Kelvin Harrison Jr. (‘Genius: MLK/X’) on overcoming self-doubt to play Martin Luther King Jr.: ‘It’s intimidating for anyone’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

“It’s intimidating for anyone to want to play anyone, just because life is so precious, and everyone’s life is so rich and so full, and you want to know that you’re coming into it with the best intentions,” says Kelvin Harrison Jr., who takes on the role of Martin Luther King Jr. in National Geographic’s limited series “Genius: MLK/X.” 

The eight-episode drama chronicles the lives of civil rights pioneers Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X (played by Aaron Pierre). It’s currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

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“The reason why I get to have a career is because of Dr. King,” Harrison states. “The reason why I get to live the life I get to live, and my freedoms, and my rights, and my voice, and my image, and so much of my identity, is because of what Dr. King fought for. For me to be at 27, 28 [years old], to think that I can step into his shoes, with my very young resume, I just didn’t really know how I would be able to execute something like that, or even if that was something that I was called to do, necessarily, at that moment of my life.”

Initially hesitant to take on the role, Harrison’s mindset shifted after several projects he was working on fell through. He recalls, “I think it just became more clear to me that there was something for me to take from this experience, and something to make myself vulnerable to, to explore, even if I didn’t feel I was ready for it, because that’s what was going to be the beauty in my offering to playing Dr. King in this time.”

Harrison’s star has been steadily rising in recent years. After breakout roles in “Luce” and “Waves,” the actor earned rave reviews in 2022 for his portrayal of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges in the biopic “Chevalier.” While looking back at his life, Harrison gets emotional as he says, “I’m just blown away, and I’m grateful, and I’m proud of myself, and I hope I’m working at the best of my ability. That’s all. When you get opportunities like this, you can’t take them for granted, so I try to show up, and I work really hard, and I hope people understand that.”

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