Welcome to the Jungle Ser’Darius Blain
Although known for his work in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Footloose (2011), Ser’Darius Blain is just getting started. His career began in Orlando after auditioning in a talent search with no intentions on becoming an actor because of his shyness, but that’s when the 19 year old Ser’Darius knew he was “bitten by the acting bug.” “I always wanted to be a cardiologist. Acting was always in the back of my mind, but it never seemed like a realistic goal, so I suppressed my passion for it for years. I was always a huge movie fan. I got an opportunity when I was 19 years old in Orlando to do a talent show and when I attended, I won every category I was in.”
Ser’Darius has played numerous characters to date, ranging from television series such as The Vampire Diaries to the film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle released in 2017. But out of all of the roles he’s portrayed, Ser’Darius says that his favorite was Brian Johnson in Chicago PD . “It was a therapeutic moment in my career being that I had just lost my brother to gun violence and had just become a new father. The emotion that is displayed in the performance was 100% real and not acted.” But the career he chose is not always the funnest. He names his biggest challenge is “the constant traveling and being away from my young son during these pivotal years in his life. I just try to remind myself that I'm doing it all for him to have a better life than I had.” To keep himself grounded, the young actor looks towards his mother. “My mother has been the most influential person in my life. She is the epitome of strength and perseverance. I've never seen anyone endure so much yet remain so faithful and giving. I want to be like her when I grow up...minus the motor mouth.” During his off time, Ser’Darius chooses to spend time with his son, and says that he’s a better chef than he is an actor. “I also enjoy basketball, comedy clubs, and jazz music...I used to play the trumpet!” He describes himself as “a fun-loving goofball who thinks way too deeply, forgets to drink water and exfoliate, too giving and a leader,” but the character he’s related to the most is a bit more on the serious side. “I've related to most of my characters very much. I always have something in common with them, but my strongest connection so far has been to Cam in When The Game Stands Tall. He's a complex, strong individual who looks out for his family and just so happens to be a fantastic athlete. It was cool portraying a real person.” Acting is everything short of easy, but Ser’Darius describes his biggest accomplishment was simply getting started. “This business is odd sometimes in that in order to work, sometimes you need a resume but in order to get a resume, you need to work. It’s a catch 22. Perseverance is everything in this business and I'm proud to say that I've pressed on.” Ser’Darius’s upcoming projects include “Charmed on The CW, which will debut on Sundays this Fall. I’m also anticipating the release of my next film, The Last Full Measure with Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, Sebastian Stan, and Christopher Plummer. It's a powerful Vietnam war drama that I'm excited for everyone to see.” To see more of Ser’Darius, you can follow him on both Instagram and Twitter @serdariusblain.
Written by: Amya Mitchell