Music Meets Acting: Kelvin Harrison Jr.'s Dual Talents

Kelvin Harrison Jr. has certainly garnered attention for his acting acumen. But when he was younger, it was music that was his first love. He pursued music throughout his youth. At one point, Kelvin was mentored and taught by members of the world-famous Marsalis family. In college, he originally went to school to become a record producer. After he moved to Los Angeles, things began to change for the better.

Kelvin was born to parents who are both musicians. When he enrolled at Loyola University New Orleans, he originally studied marketing and studio engineering. He then transferred to the University of New Orleans to study studio engineering. While Kelvin had some interest in studio engineering, his father also felt that this would be a good fit for his musical abilities.

But things changed once Kelvin moved to Los Angeles, California. While his original intent was to find studio engineering work, once in the City of Angeles, Harrison decided to take acting classes. The swift change and resulting dedication soon paid off as he got cast in prominent roles in “The Ender’s Game”, “12 Years a Slave”, and the television remake of “Roots.”

Kelvin Harrison Jr. stated that while he was on the set of Ender’s Game, he got to rub shoulders with the likes of Viola Davis, Ben Kingsley, and Harrison Ford. Kelvin told journalists that it was his encounters with Viola Davis that inspired him to take acting a lot more seriously.

This new inspiration turned into more and more opportunities in the acting realm. These roles include a starring role in Chevalier, as well as a slew of other co-starring roles. But while acting has been one of his loves for a while, Kelvin will always be a musician at heart. This is because he trained as a musician in piano, trumpet, as well as vocals, at a young age.

As a child, Kelvin mostly played jazz trumpet and piano. He also played gospel on these two instruments. In addition to all of this musical talent, Kelvin also sang. As he was preparing to go to college, he intended to study studio engineering so that he could be behind the scenes for some of the biggest musical artists ever.

While his musical and studio expertise was evident, Kelvin wanted a bit more from life than what he was studying at school. After he graduated from college, Kelvin decided to take a chance on himself and pursue acting.

Before he knew it, he was an award-winning actor who appeared on late-night television promoting his roles, auditioning for roles, and even working on musical projects to this day.

We all know Kelvin Harrison Jr. is a talented actor and rising style icon. But he will always be a musician at heart. How his musical talents will turn out will largely depend on his hustle, heart, and honesty.