Actor Jussie Smollett welcomed the community to The DeLuxe Theater for the local premiere of his latest film, The Lost Holliday. This deeply personal drama marks his return to filmmaking.
Written and directed by Smollett alongside screenwriter Jerrell Chesney, The Lost Holliday tells the story of Cassandra Marshall (Vivica A. Fox), a mother who travels to Los Angeles to plan the funeral of her estranged son Damien, only to discover he was married to a man, Jason, (played by Smollett) and left behind a daughter and chosen family she never knew. What unfolds is a journey of grief, revelation and the hard-earned reconciliation between past regrets and present truths.
The screening, organized and moderated by Olympic track & field legend and UH track coach Carl Lewis, brought together a cross-section of artists, activists and community members. Smollett, joined by cast members Jabari Redd and Brittany Hall, leaned all the way into vulnerability during a post-film talkback.
“I was 20 when I wrote in my journal that I wanted to normalize what it was to be Black and gay,” Smollett shared with the crowd. “Now that I’m older, there is no such thing as normal.”
At its core, The Lost Holliday is a film about chosen family, the layers of identity and the courage it takes to love out loud. Smollett explained how his own family history informed the characters, particularly the tension between Cassandra and Jason. He reflected on witnessing his Black mother slowly forge a bond with his white paternal grandmother, a reconciliation decades in the making, after his father’s death. He said that the healing moment was a key inspiration behind the film.
Smollett had his hands full as director and lead actor, but his cast was positive about his vision and presence on set.
“You kind of witness firsthand this multi-faceted person, like filming all these hats but also showing up to you and you know also showing a few in your team as well, with being generous, providing you a safe space and also bringing in talent,” said Redd, who plays the character Damien and is Smollett’s real-life partner. “So it was a really fulfilling moment to see somebody that you know I completely cherish and love to show up in art, but also to like show up in business all the way around.”
Hall shared that sentiment, saying the film gave her a rare opportunity to bring her whole self to a role.
“It was great because not only is it what I’m used to in my outside life, but now it’s in my work environment, so it feels really great,” said Hall, who portrayed Smollett’s sister in the film. “I don’t really get cast as a gay woman, I’ve only played one other gay role and it was right after this one, so it was really nice to just be.”
The film’s quiet power lies in its refusal to sensationalize. Instead, it focuses on simple truths of love, loss and legacy.
“I don’t want him to be the anomaly,” he said. “That’s the thing about making art, you learn and then you do better in the next one.”
Smolett said a Prequel to The Lost Holliday will be in the works. You can view The Lost Holliday on Amazon Prime and on Tubi.
