When speaking to actor Myles Truitt, you forget he’s only 16. Even when he says he’s been acting since he was a “kid,” you immediately think, “Well, aren’t you technically still a kid?” But his maturity and grace goes years beyond his actual age.
On Aug. 31, Myles’ first starring movie role hits theaters, and even in KIN, his character Elijah Solinski’s maturity level is also on par with Myles’ own. KIN tells the story of a young kid whose life is turned upside down after he discovers a futuristic weapon shortly before his brother returns home from prison. Based on the short film Bag Man by Jonathan and Josh Baker, KIN is a sci-fi thriller that follows Elijah and his brother as they attempt to thwart some seedy criminals that are seeking revenge and blood.
“Before I saw the script, I saw the short film, and ever since then, and knowing the story behind it, and how Eli created himself, I knew I wanted the role because I connected with Eli,” Myles says about taking on the role.
Myles describes his character as independent, and one who doesn’t let people degrade him, and it’s what he enjoyed about the character, and how he related to his character.
Even though Myles is only 16, he made the decision to become an actor when he was 11 years old, and by the time he was 13 or 14, he realized he wanted to do it for the rest of his life. Most recently, Myles has appeared on Queen Sugar as “Ant,” one of Micah’s fellow activist friends from high school who takes the fall when a plantation’s slave quarters is burned down.
“I love the setting of Queen Sugar, and the vibe of Louisiana, I enjoy learning the history of the slaves, and being on the fields. History is my favorite subject and being able to connect and imagining the experience the slaves went through is amazing. If the trees could talk. If the trees could talk,” Myles says.
Over the last couple of years, Myles has been pretty busy. Last year, he got to put his dance skills to use as a young Ronnie DeVoe on BET’s New Edition biopic and he’s currently appearing in Black Lightning.
As a young black teen coming up in Hollywood, Myles seems to have his feet firmly planted, and has learned how to juggle acting and his education. He says it’s not really hard and you have to be focused and determined to get your work done.
When it comes to being a young black actor in Hollywood, Myles looks up to a fellow actor who also started out in Hollywood at a young age.
“I love the way Will Smith carries himself. He can play any role. He can be funny, he can be serious, he can be laid back. I really look up to him and how he studies his craft, and his aspirations in life. I don’t even have to work with him, I just want to sit down and talk to him,” Myles says. He also went on to say his co-star, Zoe Kravitz, was a big mentor to him on the set of KIN, saying that she taught him a lot about how to treat one’s family, and that she’s a great feminist.
As an 11th grader, Myles definitely has his hands full when it comes to juggling his career and school, but he definitely has plans for the future.
“I want to do everything. Comedy, action. I want to do a James Bond movie. For those kids who are planning on an acting career, they have to remember every ‘no’ is closer to a ‘yes.’ You have to determine what you want to do in life, and stay true to it,” he says.