Derrick A King will star in the CW’s upcoming series ‘The 4400’ as the character ‘Rev’ Johnson.
King began acting at the age of 5 and went to Thomas G. Pullen performing arts school in PG County, Maryland, where he majored in performing arts which then transitioned into theater at Suitland High School. While at Clark Atlanta University, King began his first role in a web series called “College Boyfriends.” After college, King received a job in corporate America, but after rediscovering his passion for acting in 2015, he retired in 2017. He began to pursue acting full time, and taking acting classes for recreation, performing on stage felt like “home” for him.
King spoke with our correspondent Rebecca Eugene about his role in the upcoming series and what fans can expect to see. ‘The 4400’ focuses on a group of people in 1993 who mysteriously go missing and reappear in 2021. They came back with new abilities and must navigate back into society’s elevated norms and standards.
‘The 4400’ is set to premiere on the CW on October 25, 2021.
The Knockturnal: How was your experience starting your acting career at such a young age? What was your first role?
Derrick A. King: Growing up, I went to a performing arts school in PG County Maryland, K through 8. I majored in drama which turned into a major in theatre my freshman year in high school. So, I performed in a few plays; The Odyssey, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, etc. That was the extent of my “acting career” until later in college where I played “Sean” in a web series called “College Boyfriends”. I’d consider that my first role; you know, really getting in front of a camera, making choices, a few fans of the show recognizing me in public, just a taste of that life. It was so much fun because I’ve always loved to act but I also had no real goals around begin a professional actor yet; so, it was just us friends having a good ass time.
The Knockturnal: You majored in Radio/TV/Film and transitioned into public relations. What was that transition like when deciding to pursue acting full time?
Derrick A. King: Believe it or not, the transition happened years after college. Corporate America snatched me up right after graduation; I began a career in corporate sales at Nestle USA for about 4 years. I got promoted to their headquarters in Los Angeles and after being in LA for about 6 months I knew this wasn’t a coincidence, It’s time. I felt like God planned the whole thing out. I was able to fully experience what the white-collar offered and knew for a fact it wasn’t my calling; so, no matter how challenging this “pursuit of happiness” in acting got, I already knew there was no turning back. When I gained that type of clarity and intention, I began to recognize the many obstacles as lessons; tools I would need to excel when I get where I’m headed. It seems to be working out divinely.
The Knockturnal: Explain your thought process when deciding to leave your position at Nestles to follow your passion?
Derrick A. King: I moved to LA for Nestle in March 2015, I decided to start taking acting classes for recreation in August 2015. I remember sitting in class, the first night, preparing to do a Meisner repetition exercise thinking “Man, this feels like home”. At the end of the class that same night, after doing more theatre exercises and some scenes work, I said to myself “This is happiness, I want to do this forever”. I went home and started developing a legit exit strategy. I retired from Nestle on March 31st, 2017; I have never worked for anyone else outside of my passion again and I plan on keeping it that way. After you’ve identified your passion and purpose, it’s damn near impossible to be happy in compromising that joy. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” -Mark Twain
The Knockturnal: While at Clark Atlanta University you recorded an album, do you see yourself continuing in music? If so, what kind of songs would you like to create and release?
Derrick A. King: I love music! I wake up, shower, cook, drive, meditate, make love, work out, and sometimes even sleep to music. I couldn’t imagine going an entire day without it. So naturally, I will always create music whether it be recorded or simply in my head. One of my favorite things in the world to do is “Freestyle” songs and rap with my friends. So much so that you can’t even really say we are truly friends if you’ve never given me at least 8 bars and of course I’m going to give at least 16 back to you; My friends know exactly what I mean. I don’t know if I’ll ever releases an album again though. It’s something that I enjoy more intimately now rather than something to share with the entire world. At most, in my ideal situation, I’ll freestyle every once and a while during interviews, I’ll meet musician friends and I’ll do a feature on their dope projects; like Andre 3000 does now.
The Knockturnal: You are playing ‘Rev. Johnson’ in the CW’s upcoming series 4400. What can fans expect to see from your character throughout the season? What are you most excited about?
Derrick A. King: Fans can expect to see a very human guy trying his best to navigate the trials life throws his way. Rev may not always make the fan-favorite decision, but his choices are relatable to anyone who had to choose between the head or the heart. We’ll see many, many layers as he moves through the complexities of his 1993 issues vs the new 2021 reality he has just been warped into. I’m most excited to see his 4400-power revealed! How will he decide to use it and on who? This version of 4400 will be such a fresh take on the superpower Sci-Fi concept. I hope the fans enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed shooting it!
