Teenage actor Jaden Michael will play a young Colin Kaepernick in an upcoming Netflix drama about the former NFL player’s life.
Michael, 17, is best known for starring in Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down while his other credits include dramas Wonderstruck and Custody.
In Colin In Black & White, he will play athlete and activist Kaepernick during his high school years.
The limited series explores the sportsman’s experiences of being a black teenager living with a white adopted family.
I never thought I would be casting a young me in a show about my life. I can’t wait for the world to see @ItsJadenMichael be an all-star on @netflix #ColinInBlackAndWhite @ava pic.twitter.com/ygb4F4kgM5
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) October 27, 2020
Announcing the casting, Kaepernick tweeted: “I never thought I would be casting a young me in a show about my life. I can’t wait for the world to see @ItsJadenMichael be an all-star on @netflix.”
Kaepernick, 32, will appear as himself as narrator of the six-episode series, while also serving as an executive producer alongside Michael Starrbury and Ava DuVernay.
Kaepernick was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers when he received worldwide attention in 2016 for kneeling during the national anthem to protest against police brutality and racial injustice.
His actions sparked an intense debate, with US President Donald Trump calling for the NFL to fire any player who did not stand for the anthem.
Kaepernick left the 49ers in 2017 and has not played in the NFL since.