Oct. 27 (UPI) — 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
Jaden Michael will play a young Colin Kaepernick in Ava DuVernay’s new Netflix series.
Kaepernick, 32, announced Tuesday on Twitter that Michael, 17, will portray him in the scripted series Colin in Black & White.
“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,” he wrote.
Michael celebrated the news in a tweet on his own account.
“Wow, it’s truly an honor to be given this opportunity. Thanks @ava and @Kaepernick7! Can’t wait to bring this much needed story to life, especially in these trying times #ColininBlackandWhite,” he wrote.
Colin in Black & White is a six-part limited series centering on Kaepernick’s formative high school years. The show will explore how Kaepernick’s upbringing and early experiences led him to become a civil rights activist in later years. Kaepernick, a biracial adoptee, grew up in a White family.
Kaepernick played professional football for the San Francisco 49ers for six seasons. He has been a free agent since 2017, following controversy over his kneeling during the national anthem at NFL games as a protest against police violence.
“Collaborating with @Kaepernick7 on this series has been a proud journey,” DuVernay tweeted. “A story about identity, imagination and intention. Congrats, @ItsJadenMichael!”
Colin in Black & White is written by Michael Starrbury. Kaepernick will narrate the series and co-executive produce with DuVernay and Starrbury.
Michael is known for playing Rafe on the Netflix series The Get Down and Miguel Martinez in the film Vampires vs. the Bronx.