André Holland

André Holland (born December 28, 1979) is an American actor, widely known for his 2016 performance as Kevin in the Academy Award-winning film '' Moonlight''.

Throughout his career, Holland has acted in film, television, and theatre productions. On television, he has starred as Dr. Algernon Edwards in the Cinemax series '' The Knick'' (2014–2015) and as Matt Miller in the FX series '' American Horror Story: Roanoke'' (2016). He portrayed politician and activist Andrew Young in the 2014 film ''Selma'' and sportswriter Wendell Smith in the 2013 film '' 42''. On stage, he has starred in August Wilson's play ''Jitney'' on Broadway in 2017. In 2020, he plays a lead role on the Netflix musical drama series '' The Eddy'', directed by Damien Chazelle.

Early life

Holland was born and raised in Bessemer, Alabama. He graduated from John Carroll Catholic High School. His first stage performance was in a production of '' Oliver!'' at the Birmingham Summerfest Theatre, at the age of eleven.

He attended Florida State University and studied abroad at the FSU London study centre during his time there. He also received a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University in 2006.

Career

2006–2015: Early work

Holland's first on-screen performance was in an episode of '' Law & Order'' in 2006. Around this time, Holland began to perform more regularly on stage as well. In 2006, he portrayed three characters in the play ''Blue Door''. Charles Isherwood of ''The New York Times'' gave his performance a positive review.

In 2008, he played Eric in the play ''Wig Out!'' and took his first film role in the sports drama ''Sugar''. The following year, he portrayed Elegba and Marcus in '' The Brother/Sister Plays''. In 2010, he was cast in the Matthew Lopez play ''The Whipping Man'', for which he won the Vivian Robinson/Audelco Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In 2011, he starred as Julian "Fitz" Fitzgerald in several episodes of the NBC sitcom '' Friends with Benefits''. In 2013, he portrayed Wendell Smith in the film '' 42''. In 2014, he portrayed Andrew Young in Ava DuVernay's historical drama film ''Selma''. For his performance, he was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.

From 2014 to 2015, he starred in a supporting role opposite Clive Owen in the Cinemax original drama series '' The Knick''.

2016–present: ''Moonlight'' and beyond

In 2016, he achieved widespread notice for his performance as Kevin in Barry Jenkins' drama film ''Moonlight'', for which he received critical acclaim and numerous accolades. The film won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture, at the 89th annual ceremony.

Holland's performance was singled out by some film critics, including those at ''Rolling Stone'' and '' GQ'', who dubbed him a "standout" in the film. As a member of the film's ensemble cast, he received a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards. He also received nominations for Best Supporting Actor from the Florida Film Critics Circle and Outstanding Supporting Actor at the Black Reel Awards.

Following the success of ''Moonlight'', in 2017, Holland portrayed Youngblood in August Wilson's play ''Jitney'' on Broadway. He next appeared in DuVernay's fantasy adventure film ''A Wrinkle in Time'', released in March 2018. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Later that year, he portrayed the leading character Henry Matthew Deaver on the Hulu series ''Castle Rock''; his turn on the series has earned positive reviews from critics, including Amy Woolsey of ''Vulture'', who praised his performance as "textured."

Since July 2018, he has starred in a production of '' Othello'' at Shakespeare's Globe, costarring with Mark Rylance. In 2018, he also made his Off Off Broadway directing debut with a production of Greg Keller's ''Dutch Masters''.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holland, Andre
1979 births
21st-century American male actors
African-American male actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
Florida State University alumni
Living people
Male actors from Alabama
New York University alumni
People from Bessemer, Alabama
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American people