Jonathan Majors: The Rising Star of Hollywood

Jonathan Majors is an American actor who has been making waves in Hollywood with his impressive performances in films and TV shows such as The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Da 5 Bloods, Lovecraft Country and Loki. He is also set to play the villainous Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. In this blog post, we will explore his life, career and upcoming projects, and why he is one of the most exciting actors to watch right now.

Early Life and Education

Jonathan Majors was born on September 7, 1989, in Lompoc, California. His mother was a pastor and his father was in the Air Force. He has two siblings, Cameron and Monica. He grew up in various places, including Texas, North Carolina and Connecticut. He developed an interest in acting at a young age and participated in school plays and church productions.

Majors attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama in 2012. He then pursued a Master of Fine Arts in acting at the prestigious Yale School of Drama, where he graduated in 2016. He also received the National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) National Drama Competition award while at Yale.

Breakthrough Roles

Majors made his screen debut in 2017, starring as Young Ken Jones in the ABC miniseries When We Rise, which chronicled the history of the LGBT rights movement in the United States. He also appeared in the film Hostiles, alongside Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike.

In 2019, Majors had his breakthrough role as Montgomery Allen, a playwright and best friend of the protagonist, in the independent drama film The Last Black Man in San Francisco. The film, which was directed by Joe Talbot and co-written by Talbot and Jimmie Fails (who also starred as the protagonist), was based on Fails’ real-life experiences of trying to reclaim his childhood home in a gentrified neighborhood. The film received critical acclaim and won several awards, including two at the Sundance Film Festival. Majors also received nominations for a Gotham Award and an Independent Spirit Award for his performance.

Later that year, Majors starred as Rafe Drummond, a rebel leader, in the sci-fi thriller film Captive State, directed by Rupert Wyatt. He also played Johnny “Lil Man” Curry, a drug dealer and love interest of the titular character, in the biographical crime drama film White Boy Rick, starring Matthew McConaughey.

Recent and Upcoming Projects

In 2020, Majors continued to impress audiences and critics with his roles in two Netflix films: Da 5 Bloods and The Harder They Fall. In Da 5 Bloods, directed by Spike Lee, he played David, the son of one of four African American veterans who return to Vietnam to find their fallen squad leader’s remains and a buried treasure. In The Harder They Fall, directed by Jeymes Samuel, he played Nat Love, a notorious outlaw who seeks revenge against his enemy Rufus Buck (played by Idris Elba). The film also featured an ensemble cast of other prominent Black actors, such as Regina King, Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield and Delroy Lindo.

Majors also starred as Atticus Freeman, the main protagonist of the HBO horror drama series Lovecraft Country, based on the novel by Matt Ruff. The series followed Atticus and his family as they faced both supernatural horrors and racial oppression in 1950s America. The series was praised for its exploration of themes such as racism, trauma, family and identity, as well as its references to horror literature and pop culture. Majors received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance.

In 2021, Majors made a surprise appearance as He Who Remains / Kang the Conqueror / Immortus / Nathaniel Richards / Rama-Tut / Scarlet Centurion / Victor Timely / Iron Lad / Kid Immortus / Mister Gryphon / Kangaroo / Kang Kong / Kangbot / Kasey / Doctor Doom / Amortus / Kangarilla / Kangaroo Jack / Kangaroo Court Judge / Kangaroo Dundee / Kangaroo Kid / Kanga-Rodney Dangerfield (yes he has that many names) in the final episode of the Disney+ series Loki, starring Tom Hiddleston as the titular character. He Who Remains was revealed to be the creator of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), a mysterious organization that maintains the sacred timeline and prevents alternate realities from branching out. He also hinted at his other variants, who are more dangerous and evil than him, and who would emerge as a result of his death. Majors’ performance was widely praised for his charisma, humor and menace, and he is expected to reprise his role as Kang the Conqueror in future MCU projects.

Majors has several other projects in the works, including:

• Devotion, a war drama film directed by J.D. Dillard, in which he plays Jesse Brown, the first African American naval aviator in the U.S. Navy.
• Magazine Dreams, a comedy film directed by Sam Esmail, in which he plays Killian Maddox, a magazine editor who tries to save his publication from bankruptcy.
• Creed III, a sports drama film directed by Michael B. Jordan, in which he plays Damian Anderson, the son of Apollo Creed and the half-brother of Adonis Creed (played by Jordan).
• Da Understudy, a comedy film directed by Majors himself, in which he also stars as an aspiring actor who gets a chance to understudy a famous Broadway star.
• Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, a superhero film directed by Jon Watts, in which he plays Kang the Conqueror, the main antagonist who leads an army of his variants to conquer the multiverse.
• Avengers: Secret Wars, a superhero film directed by Ryan Coogler, in which he plays Kang the Conqueror again, who faces off against the Avengers and their allies in a final showdown.

Conclusion

Jonathan Majors is an actor who has proven his versatility and talent in various genres and mediums. He has starred in several acclaimed films and TV shows that showcase his range and charisma. He is also set to play one of the most iconic and complex villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kang the Conqueror. He is undoubtedly one of the rising stars of Hollywood and one to watch out for in the future.