Yes, I know, I know. Talk of who “the next Denzel Washington” would be is a highly contested topic. But with the current crop of actors who are undeniably cementing their status as top-tier artists in Hollywood, I’d be crazy not to pose this question once again. So let’s kick things right on off with Chevalier star Kelvin Harrison Jr.
All it took was for me to see Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Waves to know we were dealing with someone special. With his range in films like Cyrano, Luce, The Photograph, The High Note and more, it’s abundantly clear that he’s a force to be reckoned with. As a matter of fact, our pick of Kelvin holds so much weight, it was recently discussed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where the young actor responded:
“It’s surreal I guess in some ways. But at the same time, I take it as a compliment in the sense that I guess it means I’m choosing the right roles. Denzel’s always chosen roles that where men feel like they have purpose and they feel dignified and they feel dynamic.”
He continued, “I believe that as Black people, specifically, we’re not saints nor sinners—we’re all of the above. And our humanity should feel full. And those are the types of projects I choose and the characters I like to play. And if they think that makes me Denzel-like, then I’ll take it.”
