Lonnie Chavis facts for kids

Lonnie Chavis Jr. (born November 23, 2007) is an American actor and activist. He became famous for playing a younger version of Randall Pearson on the TV show This Is Us. Lonnie has been nominated for many awards. He even won a Screen Actors Guild Award with his castmates from This Is Us. In 2017, he also appeared in the TV comedy White Famous. Later, in 2020, Lonnie starred in his first big movie, The Water Man.

Lonnie's Early Life

Lonnie Chavis was born on November 23, 2007, in Downey, California. His parents are Najah and Lonnie Chavis. He also has three younger brothers. When Lonnie was 8 years old, something scary happened. He was almost taken from outside his home in Long Beach, California. But Lonnie was brave and fought back. He got help from a neighbor and went back home safely. Since 2017, Lonnie has been homeschooled.

Lonnie's Acting Career

In 2016, Lonnie joined the cast of This Is Us. He played the younger version of a character named Randall Pearson. This role made him very well-known. In 2017, Lonnie was a guest star on his favorite show, The Thundermans on Nickelodeon. Later that year, he also appeared in an episode of The CW's Supergirl.

In June 2017, Lonnie became a regular actor on This Is Us for its second season. He also worked with actor Jay Pharoah in the comedy show White Famous. Lonnie shared that this show was his first time doing improv acting. This means making up lines on the spot!

Lonnie made his first movie appearance in Disney's Magic Camp. This movie starred Adam DeVine. It was first planned for theaters but later came out on Disney+ in 2018. He also appeared in Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History, which came out on Netflix in 2019. Lonnie was also in a short film called Skin. This film won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2019.

In 2018, Lonnie was cast in a movie called Sunny Daze. He starred alongside Jason Wiles, who also wrote and directed the film. In 2019, Lonnie got a big role in The Water Man. He starred with David Oyelowo, who also directed the movie. Rosario Dawson and Oprah Winfrey were also part of this film. Lonnie said that working with David Oyelowo helped him become a better actor. In 2020, Lonnie was chosen to star in The Boy Behind the Door. This was a thriller movie directed by David Charbonier and Justin Powell.

Lonnie's Activism and Important Messages

In June 2018, Lonnie posted a video on Instagram. He made the video because some people were making fun of the gap in his teeth. His parents usually filtered comments, but they showed him one mean comment. Lonnie decided to speak up. His video got over 600,000 views! Friends and famous people shared it using Lonnie's hashtag: #FixYourHeart.

In October 2018, Lonnie worked with Ad Council on a campaign against bullying. In 2020, Lonnie said, "This movement is about having the accountability to correct your own actions and be better to others." In 2021, the organization started a clothing line, and Lonnie models for it.

In 2020, after the Murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, Lonnie wrote a letter. He was 12 years old and found it hard to talk about his feelings about racism in the U.S. He wrote the letter to his mom. People magazine later published his letter on June 17, 2020.

Lonnie's Film and TV Roles

Movies Lonnie Has Been In

TV Shows Lonnie Has Been In

Awards and Nominations