A Star on The Rise Story – Grant Hall talks about coming back as Kyle in season 5 of Grown-ish! He gives us insight into his journey in entertainment

Cox: Grant Hall, I’m excited to speak with you about your returning role as Kyle. I’m not going to lie; Kyle is that guy who instantly rubs you the wrong way when we were introduced to him in season 4 (laughs).

Hall: (Laughs) You know what’s funny? I had a feeling that was coming.

Cox: That’s hilarious. Do people have that reaction to you after playing Kyle?

Hall: I’ve gotten it a couple of times (laughs).

Cox: That’s a good thing because that’s a testament to how well you can play a character unless that’s how you are in real life (laughs)?

Hall: (Laughs) No, Kyle is definitely very separate from who I am in real life.

Cox: How does it feel to be asked to come back and play Kyle?

Hall: I feel very blessed because, in this business, you are very much left in the dark. I had moments where I would wonder if they liked how I did everything last season.

Cox: Now that we got the laughs out the way, I want to get straight into what we can expect from Kyle this season.

Hall: You know, we see this transformation in him. Last season we left off with him splitting up with his girlfriend Annika (played by Justine Skye). We see them going their separate ways, and she gets with someone else. I don’t want to give too much away, but we see him trying to get her back.

Cox: I understand not wanting to give too much away so the viewers can have something to look forward to. So let me know about the experience auditioning for Kyle and landing the role.

Hall: Man, it was definitely an interesting one. I almost didn’t even audition.

Cox: Wait, why?

Hall: I was playing college baseball last year. The audition was around the same time as my game. I decided the night before to choose the game over the audition. But that night, I heard the voice of intuition telling me to do the audition. It was so clear that I knew it would have been a mistake if I had denied it. So I called my friend Roman when I woke up the next day to help me make the audition tape, which was a wrap.

Cox: Grant, you have been in previous projects, so during that time, what made you think that this was an opportunity okay to pass on?

Hall: You know, this question reminded me that I had auditioned twice for the role of Kyle. The second time I mentioned that I almost didn’t do it was because they requested me to have the audition tape over with just a change in one word. (Laughs) I was thinking if you want me, give me the role. But if I had to figure it was a callback without calling it a callback. So, I’m happy I obviously did it in the end.

Cox: I’m glad you followed your intuition. Now Grown-ish is a popular show, and coming off an even bigger franchise of Black-ish, did you feel any pressure to make sure you nailed your scenes?

Hall: The most challenging scene for me was the first day. I had a scene with Junior (played by Marcus Scribner), who I have followed and seen on television. But you don’t know how real it gets until these

individuals are right in your face. So, we were in the van going to a location, and he asked if I wanted to run lines. I knew these lines inside and out; remember, I had to do two auditions for it. So, Marcus said his first line, and my mind went blank when it was my turn. I was like, wait, hold up guys, I know this, and we all started laughing.

Cox: What caused you to blank out at that moment?

Hall: You know, the reality of it all just really kicked in that I was acting with a television star. I then realized that this is where my life is taking me.

Cox: I want to know your origin story. Did you always know you had this love for acting?

Hall: Man, I didn’t know it until later in life. Growing up, I was always the class clown, and I knew I loved the entertainment. But growing up in Ohio the only road to being on television is playing sports. So that was the road I took since I was always good at sports. I took a theater appreciation class when I played baseball at a community college. It was the first day of that class when the teacher was taking attendance and looked at me. I was thinking about what was going on, and she told me I had a perfect look for television and film. At that moment, I knew this was what I was supposed to be doing. It was all fruition. She had me enroll in all the acting classes and take improv. The rest is history from there.

Cox: I know your sports background helps bring that discipline for you when it comes to the craft and auditioning.

Hall: Yes, it does, and my dad was a professional athlete. He instilled all those principles in me at an early age.

Cox: One thing I have learned from interviewing individuals from an athletic background is that you all have your game face on.

Hall: You know what it is? We are good at hiding our nerves. I didn’t realize that until someone told me I never showed it. I’m like, but I was definitely nervous on the inside (laughs). In sports, you are taught you can’t show weakness to your opponent or be vulnerable. That works in the sports world, but when you get into acting, you realize it’s the opposite. You have to be able to bring that vulnerability on set.

Cox: You do it all because people don’t know your model either.

Hall: I started modeling before acting when I first moved to LA. I got signed within my first year here. I walked into an agency and told them I would be a good model. They took the closest headshot ever that day. They called me two weeks later to let me know they wanted me to sign with them. Fortunately, they were an agency that primarily focused on modeling but also had acting in their services. Once the modeling took off for me with them, I knew I needed to shift back to acting because that’s what I wanted to do.

Cox: What is it about acting you love the most?

Hall: I love the craft that can transform the lives of others watching.

Cox: Before the end, what advice would you give to any actor going through a tough time?

Hall: You must keep moving forward toward your goal in this industry. None of us always get the roles we want, so we have to use our previous accomplishments to keep us confident. The parts that are destined for you will come. Stay Focused!

Photography Credit: Audrey Sliger