TREVANTE RHODES plays Black in one segment of the film.
Rhodes was born in Louisiana and moved to Dallas, Texas at the age of four. His acting career began at the University of Texas, where he was also a competitive sprinter on the track and field team. His decision to pursue acting sparked when a casting director noticed him on campus and invited him to audition for a small role in a Nicolas Cage film.
Upon graduation, Rhodes moved to Los Angeles and immediately began working, first appearing in the film OPEN WINDOWS, opposite Elijah Wood, followed by an episode of the Fox series “Gang Related.” He went on to play supporting roles in the independent films SHANGRI-LA SUITE, directed by Eddie O’Keefe, and THE NIGHT IS YOUNG, directed by Matt Jones and Dave Hill.
Rhodes first regarded role was in the Tyler Perry series “If Loving You is Wrong” on the OWN network. The four-episode arc turned into 16 episodes, as audiences quickly fell in love with his character Ramsey, the handsome, sweet-natured boy next door.
Rhodes recently wrapped filming a lead role in the Netflix film BURNING SANDS, produced by Reggie Hudlin, and appears in the A&E pilot “The Infamous,” created by Josh Zetumer.
Rhodes will next be seen in the HBO series “Westworld” and the Terrence Malick film WEIGHTLESS, both scheduled for release in 2016.
ANDRE HOLLAND (Adult Kevin) is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and gained an undergraduate degree from Florida State University before earning an MFA from New York University’s Graduate Acting Program. Shortly after graduation, he received acclaim for his tour-de-force performance as four generations of a family in the play Blue Door at Playwrights Horizons.
Holland starred as Dr. Algeron Edwards in Soderbergh’s critically acclaimed Cinemax series “The Knick,” opposite Clive Owen. He received a 2015 Satellite Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film as well as a 2016 Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role. In 2014, he was seen in Paramount Pictures’ SELMA, based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches and directed by Ava DuVernay. Holland received a 2015 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as Andrew Young. Prior to that he wrapped BLACK & WHITE in which he starred opposite Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer.
In 2013, Holland starred opposite Harrison Ford and Chadwick Boseman in the hit film 42. His other film credits include BRIDE WARS, Spike Lee’s MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA, and the acclaimed 2008 independent film SUGAR, which marked his feature film debut.
Holland made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning 2009 revival of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at the Belasco Theatre. He more recently starred in the Manhattan Theatre Club’s 2011 presentation of The Whipping Man at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Also that year, he starred in the Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park productions of All’s Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure. His offBroadway work also includes The Brother/Sister Plays, Wig Out, and the Shakespeare in the Park presentations of Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It. Holland’s stage repertoire also includes such plays as Tempest Tossed and Romeo and Juliet, with the NYU/Continuum Company; In the Red and Brown Water at Georgia’s Alliance Theatre; and Andorra, at London’s Young Vic, to name only a few.
Among his television credits are “1600 Penn,” “Damages,” “Burn Notice,” NBC’s “Friends with Benefits,” “Law & Order,” and “The Black Donnellys.”
He currently resides in New York City.
MAHERSHALA ALI (Juan) is fast becoming one of the freshest and most in-demand faces in Hollywood with his extraordinarily diverse skill set and wide-ranging background in film, television, and theater. Ali will next star Netflix and Marvel Entertainment’s “Luke Cage” in the role of Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes. A Harlem nightclub owner, Stokes will become an unexpected foe in Luke’s life when Stokes’ criminal activities threaten Luke’s world. Ali stars alongside Mike Colter, Rosario Dawson, and Alfre Woodard. The series will premiere on Netflix on September 30, 2016.
On the big screen, Ali joins the cast in Theodore Melfi’s HIDDEN FIGURES, opposite Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, and Kevin Costner, out January 13, 2017 as well as Focus Features’ KICKS which is set to premiere on September 9, 2016.
Ali was most recently seen starring in Gary Ross’s civil war era drama THE FREE STATE OF JONES opposite Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Keri Russell. STX Entertainment released the film on June 24, 2016. Last fall, Ali reprised his role in THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2, the fourth and final installment in the critically and commercially acclaimed HUNGER GAMES franchise, alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland, and Julianne Moore. As District 13’s Head of Security, Boggs, Ali guides and protects Katniss (Lawrence) through the final stages of the district’s rebellion against the Capitol. Lionsgate released the film on November 20, 2015. Ali can currently be seen on the award-winning Netflix original series “House of Cards,” where he reprised his fan-favorite role as lobbyist Remy Danton, who went on to become Chief of Staff in the fourth season. He was recently nominated for an Emmy for his work on the show.
Ali’s previous feature film credits include Derek Cianfrance’s THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES opposite Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, Wayne Kramer’s CROSSING OVER starring Harrison Ford, John Sayles’ GO FOR SISTERS, and David Fincher’s THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. On television, he appeared opposite Julia Ormond in Lifetime’s THE WRONGED MAN, for which he subsequently received a NAACP Nomination for Best Actor. Ali also had a large recurring role on Syfy’s “Alphas,” as well as the role of Richard Tyler, a Korean War pilot, on the critically acclaimed drama “The 4400” for three seasons. On the stage, Ali appeared in productions of Blues for an Alabama Sky, The School for Scandal, A Lie of the Mind, A Doll’s House, Monkey in the Middle, The Merchant of Venice, The New Place and Secret Injury, Secret Revenge. His additional stage credits include appearing in Washington, D.C. at the Arena Stage in the title role of The Great White Hope, and in The Long Walk and Jack and Jill. He also just completed his starring run in the off-Broadway play Smart People, for which he received rave reviews. Originally from Hayward, California, Ali received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications at St. Mary’s College. He made his professional debut performing with the California Shakespeare Festival in Orinda, California. Soon after, he earned his Master’s degree in acting from New York University’s prestigious graduate program.
JANELLE MONÁE (Teresa) is a GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter, performer, producer and CoverGirl spokesperson known for her unique style and groundbreaking sound. Immersed in the performing arts at a young age, she founded her record label the Wondaland Arts Society releasing the EP Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase). In 2010, Monáe released the highly anticipated and critically acclaimed ArchAndroid, which reached No. 17 on the Billboard Charts and earned her two GRAMMY nominations, including one for the hit single “Tightrope.” Monáe performed at that year’s awards alongside Bruno Mars and B.O.B. 2013 saw the release of the critically acclaimed album
The Electric Lady, featuring Prince and Miguel, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. The album’s first single “Q.U.E.E.N.” garnered rave reviews and the accompanying video received over 4 million YouTube views in its first week and a coveted MTV VMA Moonman. In February of 2015, Janelle launched her very own label, Wondaland Records. Most recently, Monáe was featured in the Super Bowl 50 Pepsi commercial titled “The Joy of Dance,” wherein she pays homage to some of the greatest musical acts of past and present. In 2017, Janelle takes her talent to the silver screen, starring as a lead actor in the upcoming drama HIDDEN FIGURES, the true story of three African-American women who work for NASA and help make John Glenn the first person to orbit the Earth in 1962. The film also stars Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson, and Kevin Costner.
ASHTON SANDERS (Teenage Chiron) is twenty years old and is a native of Los Angeles. He graduated from The Los Angeles of Performing Arts. He is currently a theatre major at DePaul University in Chicago. Ashton starred in many productions at the Los Angeles theater Center. He is best known for his supporting role in STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON in 2015 and his leading role in RETRIEVAL in 2013. He most recently starred in the short film “We Home” filmed in Los Angeles, CA. His longtime agents and management team include The Savage Agency and The ESI Network.
JHARREL JEROME (Teenage Kevin) is a Bronx native and recent graduate of the famed LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, where he began his career playing leading roles in productions such as The Laramie Project and In the Heights. In addition to acting, Jharrel writes his own poetry and is a talented rapper, having been free-styling from the age of 11. Jharrel recently wrapped production on Olivia Newman’s directorial debut FIRST MATCH starring opposite Colman Domingo and Yahya AbdulMateen II. He is currently pursuing a BFA in acting at Ithaca College.
