It is wild to think that just over a decade ago, Jodie Turner-Smith was working in corporate banking in Pittsburgh. Fast forward to 2026, and she is a staple of both high-concept science fiction and searing social dramas. She didn't just "break in" to Hollywood; she kicked the door down. Most people first really noticed her in Queen & Slim, but her filmography has since become a complex map of risky choices and high-reward performances.
If you are looking for jodie turner-smith movies and tv shows, you aren't just looking for a list. You are looking for a vibe. From the neon-soaked horror of her debut to the digital frontier of the Tron universe, her career is anything but predictable.
The Queen & Slim Breakthrough and Beyond
Before the world knew her as Queen, Turner-Smith was grinding. She had a minor role in The Neon Demon (2016) and a stint on The Last Ship. But Queen & Slim (2019) changed everything. Honestly, that movie is the anchor of her career. Playing opposite Daniel Kaluuya, she brought a stoicism that felt both ancient and incredibly modern.
It wasn't just a "movie." It was a cultural moment.
Since then, she’s leaned heavily into projects that challenge her. Take After Yang (2021). It’s a quiet, philosophical A24 film about a family dealing with the "death" of their robotic sibling. She plays Kyra, and she’s heartbreakingly subtle. It’s the polar opposite of her work in Without Remorse, where she played a Navy SEAL and basically out-shined the action sequences. She actually filmed that while pregnant, which is just insane to think about when you see the physicality of the role.
Why The Agency and Bad Monkey Changed the Game
While the big screen gets the prestige, Turner-Smith’s recent television work is where she’s been having the most fun.
📖 Related: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
If you haven't seen Bad Monkey on Apple TV+, you’re missing out. She plays the "Dragon Queen," a character steeped in mysticism and Florida-noir chaos. It’s campy, it’s sharp, and it proves she can do comedy just as well as she does tragedy.
Then there is The Agency (2024–2025).
Playing Sami Zahir, she stepped into the world of international espionage. The show is tense. It’s gritty. It feels like a throwback to the smart spy thrillers of the 70s but with a much more diverse, nuanced lens.
A Quick Reality Check on the Star Wars Era
We have to talk about The Acolyte. Look, the internet was... a lot... when that show came out. Regardless of how you felt about the series as a whole, Turner-Smith as Mother Aniseya was a standout. She brought a certain ethereal authority to the leader of a coven of witches. It was short-lived, but it cemented her place in the Star Wars mythos, and she followed it up with voice work in Star Wars: Visions as Eno.
The Tron: Ares Impact
Right now, everyone is talking about Tron: Ares. It hit theaters in late 2025 and is currently the big conversation piece of early 2026.
👉 See also: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
Turner-Smith plays Athena.
She’s a program, the second-in-command to Jared Leto’s Ares. The film had a massive budget—somewhere around $200 million—and while the box office numbers were a bit of a rollercoaster, her performance has been praised for its "steely elegance." She looks like she was born to live inside a computer-generated grid. The costume design alone for her character is already being whispered about for award season.
Significant Movies and Shows to Catch Up On:
- Queen & Slim (2019): The essential starting point.
- Anne Boleyn (2021): A controversial casting that she handled with incredible grace and power.
- After Yang (2022): For when you want to cry about a robot.
- White Noise (2022): A weird, wonderful Noah Baumbach flick.
- Murder Mystery 2 (2023): Pure, unadulterated fun with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston.
- The Agency (2024–Present): Her best TV work to date.
- Tron: Ares (2025): The high-budget sci-fi spectacle.
What Most People Get Wrong About Her Career
People often pigeonhole her as just a "fashion icon" because she absolutely kills it on every red carpet. But that’s a mistake. If you look at the trajectory of jodie turner-smith movies and tv shows, there is a clear pattern of her choosing directors over paychecks.
She works with Kogonada. She works with Melina Matsoukas. She works with Noah Baumbach.
These aren't the choices of someone just looking for fame; they are the choices of a cinephile. She’s built a filmography that is surprisingly "indie-adjacent" for someone who is also a literal Disney star.
✨ Don't miss: Not the Nine O'Clock News: Why the Satirical Giant Still Matters
What’s Coming Next in 2026
The rumor mill is spinning. We know she’s finished filming A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, where she actually voices a GPS (kinda hilarious given her command of language). There’s also the project Brides which has been in the works.
If you want to stay updated, keep an eye on Apple TV+ and Disney+. She seems to have a "home" at both streamers. The best way to appreciate her work is to watch Queen & Slim and After Yang back-to-back. It shows the sheer range she has—from the loud, traumatic reality of being Black in America to the quiet, existential dread of a futuristic mother.
Go watch The Agency if you want to see her at the height of her powers. It's the most "human" she's felt on screen in a long time, despite the high-stakes spy plot.
To dive deeper into her filmography, start with her early work in The Last Ship to see her tactical side, then move to Anne Boleyn to understand her ability to carry a historical drama. If you’re short on time, her performance in Bad Monkey offers the best glimpse of her current range and charisma.