like seven cities, so it’s exciting now it’s on streaming, and a broader audience will get to see it.
AV: What was the inspiration behind your film?
JS: The inspiration was my mother and my paternal grandmother. My mother, a Black woman, married into a non-Black family at a time when that wasn’t necessarily accepted, and the things she went through and hearing that my entire childhood. It wasn’t until my father passed away a decade ago that I saw my mother and my paternal grandmother really start to bond. I saw the beauty, the grace, and the forgiveness my mother gave to my grandmother, and now it has opened the doors for us to be able to have a relationship with her that we didn’t have before. So that was an inspiration for Cassandra, made by the truly iconic Vivica A. Fox, and me.
AV: The Lost Holiday marks your first major project since taking a step back, talk to me about returning to the big screen and what you think the public’s response will be.
JS: It’s interesting because I’ve been doing press for the movie for a couple of months now, and I hear that a lot. Obviously, as you would know, the outside looking in, it looks one way, but you know what is going on in your day-to-day life. So, to you, it does not really feel like it is a return because this time, I released B-Boy Blues on BET+, and it was extremely successful. That was my feature film directorial debut, and I’ve just been working and I try my best before craziness, after craziness, even during craziness, to put my head in the sand and keep working and living, because that’s really all I know how to do so, it’s exciting. I will say the welcoming to the film has been special and beautiful.
AV: This film has themes of grief, family dynamics, acceptance, LGBTQ+ representation, and more. Why did you think it was important to have these themes woven throughout the film?
JS: The world is confused and delusional in thinking that it looks one way and certain places, people, things, and creatures, are trying to make us believe the world does look, feel, smell, act one way, and it doesn’t. My mother would take us to art galleries when we were little, and she would look at the art galleries and we were broke, so it was something that you can do. You can walk into that art gallery and look at the art, and you don’t have to spend money, and I remember my mother asking each one of us, well, ‘what does this piece mean to you?’ And every one of us would have to say what it meant to us, and usually it meant something completely different, but that’s based on our own experience, on our own thought process. My mission while I’m here is to make someone feel a little bit less misunderstood, and it’s to show us all that we are. It’s to show us all that we are and if we can just get to that, this is the world that I know my world exists with. Gay people, straight people, trans folks, nonbinary, like my world exists like that. It doesn’t matter how much people try to eliminate and make it seem like it doesn’t exist. We exist.
AV: What does this film mean to you?
JS: It means love. Love is the root of everything. Love or the lack of love, is the root of every good thing in this world. It’s the root of every bad thing in this world. It’s love for each other, love for yourself, love for greed, love for money, all those things are affecting the world in which we exist. So, love is what I hope for in everything that I do, whether it’s something that I created or it’s something that has been created. I’ve stepped into love, is what I’m always going to bring to it, no matter what is being thrown at me.
AV: And that is important because I think that a lot of what we’re missing is that resilience, is that love, and knowing that everything is going to be okay at the end of the day.
JS: And we have been here before. We’ve existed in times where we come from a legacy of people who have had to get through, and it doesn’t mean that I want to live my entire life walking around here like a survivor for the rest of my life, but at the same time, these things happen, and we will be okay, but what we got to do is not turn on each other. We got to hold each other close because we truly are ours, and I mean that for anybody who has the belief that subscribes to the race, gender, sexuality, and religion of love. Act on it, show it. Do it. Work for it. Make it happen.
AV: Those are some powerful words. So, switching gears a little bit. What was your favorite part about either filming, working with a cast, directing, producing, writing, what was your favorite part about this whole experience?
JS: There are so many parts, I would have to say, though working with this cast and this crew has been incredible, but Vivica A. Fox, she is love. She is love, and she brings it every single time. I was just at the Beyoncé concert with her, and she just radiates it. What you see when she’s online, she’s gonna keep it 1000, but it always comes from a place of pure intentions, and I love her so much. She comes ready to work, but I think that’s also because she comes to the world, ready to live. I look at people like her, and I look at people like Taraji, and they show up with love, with grace, with generosity, and with preparation. Vivica is one of the best scene partners that I’ve ever had, and I’ve had some incredible scene partners throughout my career, but she is just unselfish. She wants it for everybody. She doesn’t care to be the only person shining in the scene. She wants everybody to shine in the scene. I’ve known her since I was a kid like eight or nine years old, and I worked with her on Empire, as my aunt and I directed her on Empire, but this experience has been so special because not only did she show up, but I humbly say she showed up for me, and I appreciate and I am grateful for her for the rest of my life.
AV: If you could name this new chapter in your life, what would it be called?
JS: This new chapter is called peace and joy. If it does not bring me peace, get out of my face. If it does not bring me joy, get out of my face, because there’s just too much life to live, to be living it for someone else. This chapter is about discernment. I want for all the young people out there to really understand that you pray for humility, you stay humble, and continue to be a good person no matter what is thrown at you. But also watch what’s around you, watch your surroundings, and look out for that. There is a lesson to be learned. If you are inspired at all by me or what you’ve seen me go through good or bad, then really be even more so inspired and take it into yourself and really make sure that you are doing everything that you got to do to keep yourself on the right track.
AV: What do you want people to take away from seeing this film?
JS: Just love. We are in such a place right now, in our nation and in our world, where we tend to be talking at each other, and I feel like if we took a little bit more time to talk to each other, we would be in a better situation. I think we are also dealing with an extreme amount of battle fatigue, and it’s alright sometimes to just rest and take a moment, not too long, because we’re needed, but to just take a moment and laugh and cry, and have a moment where you look and you’re watching something that isn’t necessarily about the world that we deal with on a regular basis, but it still taps into those emotions and those things we go through as human beings, just trying to exist in this realm,
AV: And that is tough because the nation is in a bit of turmoil and there’s so much going on, so this type of film is necessary and needed to spread that love.
JS: Thank you for saying that, and I believe the same. I also think understanding, grace, and love, and even from the side of the character of Cassandra, who Vivica plays, at first glance, you would assume she’s this homophobic crazy gal, but in actuality, she’s a complicated, layered human being that has her flaws and also has certain beauties about her that she brings to the table. It’s also about recognizing we don’t all exist in the same life, in the same issues, but at the same time, if we start again, if we start talking to each other, start getting to know each other, start figuring out what is this that you went through, instead of me making the assumption that I understand when I don’t, but if I ask you, maybe you can enlighten me. I could get to understand you. So, it is just these conversations. I know the world seems insane right now, but I promise you, I believe the world is healing and the pendulum is always going to swing all the way to the left and then all the way to the right before finding its way to the center, and I think that that’s where we are headed, hopefully, praying.
AV: What kind of advice would you give to anyone or aspiring actors about not giving up and staying resilient in your dreams and just in life?
JS: You must have the audacity of tenacity. You must believe not only are you capable, but you are valuable, and you are necessary. If you are an actor or an artist in general, you must create. You cannot sit around waiting for an audition, waiting for someone to pick you up, waiting for something to happen. You gotta make it happen. I don’t care whether you grab your phone and your homies and y’all create something because somebody is watching. I’m so inspired by people like one of my closest friends Corey Knott, and my friend Dave Bridgeforth, who has DBQ magazine, they just do it. That’s what’s also inspiring about Atlanta, it’s a city of events and event spaces. It’s also the land of people doing things; everybody is doing something. Pull from your friends. You got a friend that writes, you got a friend that directs, you got a friend that does makeup and hair and all that type of stuff, do your reels, do some scenes. You don’t have to wait for a network, or a studio, or me. You can do it yourself, so just be inspired, and there is no specific route today except to do it right.
The Lost Holliday will be available to stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on May 9.