Kelvin Harrison Jr. (born July 23, 1994, in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American actor widely recognized for his emotionally layered performances across independent films, studio productions, and prestige television. He began his career with small roles in films such as Ender’s Game (2013) and 12 Years a Slave (2013), before gaining broader recognition for his breakout performance in the psychological horror film It Comes at Night (2017). Harrison quickly became one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed young actors with a string of notable performances in films including Monsters and Men (2018), Jinn (2018), and Assassination Nation (2018), establishing himself as a powerful presence in independent cinema.

His breakthrough year came in 2019 with leading roles in the critically acclaimed dramas Luce and Waves. His performance in Luce earned him a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead, while Waves brought him widespread critical praise and multiple breakthrough honors, including wins from the African-American Film Critics Association and the Hollywood Critics Association. During this period, Harrison also appeared in projects such as The Wolf Hour and later joined the ensemble cast of The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) as civil rights leader Fred Hampton. The film’s cast won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, marking Harrison’s first major industry award.

Harrison continued expanding his range with roles in The Photograph (2020) opposite Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield, and the music-industry drama The High Note (2020) alongside Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Johnson. He further demonstrated his musical talents in Cyrano (2021), performing songs in the Joe Wright–directed adaptation, and appeared as blues legend B.B. King in Elvis (2022). That same year, Harrison earned widespread acclaim for portraying violin virtuoso Joseph Bologne in the historical drama Chevalier (2023), which earned him nominations including a Black Reel Award for Outstanding Lead Performance.

On television, Harrison took on one of the most significant roles of his career portraying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Genius (season titled MLK/X). His performance earned a 2025 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Limited Television Series, Special, or Movie, highlighting his transition into prestige television storytelling.

In recent years, Harrison has continued to balance major studio projects with ambitious character-driven roles. He voiced Taka in Disney’s prequel film Mufasa: The Lion King (2024) and remains attached to a growing slate of high-profile projects, including portraying Beetee Latier in the upcoming franchise film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Over the course of his career, Harrison has received over a dozen awards and numerous nominations, including a BAFTA Rising Star nomination, a Gotham Award nomination, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination, solidifying his reputation as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.