Chasing his dream
Truitt scores breakout role in sci-fi action film ‘Kin’
Myles Truitt knows the reason he's starring opposite James Franco, Zoe Kravitz and Jack Reynor in next Friday's sci-fi thriller “Kin.” “I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for basketball. That always comes into play,” the 16-yearold newcomer said of his rising profile.
He was just 14 when “Kin” filmed. Truitt plays Eli, who is on a cross-country chase with his just-paroled adult stepbrother (Reynor), pursued by Franco's murderous drug dealer.
Along the way the two hook up with a sympathetic pole dancer (Kravitz).
For their journey, Eli brings the strange rifle-like thing he found and discovers it's actually an assault weapon capable of disintegrating walls, cars and people.
But the big-screen breakout role in “Kin” comes after years of work. In 2014 Truitt had joined the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, which led to an open audition for BET's bio-series “The New Edition Story” (2017).
“I was one of the New Edition. That had a huge outcome in the black community, 24 million saw it.”
He's since guested on “Atlanta,” “Queen Sugar” and “Black Lightning” and is featured in “Dragged Across Concrete,” a violent crime drama with Mel Gibson that world premieres at next week's 75th Venice Film Festival.
Gibson was, Truitt said, “really cool. We filmed in Vancouver and it was a good time. It's more of an action picture, a convict coming out of jail — but I can't talk about it that much.”
How does he balance work, school and life?
“I'm in 11th grade, a junior. It's not that hard for me to go to school and be in entertainment; I've been doing it since 8th grade. I'm flexible with my schedule.”
“Kin” has Michael B. Jordan (“Black Panther,” “Creed II”) as an executive producer and is an expansion of “Bag Man,” a 2014 short in which an African-American boy leaves Harlem for the wintry countryside, carrying a mysterious bag, contents unknown.
“I saw the original short film and I related to his character and how he was quiet, so I auditioned,” Truitt said. “They called me back to Boston to do a chemistry read, where they met me and my family and I got the role.”
Working with Jordan was “a very humbling experience. I thought about `Creed I.' I learned a lot.”
Did the superstar give him any advice?
“It wasn't verbal advice, it was the way he held himself when he'd act and those moments on camera, I used that for myself.”