Ashton Sanders
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October 24, 1995
Ashton Sanders | |
|---|---|
 Sanders at 2016 TIFF | |
| Born | Ashton Durrand Sanders[1] October 24, 1995 Carson, California, U.S. |
| Education | DePaul University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2012–present |
Ashton Durrand Sanders (born October 24, 1995)[2] is an American actor best known for his portrayal of teenage Chiron in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight (2016). He has since acted in films such as The Equalizer 2 (2018), All Day and a Night (2020), and Judas and the Black Messiah (2021). He portrayed Bigger Thomas in Native Son (2019) and Bobby Brown in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022).
Sanders was born in Carson, California. He attended Grand Arts High School in Downtown Los Angeles, from which he graduated in 2014.[3] He was studying towards a BFA at The Theatre School at DePaul University, before leaving after three years in 2016 to focus on his acting career.[4][5]
Career
Sanders made his film debut in The Retrieval, directed by Chris Eska.[6] The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 11, 2013.[7] It was released in a limited release on April 2, 2014, by Variance Films.[8][9]
In 2015, Sanders had a small role in Straight Outta Compton.[10] In 2016, he appeared in an episode of Refinery29's web series The Skinny.[11]
The same year, Sanders appeared in the drama film Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins.[12] The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2016, and began a limited release on October 21, 2016, by A24.[13][14] Moonlight received massive critical acclaim as well dozens of accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture – Drama.[15] The film also won three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali.[16] Sanders' role in the film was praised by critics;[17] Benjamin Lee of The Guardian called his performance "powerful".[18]
Sanders co-starred in The Equalizer 2, a sequel to the hit action film The Equalizer, opposite Denzel Washington.[19] In 2019, Sanders starred in Rupert Wyatt's science fiction thriller film Captive State, opposite John Goodman and Vera Farmiga.[20] He also played the lead in HBO's adaptation of the novel Native Son. Sanders was cast as Bobby "RZA" Diggs on the Hulu biographical drama series Wu-Tang: An American Saga. The series ran for three seasons from September 4, 2019, to April 5, 2023. In November 2020, he was set to star in The Things They Carried, a Vietnam War movie with an ensemble cast.[21]
In September 2021, Sanders was cast as Bobby Brown in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, a biopic feature on Whitney Houston.[22]
