Hollywood's Next Leading Men: Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr. On Why Humanity Matters

Like the characters they play in Genius: MLK/X, actors Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr., couldn't be any more different, yet their careers have led them on the same mission: representation in Hollywood. Pierre, who played civil rights activist Malcolm X, and Harrison, who portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., recently saw their star power rise after taking on the iconic figures. With all eight episodes now available to binge on Hulu, both men have taken on the mantle as those who have come before them, such as Denzel Washington and Will Smith.

Pierre, who grew up in South London, was a young athlete before becoming interested in acting. With his education taking place at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, the 29-year-old saw his big break happen after Oscar-winning director, Barry Jenkins, watched him play Othello in a stage play. After being invited to audition, Pierre scored a role in the groundbreaking series, The Underground Railroad.

Harrison's journey was opposite from the London-born Brothers star. Born in New Orleans, the young star was raised by musician parents. Before setting out to become an actor, Harrison studied engineering and marketing. With small roles in movies such as 12 Years a Slave, the Chevalier star scored big with roles in the films Luce and Waves.

Although taking different paths, both stars were connected as many Black people, through learning about the Black experience in America and abroad.

"It was because of how human they were," Harrison says about what led him to take on the role of King. "You learn about them in school... take Civil Rights trips... see the statues and monuments, and you immediately feel small," he continues. Harrison speaks on being able to strip down all of the layers of playing King. From learning about his siblings to falling in love, the show helped humanize two of the most prominent historical figures we have ever witnessed.

Pierre expressed the same sentiment in taking on Malcolm X. "I viewed him as this larger-than-life iconic figure. The script gave me a chance to see his humanity. The exploration of Malcolm helped me revere him even more," Pierre says.

The humanity that both actors speak of is what they were able to bring to their respective roles. It is why both Pierre and Harrison continue to dominate on screen, with Hollywood legends calling on them to work on their next big projects. With the two reuniting on Jenkins' upcoming The Lion King prequel, Mufusa, their brotherhood has been well established.

As their careers seem to collide through Genius MLK/X., the actors, who have lived different experiences as Black men, know that the work they are doing continues to push the needle forward.

"We have to know the winning qualities of ourselves," Harrison explains when asked how Black men can win. "So often we get criticized, judged, and have heard all of the disrespectful things they say about us, but how do we remind ourselves that we are winners?" he asks. "Are we actively working on our winning qualities every single day? Once we start focusing on the things that make us great, those who are not uplifting us will not affect us. I am on this journey as well."

Speaking on the Black experience in the U.K., Pierre says, "It is critical that we don't seek validation from outside of the community. It is important that we see each other," the Blade star continues. "Speaking on a larger scale of the diaspora, it is important to hold each other, rather it's making us feel seen in Australia, America, Europe... This is one team, and together we will get to where we need to get to, I have no doubt about that."

Check out the full interview.