The Netflix bio series on the life and childhood of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is headed to a TV near you and the young actor set to play him as already been cast.
In a post to Twitter on Tuesday, the famed national anthem protester announced that young Jaden Michael will be playing the teenage version of himself.
“I never thought I would be casting a young me in a show about my life. I can’t wait for the world to see [Jaden Michael] be an all-star on [Netflix],” he wrote while sharing a photo of the young actor beside a photo of himself at that age.
I never thought I would be casting a young me in a show about my life. I can’t wait for the world to see @ItsJadenMichael be an all-star on @netflix #ColinInBlackAndWhite @ava pic.twitter.com/ygb4F4kgM5
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) October 27, 2020
The 17-year-old Jaden Michael previously appeared in Baz Luhrmann’s Netflix series “The Get Down” as well as “Gotham” and “Blue Bloods.”
According to the New York Post, the “six-episode series will follow Kaepernick’s childhood as a young African-American teen growing up in a white adoptive family and how his experiences shaped both his football talent and his activist work.”
Kaepernick will be teaming with “Selma” and “13th” director Ava DuVernay for the series which he will narrate himself.
“With his act of protest, Colin Kaepernick ignited a national conversation about race and justice with far-reaching consequences for football, culture, and for him, personally,” DuVernay said in a press release on Monday. “Colin’s story has much to say about identity, sports, and the enduring spirit of protest and resilience. I couldn’t be happier than to tell this story with the team at Netflix.”
Kaepernick said he is honored to help bring his story to life as a black man adopted into a white neighborhood.
“Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens,” said Kaepernick. “We seek to give new perspective to the differing realities that Black people face. We explore the racial conflicts I faced as an adopted Black man in a white community, during my high school years. It’s an honor to bring these stories to life in collaboration with Ava for the world to see.”
Cindy Holland, vice president of Original Content for Netflix, said the streaming giant is proud to bring Colin’s story to life.
“We’re proud to bring Colin’s experience and his creative vision to life as he joins Ava to share his powerful story and message with all our members around the world,” said Holland. “It is an unparalleled union of two strong and defining voices coming together to tell the story about what it’s like to be Black in America.”
Back in 2016, Kaepernick launched a protest movement when he said that America has been allowing cops to “murder” black people and demanded that police officers undergo further training.
“People of color have been targeted by police,” Kaepernick said. “So that’s a large part of it and they’re government officials. They are put in place by the government. So that’s something that this country has to change. There’s things we can do to hold them more accountable. Make those standards higher. You have people that practice law and are lawyers and go to school for eight years, but you can become a cop in six months and don’t have to have the same amount of training as a cosmetologist.”