To briefly sum up my story ... I was born just outside of Boston, MA, son of NBA Hall of Famer and Boston Celtic's Legend, Jo Jo White #10; and come from a large family with 5, beautiful, younger sisters. I attended Dartmouth College, in Hanover, NH where I studied Political Science, Psychology and Theater Arts. I also played on the Football and Lacrosse teams.
Following graduation, I was blessed enough to be signed by both an NFL (New England Patriots) and NLL (Boston Blazers) team. By the way… the NLL is the professional lacrosse league. If you are not from the Northeast United States or Canada, you’ve probably never heard of lacrosse -- but it is a pretty big sport there.
An injury cut my athletic career shorter than I would have liked and my life took an odd turn – actually… two odd turns! First, I was introduced to the profession of modeling and secondly, I co-founded a professional dance/theater company: Phunk Phenomenon Urban Dance Theater Company.
The mission of Phunk Phenomenon has always been to use the art of dance as a catalyst for youth outreach. Over the past several years “Phunk” has visited over 200 private and public schools, performing and sharing the collective life experiences of the ensemble on a variety of socially relevant topics including: the affects of drinking and driving a motor vehicle, drug use, peer pressure, sex, pregnancy, hazing and race relations.
Today, Phunk Phenomenon has grown far above and beyond what Reia and I ever imagined possible and we are very proud to be able to say that “Phunk’s” past collaborations now include: MTV, NBA, NFL, WNBA, Disney World and performances with Britney Spears, TLC, Run DMC, No Doubt, Jessica Simpson and Alvin Ailey. And looking to the future, Phunk Phenomenon will share a national stage as a partner with my foundation’s charity of choice: W.A.R.M2Kids (stands for “We are All Role Models”).
Please visit: [link-omitted] for more information.
As for the modeling and acting, I got my introduction to this business by attending a fashion show casting with a friend. It so happened that this is where I met a talent agent. Shortly after the show, I had the good fortune to be signed by an agency in my hometown and began the process of learning the ropes of the business and developing my confidence. I utilized my dance background by incorporating “movement” into as many of the modeling jobs as I could. Some interesting results:
And within my first year in the modeling business, I had a pretty decent portfolio, headshots and a short resume.
If you are an actor, then you probably wonder about the “union” thing? The answer is that I was lucky enough to have gotten my SAG card on the very first commercial job I did -- which was actually the first “entertainment” job I booked period (other than modeling)! What was it? It was a speaking role in a commercial for a large department store chain.
Actually, during that same time period, I did several things to pay the bills, including becoming a licensed stock broker (series 6, 7, 63 & 65), helping to further develop Phunk Phenomenon, TV commercials, modeling and acting.
The next significant step occurred when I was presented with the opportunity to work in Los Angeles, CA in 2000 (on a TV show)... and obviously, I took it. The show was “Moesha.” That pretty much brings us up to date.
Since 2000, I have been focused on studying the craft and business of acting and have dedicated myself to trying to become the best actor I can be. My goal is to seek out roles with which I feel a strong personal connection and see some social significance. Ideally, my work will inspire discussion among it’s (the projects) viewing audience. My promise to myself-- whether the platform be film, TV or theater, is to attempt to seek out material that is challenging: mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
In the world of modeling, I am still and will always be on the look out for opportunities to express myself artistically. I really appreciate great photography and great photographers. I also enjoy the process of making great pictures. So, creative minds with the means to bring creative ideas to life are always welcome.
In closing, I'd like to say that I hope you enjoy your visit to my website and I wish you all the best in your own future endeavors.
And finally, I’d like to share a quote with you that I find to be very motivational:
“ Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful [people] with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
-- Calvin Coolidge (30th President of the United States)
Source: [link-omitted]
