Actor
Asante Blackk
- Born: 20 October 2001, Waldorf, Maryland, United States
- Age: 25
Asante Blackk is a 25-year-old American actor from Waldorf, Maryland, best known for playing Kevin Richardson in When They See Us, which earned him an Emmy nomination at 17, and for Malik Hodges on This Is Us. Born Asante Duah Ma'at, he started in school…
Asante Blackk: films and works
- Get Lite
The Drop: A Snowfall Saga
2026 · TV series
Lamar Kinsey
Series regular in FX's eight-episode Snowfall follow-up set in 1990 Los Angeles, as the young cousin of Wanda Bell and an aspiring rapper; critics singled out his performance.[17][28]
Where to watch it
Euphoria
2026 · TV series
Kidd
Recurring role in the third and final season of the HBO drama (12 April to 31 May 2026); Wikipedia counts five episodes, TMDB one.[1][18]
Where to watch it
You Tryna Say You Love Me?
2026 · Short film
Cast (role not listed)
An 11-minute romantic drama directed by Ty Molbak, with Malia Pyles.[29]
See You, Soon
2026 · Short film
Amari
A 10-minute short directed by Jay Pendarvis Jr., with Isaiah John.[29]
Landscape with Invisible Hand
2023 · Movie
Adam Campbell
His film debut and first lead: a gifted teenage painter in an alien-ruled future, in Cory Finley's adaptation of the M. T. Anderson novel, premiered at Sundance.[15][25][27]
Where to watch it
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
2022 · Animated TV series
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brown (voice)
Recurring voice role as Penny Proud's boyfriend in the Disney+ revival; Wikipedia counts 12 episodes between 2022 and 2026, TMDB five.[1][19][29]
Where to watch it
Amend: The Fight for America
2021 · Documentary series
Self
Appears as himself in the episode "Wait" of Will Smith's six-part documentary series.[1][29]
Where to watch it
Social Distance
2020 · TV series
Corey
Guest role as Corey in the episode "Pomp and Circumstance" of the Netflix series, a story of a young man and his older boss clashing over a protest.[1][21]
Where to watch it
This Is Us
2019 to 2022 · TV series
Malik Hodges
Joined in 2019 as Deja's classmate and boyfriend, a teenage father; series regular for seasons 4 to 6 until the NBC drama ended in May 2022.[1][6][13]
Where to watch it
Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now
2019 · TV special
Self
Hour-long special with Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay, the Exonerated Five and the cast of When They See Us.[29]
Where to watch it
When They See Us
2019 · TV miniseries
Kevin Richardson (teen)
His screen debut: the 14-year-old Kevin Richardson in Ava DuVernay's four-part Netflix drama on the Central Park jogger case (31 May 2019), which earned him an Emmy nomination.[4][8][11]
Where to watch it
About Asante Blackk
Asante Blackk is a 25-year-old American actor from Waldorf, Maryland, best known for playing Kevin Richardson in When They See Us, which earned him an Emmy nomination at 17, and for Malik Hodges on This Is Us. Born Asante Duah Ma'at, he started in school plays as a young child, playing Mowgli in The Jungle Book, and kept acting through North Point High School, where he led the theatre club in 2018 and 2019. He signed with an agent in his first year of high school. His first professional screen job was Ava DuVernay's Netflix miniseries When They See Us (2019). He first auditioned for the part of Korey Wise, then was cast as the 14-year-old Kevin Richardson, one of the Exonerated Five. The role brought nominations from the Emmys, the Black Reel Awards and the Critics' Choice Awards, and at 17 he was the youngest acting nominee at the 2019 Emmys. In 2019 he joined NBC's This Is Us as Malik, the teenage father who becomes Deja's boyfriend, and was promoted to series regular for season 4; he stayed until the finale in May 2022. Around it he appeared in ABC's live Good Times special (2019), the Netflix comedy Social Distance (2020) and as the voice of Kareem, Penny Proud's boyfriend, in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (from 2022). He is also the nephew of the actor Samira Wiley. His film career began with the lead in Cory Finley's science-fiction comedy Landscape with Invisible Hand, which premiered at Sundance in January 2023, followed by the Bronx drama Story Ave, which premiered at South by Southwest two months later. In 2026 he played Kidd in the third and final season of HBO's Euphoria and Lamar Kinsey, Wanda's young cousin and an aspiring rapper, in the FX series The Drop: A Snowfall Saga, a performance critics singled out. He has also been cast in Teyana Taylor's musical drama Get Lite, due in 2027.
Fun facts about Asante Blackk
- He is the nephew of Samira Wiley, the Emmy-winning actor from The Handmaid's Tale.
- He first auditioned for Korey Wise in When They See Us, the part that went to Jharrel Jerome, and was cast as Kevin Richardson instead.
- At 17 he was the youngest acting nominee at the 2019 Emmys, for what was his first professional screen role.
- His birth name is Asante Duah Ma'at; Blackk is his professional name, and many searchers type it as Asante Black.
- He voices Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Brown, Penny Proud's boyfriend, in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
- He led the North Point High School Theater Club in 2018 to 2019 and was named Most Promising Actor at the Maryland Thespian Festival.
- He has said he was a fan of This Is Us from its first season, before he joined the cast.
Famous Asante Blackk quotes
“I don't think I've ever seen a character like Malik before”
Asante Blackk's career, year by year
About 2007 to 2008
First stage roles
Starts acting in elementary school; his first part is Mowgli in a school production of The Jungle Book. By second grade he is performing in plays.[1][3][5]
Early teens
Howard Theatre and an agent
One of his first professional roles is in How I Learned to Be a Kid at the Howard Theatre in Washington, after which he gets an agent. In his first year at North Point High School he is signed by a talent agency.[1][3]
2018
Cast in When They See Us
Auditions for Korey Wise in Ava DuVernay's Central Park jogger miniseries but is cast as 14-year-old Kevin Richardson. He studies news coverage and Ken Burns's documentary The Central Park Five, and DuVernay meets him before casting to talk through the difference between stage and screen acting.[1][7]
2018 to 2019
Theatre club president
Serves as president of the North Point High School Theater Club in Waldorf, Maryland, and is named Most Promising Actor at the Maryland Thespian Festival.[3][4]
2019
When They See Us and an Emmy nomination
The miniseries premieres on Netflix on 31 May. On 16 July he is nominated for the Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie, at 17 the youngest acting nominee that year. He graduates from high school the same summer.[1][4][5][8][11]
2019
Joins This Is Us
Appears as Malik, the teenage father who becomes Deja's boyfriend, and is promoted to series regular for season 4 in October. In the autumn he tells TODAY that Malik is a character audiences have not seen on TV before.[6][13]
2019
Good Times live special
Plays Michael Evans in the Good Times segment of ABC's Live in Front of a Studio Audience, broadcast on 18 December.[1][29]
2020
Critics' Choice and Black Reel nominations
Receives two Critics' Choice nominations for the January 2020 ceremony (When They See Us and This Is Us) and a Black Reel nomination as guest actor in a drama series for This Is Us. In October he appears in Netflix's Social Distance.[9][10][21][22]
2021
Social Distance nomination and a first lead
Is nominated at the Black Reel Awards for Television for outstanding actor in a comedy series for Social Distance. In June he is cast as the lead of Landscape with Invisible Hand, and appears in Amend: The Fight for America.[1][9][15][23]
2022
Landscape shoots; This Is Us ends
Landscape with Invisible Hand films in Atlanta from February to March. The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, with him as Kareem, premieres on 23 February. This Is Us ends on 24 May after six seasons, and in August he is announced as the lead of Story Ave.[13][15][16][19]
2023
Two festival premieres, two releases
Landscape with Invisible Hand premieres at Sundance on 23 January and Story Ave at South by Southwest on 11 March. MGM releases Landscape in US cinemas on 18 August and Kino Lorber opens Story Ave on 29 September.[15][16][25][26]
2025
Euphoria and The Drop
Joins the cast of Euphoria for its third season, announced in March, and is named a series regular on the Snowfall spin-off when FX orders it to series in November.[17][18]
2026
Euphoria season 3
Plays the recurring character Kidd in the third and last season of the HBO drama, which aired from 12 April to 31 May.[18]
2026
The Drop: A Snowfall Saga
Leads the family at the centre of FX's Snowfall follow-up as Lamar Kinsey; the series premieres on FX and Hulu on 8 September and TheWrap calls him a standout.[17][28]
2026
Get Lite
Joins the cast of Teyana Taylor's film Get Lite in September; filming starts in New York in October, for a 2027 release.[20]
Awards and festival selections
0 awards won and 9 other nominations and festival selections.
| Year | Festival or award | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Primetime Emmy AwardsWhen They See Us | NominatedOutstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie, for Kevin Richardson (71st Emmys; Ben Whishaw won)[8][12] |
| 2019 | Black Reel Awards for TelevisionWhen They See Us | NominatedOutstanding supporting actor, TV movie or limited series[9][24] |
| 2020 | Critics' Choice AwardsWhen They See Us | NominatedBest supporting actor in a movie or miniseries made for television (ceremony of 12 January 2020)[1][10] |
| 2020 | Critics' Choice AwardsThis Is Us | NominatedBest supporting actor in a drama series (ceremony of 12 January 2020)[1][10] |
| 2020 | Black Reel Awards for TelevisionThis Is Us | NominatedOutstanding guest actor, drama series[9][22] |
| 2021 | Black Reel Awards for TelevisionSocial Distance | NominatedOutstanding actor, comedy series[9][23] |
| 2023 | Sundance Film FestivalLandscape with Invisible Hand | SelectionWorld premiere, 23 January[15] |
| 2023 | South by SouthwestStory Ave | SelectionWorld premiere, 11 March[16] |
| 2024 | NAACP Image AwardsStory Ave | NominatedThe film was nominated for outstanding independent motion picture (55th Image Awards)[16] |
Frequent collaborators
Ava DuVernay
Created, co-wrote and directed When They See Us, his first screen job; she met him before casting to explain how screen acting differs from the stage.[7][11]
Jharrel Jerome
Played Korey Wise in When They See Us, the part Blackk first auditioned for, and won the Emmy for lead actor in a limited series.[1][11]
Lyric Ross
Plays Deja, Malik's girlfriend, on This Is Us; their storyline became one of the show's most followed.[6]
Sterling K. Brown
Plays Randall Pearson, one of Deja's parents on This Is Us; Blackk has called him and his on-screen wife masters of their craft who inspire him to keep studying.[6][29]
Susan Kelechi Watson
Plays Beth Pearson, one of Deja's parents on This Is Us; Blackk singled her out, with Sterling K. Brown, as co-stars he is in awe of.[6][29]
Cory Finley
Wrote and directed Landscape with Invisible Hand, which cast Blackk in his first lead role.[15][29]
Tiffany Haddish
Plays his mother, Beth Campbell, in Landscape with Invisible Hand.[15][29]
Luis Guzman
Co-star of Story Ave, as the train conductor who befriends Blackk's character Kadir.[16][26]
Gail Bean
Plays Wanda Bell, the cousin who bets on Lamar's rap career, in The Drop: A Snowfall Saga.[17][28]
Samira Wiley
His aunt, an Emmy-winning actor known for The Handmaid's Tale and Orange Is the New Black.[6][14]
Style, technique and reception
He came to screen acting from school theatre, and prepared for his first role as a researcher: he read the news coverage of the 1989 Central Park jogger case and watched Ken Burns's documentary before shooting. He built Kevin Richardson around the real man's warmth, aiming to show the sweetness of a 14-year-old facing an unjust case, and met Richardson himself after the table read.[1][7]
He tends to play young men defined by responsibility or talent under pressure: a teenage father who is not ashamed of his daughter (Malik), a gifted painter asked to compromise his art (Adam), a graffiti artist looking for a way out (Kadir) and an aspiring rapper (Lamar). He has praised the This Is Us writers for not reducing Malik to a teen-father stereotype, calling him a young black father who is there for his daughter.[6][17][26][27]
Critics have often singled him out even when they were cooler on the project. The Chicago Sun-Times called his Adam a winning and empathetic performance in a film it found ambitious but repetitive (2.5 stars out of 5), and Rotten Tomatoes puts Landscape with Invisible Hand at 71% positive from 87 reviews. Story Ave is rated 95% positive from 22 reviews on the same site and 66 out of 100 on Metacritic from nine critics.[16][25][26][27]
For The Drop: A Snowfall Saga, TheWrap named him a standout and called the bond between Lamar and Wanda the show's strongest part, and RogerEbert.com described his Lamar as the series' centre. Variety judged the world of the show vividly realised but its protagonists less compelling than the real figures of the era.[17][28]
Where to watch Asante Blackk's films in Australia
Get Lite (2027)
Not streaming, and not for rent or sale, in Australia.
The Drop: A Snowfall Saga (2026)
- Subscription: Disney+
Euphoria (2026)
- Subscription: Foxtel Now, HBO Max
- Buy: Apple TV ($54.97), Fetch TV ($67.97)
You Tryna Say You Love Me? (2026)
Not streaming, and not for rent or sale, in Australia.
See You, Soon (2026)
Not streaming, and not for rent or sale, in Australia.
Story Ave (2023)
Not streaming, and not for rent or sale, in Australia.
Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023)
Not streaming, and not for rent or sale, in Australia.
Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter (2022)
- Subscription: Disney Plus
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (2022)
- Subscription: Disney+
Amend: The Fight for America (2021)
- Subscription: Netflix
Social Distance (2020)
- Subscription: Netflix
This Is Us (2019 to 2022)
- Subscription: Disney+, Paramount Plus
- Buy: Fetch TV ($119.94), Apple TV ($119.94)
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times" (2019)
Not streaming, and not for rent or sale, in Australia.
Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now (2019)
- Subscription: Netflix
When They See Us (2019)
- Subscription: Netflix
Where to watch: JustWatch, checked 12 November 2026. Services change their catalogues often.
Asante Blackk: coming up
- Get Lite (Movie)9 April 2027
Credits and dates: TMDB.
Latest releases
- You Tryna Say You Love Me?2026
- See You, Soon2026
- Story Ave2023 / TMDB 5.6
- Landscape with Invisible Hand2023 / TMDB 6.0
- Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music and Laughter2022 / TMDB 8.0
- Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"2019 / TMDB 6.1
Asante Blackk in the news
Questions about Asante Blackk
How tall is Asante Blackk?
There is no reliable published height for Asante Blackk. Wikipedia, Wikidata and TMDB list none, and we found no interview in which he gives one, so we do not print a figure in feet or centimetres. Websites that quote one disagree with each other by several inches, which is why we treat them as guesses. If he or his representatives publish a height, we will add it.
What are Asante Blackk's movies and TV shows?
Asante Blackk's best-known TV roles are Kevin Richardson in When They See Us (2019), Malik Hodges in This Is Us (2019 to 2022), Lamar Kinsey in The Drop: A Snowfall Saga (2026) and Kidd in Euphoria (2026). His films are Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023), Story Ave (2023) and the short films See You, Soon and You Tryna Say You Love Me? (2026), and he is cast in Get Lite (2027). He also voices Kareem in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, and appeared in Social Distance (2020) and the Good Times live special (2019).
How old is Asante Blackk?
Asante Blackk is 25 years old. He was born on 20 October 2001 in Waldorf, Maryland. Wikipedia's infobox gives 2000, but TMDB, Wikidata and Prime Video's biography say 2001, and news reports agree: he was 17 when his Emmy nomination was announced in July 2019 and 18 when he spoke to TODAY that November.
What is Asante Blackk's net worth?
There is no reliable published figure for Asante Blackk's net worth, and we do not repeat the estimates on celebrity-wealth sites. What is known: he was a series regular on This Is Us for three seasons (2019 to 2022), led Landscape with Invisible Hand and Story Ave (2023), and is a series regular on FX's The Drop: A Snowfall Saga (2026), as well as a recurring player on Euphoria and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. Landscape with Invisible Hand grossed about US$190,000 in a limited release, according to Rotten Tomatoes, and Story Ave about US$60,000, according to The Numbers.
Is it Asante Blackk or Asante Black?
The actor's professional name is spelled Asante Blackk, with two k's, which is how the Television Academy, TV Guide and Wikipedia credit him; his birth name is Asante Duah Ma'at. People often search for him as Asante Black, or Asanti Black, and all of those lead to the same person.
What is Asante Blackk's nationality?
Asante Blackk is American. He was born in Waldorf, Maryland, went to North Point High School there, and was described by Maryland media in 2019 as a Waldorf native.
Who is Asante Blackk's partner or girlfriend?
Asante Blackk has not publicly named a partner or girlfriend, and no reliable source says he is married, so we do not list one. His on-screen romance with Deja on This Is Us, played by Lyric Ross, is a storyline, not his private life. His aunt is the actor Samira Wiley.
Does Asante Blackk have children?
There is no public information that Asante Blackk has children. His best-known TV role, Malik Hodges on This Is Us, is a teenage father, which sometimes causes confusion, but that is a character.
What is Asante Blackk's new show?
His newest series is The Drop: A Snowfall Saga, an FX and Hulu follow-up to Snowfall that premiered on 8 September 2026, in which he plays Lamar Kinsey, the young cousin of Wanda Bell in 1990 Los Angeles. He also appeared in the third and final season of Euphoria (April to May 2026), and is cast in Teyana Taylor's film Get Lite, due in 2027.
What was Asante Blackk's first role?
His first professional screen role was Kevin Richardson in Ava DuVernay's Netflix miniseries When They See Us (2019); he had earlier acted in school and stage productions, starting as Mowgli in The Jungle Book. His first film was Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023), where he played the lead, Adam Campbell.
Was Asante Blackk nominated for an Emmy?
Yes. He was nominated for the 2019 Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie for When They See Us, at 17 the youngest acting nominee that year; Ben Whishaw won. He was also nominated for Critics' Choice Awards for When They See Us and This Is Us, and for Black Reel Awards for When They See Us, This Is Us and Social Distance.
Is Asante Blackk related to Samira Wiley?
Yes. Samira Wiley, the Emmy-winning actor from The Handmaid's Tale and Orange Is the New Black, is his aunt. He mentioned it in interviews in 2019 when he was first nominated for an Emmy.
Who does Asante Blackk play in This Is Us?
He plays Malik Hodges, a teenage father who becomes the boyfriend of Deja, a member of the Pearson family, played by Lyric Ross. He joined in 2019, became a series regular for season 4, and stayed until the finale in May 2022.
Sources
- [1]Wikipedia: Asante Blackk
- [2]Wikidata: Asante Blackk (Q64877541)
- [3]Prime Video: Asante Blackk, biography
- [4]The Baltimore Sun, 16 July 2019: Maryland actor Asante Blackk earns Emmy nomination for When They See Us
- [5]CBS Baltimore, 2019: Maryland native Asante Blackk on his Emmy-nominated role
- [6]TODAY, 19 November 2019: Breakout This Is Us star Asante Blackk explains why his role is so important
- [7]Awards Daily, 12 August 2019: Asante Blackk on his Emmy-nominated debut in When They See Us
- [8]Television Academy: Asante Blackk, nominations
- [9]TV Guide: Asante Blackk, awards and nominations
- [10]TV Guide: Critics Choice TV Awards 2020, the full list of nominations
- [11]Wikipedia: When They See Us
- [12]Wikipedia: 71st Primetime Emmy Awards
- [13]Wikipedia: This Is Us
- [14]Wikipedia: Samira Wiley
- [15]Wikipedia: Landscape with Invisible Hand
- [16]Wikipedia: Story Ave
- [17]Wikipedia: The Drop: A Snowfall Saga
- [18]Wikipedia: Euphoria season 3
- [19]Wikipedia: The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
- [20]Wikipedia: Get Lite
- [21]Wikipedia: Social Distance (TV series)
- [22]Wikipedia: Black Reel Award for Outstanding Guest Actor, Drama Series
- [23]Wikipedia: Black Reel Award for Outstanding Actor, Comedy Series
- [24]Wikipedia: Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series
- [25]Rotten Tomatoes: Landscape with Invisible Hand
- [26]Rotten Tomatoes: Story Ave
- [27]Chicago Sun-Times, 15 August 2023: review of Landscape with Invisible Hand
- [28]TheWrap, 8 September 2026: review of The Drop: A Snowfall Saga
- [29]TMDB (credits, dates, runtimes and posters)
Profile researched from these sources and reviewed 5 November 2026.