Memphis has always grown its own. Jaylen Lyndon Hunter, a 16-year-old Briarcrest student, just appeared in Michael, the highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, playing a young Marlon Jackson alongside Nia Long, Larenz Tate, and Colman Domingo.
His path to Hollywood ran straight through this city. Hunter trained at the Young Actors Guild in Memphis under founder Chrysti Chandler, who recognized early that he had something worth developing. From local stage productions to a Broadway touring run of The Lion King, every step was built on a foundation laid here. He later played Marlon Jackson in the national tour of MJ: The Musical, and it was that performance that put him on the film’s radar.
He filmed his scenes as part of the young Jackson Five in 2024. On set, he worked alongside veteran actors who shaped how he shows up to the craft. And just last weekend, he was back home on the riverfront, introducing Wu-Tang Clan at RiverBeat Music Festival at Tom Lee Park. A full-circle moment for a kid whose career started on Memphis stages.
Through all of it, the through line has been Memphis. The training ground, the community, the roots that made the reach possible.
Michael is in theaters now. Read the full story at Fox13 and The Commercial Appeal.
