From breakout roles to global franchises, Aaron Pierre is all about discipline, intention and the craft behind becoming one of the most compelling leading men on our screens.
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Before the buzz of the DC Universe, Star Wars and his iconic casting as the voice of the lead character in Mufasa: The Lion King, Aaron Pierre grew up on one of London’s council estates (or what in the US are called ‘housing projects’) to parents with ancestal roots in the Caribbean and Sierra Leone.
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In an interview with Associated Press, Aaron reflected on his upbringing: “I grew up in a place called West Croydon… in government housing, and it’s my favourite place in the world, and it has enormously contributed to the man I am today.”
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While he may have caught the world’s attention for his acting chops, his early ambition lay far from Hollywood fame. Young Aaron had his sights set on being “the fastest man in the world”. He idolised sprinters such as American Maurice Greene (100-metre world record holder from 1999 to 2004).
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“I actually had the privilege of meeting him once,” he told People magazine. “I remember yelling to my mom, saying, ‘There’s Maurice Greene! Do you have anything he could sign?’ This was before iPhones and selfies. So she gave me a receipt, and I ran over to him and he signed it.’
Aaron might not have fulfilled his athletic dreams but he still gets to put his fitness to the test in the often gruelling roles he plays.
Acting came into his life almost by destiny. On The Jennifer Hudson Show, he shared that his acting debut was a high-school play. “I first started acting when I was about 14 or 15. The school that I went to didn’t do drama as a subject, but they did do a play every three years, and I had the opportunity to do Moby Dick — I was the narrator.
“I remember stepping out to, I think it was bottom stage left, and I only had about three or four lines, did my piece, went backstage, and I just remember feeling overwhelmed by this feeling of ‘That is what I wanna do for the rest of my life!”
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From there he took the leap and decided to bet on himself. He joined drama programmes, he auditioned and eventually got to train at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (alma mater of Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Oyelowo and Benedict Cumberbatch).
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Words: Rughsaar Bibi Ismail
Photographed: Gallo/Getty images
