Called to Act: André Holland on Purpose, Community, and Creating Room for Others

André Holland has built an acclaimed career through performances in Moonlight, Selma, The Knick, High

Flying Bird, and more—but his deepest calling reaches far beyond the screen.

In this conversation with Mick Hunt, André shares how his parents and his Bessemer, Alabama

community taught him to move with integrity, care for his gifts, and stay shoulder to shoulder with the

people who helped him flourish. He opens up about the teacher who made him feel truly seen, the

responsibility he feels to create opportunities for emerging voices, and why commitment is the word he

hopes will define his life.

André also discusses They Fight, his preparation as a character actor, Harper Road, and the Holland

Project’s restoration of Bessemer’s historic Lincoln Theatre.

This is a conversation about calling, craft, second chances, community, and planting trees whose fruit

may belong to the next generation.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• Why André describes storytelling and service as a calling

• How his parents and Alabama roots shaped his civic responsibility

• Why opportunity—not a lack of talent—often separates people from their potential

• The NYU classroom moment that changed André’s view of his own stories

• How he approaches character work with research, vulnerability, and faith

• Why They Fight resonated with him as a story of mentorship and second chances

• How the Holland Project and Harper Road are creating room for new voices

• Why “committed” is the word André wants attached to his legacy

LISTENER OFFER / FEATURED PROMOTION

Watch They Fight on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/movie/they-fight-a1bba82e-2550-4ffc-81df-

b973b9c85339

Discover the Holland Project and Lincoln Theatre restoration:

https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2024/10/renovating-bessemers-lincoln-theatre-andre-hollands-next-

act/

CHAPTERS

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correcting the intro-name issue.

• 00:00 — Welcome to Mick Unplugged

• 01:44 — André’s Because: answering the call

• 04:25 — Family, faith, and growing up in Alabama

• 06:19 — Bessemer, opportunity, and giving back

• 07:44 — The Unplugged Truth: becoming a symbol of hope

• 12:58 — They Fight, second chances, and the craft of acting

• 18:48 — The Room: the teacher who truly saw André

• 23:11 — Creating rooms through the Holland Project and Harper Road

• 29:18 — The Unplugged Five

• 32:20 — Supporting André’s work and closing thoughts

Connect & Discover André Holland:

Instagram: @andreholland

X: @AndreHolland_

The Holland Project — Historic Lincoln Theatre: alabamalincoln.com

Lincoln Theatre on Instagram: @bamalincoln

Support the Restoration (Donate): Give to the Lincoln Theatre

Watch They Fight on Hulu: hulu.com/movie/they-fight

FOLLOW MICK ON:

Spotify: MickUnplugged

Instagram: @mickunplugged

Facebook: @mickunplugged

YouTube: @MickUnpluggedPodcast

LinkedIn: @mickhunt

Website: MickHuntOfficial.com

Website: howtobeagoodleader.com

Website: Leadloudseries.com

Apple: MickUnplugged

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