It’s not often that you get to catch a rising star for his first-ever interview, but that was the case when Casting Networks virtually sat down with Taiv Lee. Before this year, the actor had booked and shot three different co-star roles for Prime Video’s Hunters, Apple TV+’s Truth Be Told, and FX’s Snowfall. And his film work included an appearance in Leah Bleich’s 2022 comedy The Moon & Back. But when we caught up with Lee, it was his recent, breakthrough booking that was on the table. Keep reading for a window into the unique process that landed the actor a guest recurring role on an upcoming Tyler Perry production, complete with one-on-one calls with the series’ showrunner.
It’s great to virtually meet you, Taiv. Before we dive into your casting story, I’d love to hear how you’d sum up your character on the upcoming BET series Route 187.
I play Devon Coleman on the show. I would best describe him as a moody — emphasis on “moody” — and hormonal teenager who just thinks he knows everything. You know, he’s got that typical teenager attitude. But in the first episode, Devon goes through a very traumatic experience that sets him on a path of uncertainty. We don’t really know which way Devon’s life is going to go after those events transpire. In my opinion, he’s the perfect example of what it means to be an at-risk youth. The biggest factor contributing to that is the city where he lives. I believe that we’re all products of our environment, and when you live somewhere like South Winslow — the fictional city in which Route 187 takes place — that’s not always a good thing. The city is overrun with crime and poverty and is not the greatest place to be. Throughout the series, we see how the environment affects the characters’ decision-making skills and their life trajectories. I’m really excited to be a part of the show because it stays authentic and grounded. People really do come up in neighborhoods and environments that aren’t conducive to their progress, and my character contributes to how Route 187 shows that real experience.
That makes sense. And what can you tell us about the process of booking the role?
The audition for Route 187 was actually my very first one of this year, and coming out of 2022, my main goal was to book at least one guest star role. Because in 2022, I had built up some co-star credits, and I just wanted to take it to the next level. I even remember seeing the audition come in right as I was leaving my acting class. I checked my phone and saw that it was from Kim Coleman, a casting director I’d auditioned for many times before. So, I was really excited to get in front of her again. I also had to take in the fact that the audition was for a Tyler Perry production because I grew up watching his movies. Tyler Perry is a mogul and really a legend, so it was just crazy to me to get to audition for one of his projects. And it was a very fast turnaround for submitting the self-tape. I got the audition around 8 p.m. that night, and it was due by 11 a.m. the next morning. But I got it in, and that character — the one I originally taped for — was called William. A week went by after that, and I didn’t hear anything. So, I assumed I didn’t get the role and that it must not have been meant for me. Another week went by, and I got a call from my manager on a Saturday, telling me they were pinning me for Route 187. I love getting pins and avails because you never really know how they’re going to turn out, and there’s this sense of accomplishment to just get to that point in the casting process.
It’s a win!
Exactly. And then before we hung up, my manager told me that the writer/director of the series wanted to talk to me on the phone. That was new territory for me — I’d never had a filmmaker want to talk to me personally about a role. I hopped on a Zoom call with Mark [E. Swinton] the very next day, and he told me he really loved my audition for William and thought I had that role down pat. But he said there was another character in the script he thought I’d be really right for and was going to send me all the scripts for all the episodes to read over. Then Mark wanted me to give him my honest, raw opinion on the character of Devon. I had to sign a bunch of NDAs first, and it was all very surreal. But I got the scripts and immediately fell in love with the writing. It’s just so engaging — I felt like I was reading a book that I couldn’t put down. I connected with Devon right away because we share a lot of similarities in terms of personal characteristics. So, I emailed Mark back and told him I’d love to put Devon on tape. That same night, I got three audition scenes done. They came together super quickly, and it seemed easy to learn the dialogue for them because I felt such a strong connection to the character.
It sounds like it was meant to be.
After I submitted the audition for Devon, though, I didn’t hear anything back right away. I was sad because I’d become really invested in the project and the character. A few days passed, and I was just perched by my phone at that point. [Laughs] My phone was practically glued to my hand, and I told myself that if I didn’t hear anything by the weekend, I would just assume I didn’t get the part. So, Thursday rolled around, and at 3 p.m. on the dot, my phone rang. I looked down, saw that the caller ID said Tyler Perry Studios, and my stomach just dropped. When I answered and Mark told me the role was mine, I couldn’t even form a coherent sentence. [Laughs] I had always dreamed of that moment when you get the call about your first major booking. But I’d never imagined having it come directly from the filmmaker. I just felt so special in that moment because Mark had called me to personally give me the news before he’d even told the casting director or my reps. It was literally a dream come true, and then a couple of days later, I went to Atlanta and spent three weeks filming there. Hands down, that was one of the greatest experiences of my life — I loved every minute of it.
And how has landing this guest recurring role on a BET series impacted your career so far?
I just learned so much from being on the set of Route 187. Anytime I’m working, I’m learning. But in this case, I was on set for three weeks, getting to constantly live as this character. It felt like being in class every single day, and I loved it. There was this sense of getting to sharpen my acting tools and abilities. Mark is such an actor’s director, and he taught me so many things, including how to tap into my emotions and just be the best actor I can be. I’m so grateful to him for that. It was also funny timing because my first-ever co-star roles that I booked and shot prior to this year started coming out shortly after I got back from filming Route 187. So, upon returning from that experience, I got to see myself on TV for the first time, but on three separate occasions, back to back to back. And then, I’m still processing the fact that I got to do Route 187. The whole experience was mind-blowing, and I don’t think it’ll feel real until the show comes out later this year. That’s when it’ll hit. But in the meantime, I can definitely feel things shifting in my career. I mean, this was my first-ever interview, and I wouldn’t be doing it if it weren’t for Route 187.
Those interested in keeping up with the rising actor’s career journey can find him on Instagram, where he frequently posts about his work.
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This interview has been edited and condensed.
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