As an adult, Smollett-Bell has starred in the films The Great Debaters (2007) and Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013). She also had starring roles in a number of TV series, including the NBC sports drama Friday Night Lights (2009–2011), and the HBO vampire drama True Blood (2013–2014). In 2016, Smollett-Bell began playing a leading role as Rosalee, the house slave, in the WGN America period drama Underground.