JALYN HALL

HAS A DREAM…

He may only be 14, but Jalyn Hall’s “big break” playing Emmett Till is his 20th screen credit. Hall’s energy and natural charm led to early guest roles on sitcoms Black-ish and Atlanta before becoming a series regular on All American. The radiant young actor has now parlayed his talent into playing America’s most famous lynching victim in Chinonye Chukwu’s Till.

How did acting begin for you?

I played football and baseball, but when I was seven years old, I announced to my mom I was ‘retiring’ from sports to act. She was super-supportive and took me to a showcase for a performing arts camp and I fell in love with it. With Till, she was my personal therapist while we were filming. The abduction scene was the most difficult for me. At one point I had to get a hug from her.

What about Emmett did you want to capture?

Often Emmett is just thought of as a lynching victim who paved the way for a lot of activists. In a way that matures him and doesn’t acknowledge him as a 14-year-old kid. What was very important to me was capturing his innocence. Unfortunately, that still happens. Black boys are seen as men, not children.

When do you still get to be a kid?

Life has been very busy with Till coming out, but I’ve still had time with friends. I just filmed a show called The Crossover for Disney+ with a predominantly kid cast, and we had so much fun both filming and on the weekends. I’m also a gamer. Generally, any chance I get to have a bit of fun, I do.

Is there an actor you’d like to be like when you grow up?

When I grow up, I want kids to want to be “the next Jalyn Hall.” That’s my goal.