[EXCLUSIVE] T.I.’s Son, Messiah Harris, Keeps His Cool In Upcoming Acting Debut

The eldest child of hip hop mogul Clifford Harris (aka T.I.) is breaking out of his shell and into acting. Viewed by some as the “quiet” one on VH1’s “The Family Hustle,” Messiah Harris‘ laid-back demeanor has provided him an opportunity to now star in his first film, “Sons 2 The Grave.”

“Sons 2 The Grave” is a feature film written and produced by Lynne Stoltz and directed by Mykelti Williamson. The story highlights the division amongst two neighboring communities, the silence of cowards in the wake of a murder, and the similarity the neighbors shared that also ended the basketball phenom’s life: fear. “Fear of staying, fear of leaving, and the fear of appearing weak.”

Messiah plays a young man name Jermaine. In the film, Jermaine has to step up and protect his big brother, which is quite similar to what goes on in real life. The 15-year-old has three younger brothers, Domani, King, and Major. Therefore, he used his own life experiences to help make his character come alive.

Messiah is extremely excited about his acting debut. He is proud of the fact that he was able to do it all on his own, although T.I. tried to give him a few pointers.

On the afternoon of his birthday, STACKS Magazine got the opportunity to speak with Messiah one-on-one. He spoke candidly about his new gig, set life, and his advice to kids wanting to be in the business. Check out our interview below:

On his character in the film…

I play the character Jermaine. He is the little brother of the man who’s not taking care of his business. My character Jermaine is kind of laid-back, kind of serious and chill. That says a lot about me and him together. I was so interested in the role because we had a lot in common. I thought that I could really play that role very well.

On personal experiences that helped him play the role of “Jermaine”…

Jermaine…even though he’s a little brother, he’s kind of protective over his big brother. So, I guess you can say I’m very protective of my little brothers. So, yeah I did think about that when I was saying my lines and going over my role.

On a typical day on set…

Well I show up. The cast and crew, we would go over our lines and what we have to do and how to do it. We do some practice shots, then shoot the real deal for as many times as we need to. When I’m not needed anymore, we say our goodbyes and plan our next appearance.

On what the public should learn after watching the film…

I feel that the film basically says that, “Life depends ultimately on the decisions you make.” Whether good or bad, it determines how your life is lived. That’s what I got from it.

On if he plans to continue a career in film…

Oh yes, it was a wonderful experience. Yes, I’d definitely want to continue pursuing this career path. It was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot. The cast and crew members were good mentors and they gave me a lot of tips as to how to bring the scene and the film alive.

On if he plans to pursue a career in screenwriting…

I’m a very good writer. I’m very interested in writing. You know, anything can happen, that’s what I will say. I’m very fascinated with writing.

On if his father, T.I., gave him acting advice before shooting the film…

He attempted to but I wanted to do it by myself. He did make sure I was practicing though. That’s about it.

On his advice to young kids who are interested in a career in film or television…

If you are really interested in film, I would say keep practicing. Even if the first role or audition doesn’t go so well, if you really liked it or loved it, you won’t stop pursuing your dream until you get what you want. I just say keep practicing and keep getting better. Your first, second or third audition may not be perfect. But, it all gets better with time.

Messiah says he’s not a big social media guy, however, his fans can follow him @phase_4 on Instagram!

“Sons 2 The Grave” is scheduled to be released later this year.