Recent Posts
Entertainment May 8, 2020
Travis Coles is a rising star. But the journey to get here wasn't always smooth.
Do yourself a favor and get to know Travis Coles, the hilarious and groundbreaking actor who is making room for himself in the entertainment industry. He is most well-known for his role of Mx. Elijah on OWN’s, “David Makes Man.”
Mx. Elijah, played by Travis Coles, is one of the highlights of the new OWN television series, “David Makes Man.” The show, written by Moonlight’s Tarell Alvin McCraney, centers on David, a 14-year-old boy growing up in the projects. As he copes with the loss of a friend and pressures to pull his family out of poverty, David struggles to find his own path. Mx. Elijah acts as David’s confidant and frequent caregiver, always offering him a place of solace. As the best friend of David’s mother, however, Mx. Elijah knows everything there is to know about the neighborhood residents. But what makes Elijah so special is her choice to be authentic and live in her truth.
Mx. Elijah is a gender non-conforming individual who, despite the dangers that queer black people face, has earned respect from her community. As a gay black man himself, Travis Coles breathes life into this role, while also finding truth in Mx. Elijah’s strength.
“What I love about Mx. Elijah is that she steps into her power. She devotes her life to helping others, which is what Tarell Alvin McCraney does every day. Which is what I strive to do every day,” Coles said.
“David Makes Man’s” first season premiered on OWN last August.
As an eleven-year-old boy, Coles wandered through the library quite often. He had always been a curious, yet unconventional child. Used to not fitting in with the other Boy Scouts, on top of being the tallest kid in class, Coles felt out of place no matter where he went. On this day, however, he found his true calling on a flyer: an open casting call for “Jack and The Beanstalk.”
“I have to go there,” Travis remembers thinking, “I just have to be there.”
So off he went! Dragging his father to an open call, Travis breezed through every round of that audition, and ultimately booked his very first acting role (as the “Giant”, naturally).
Being onstage for the first time, Coles felt alive, like he belonged, and he could finally be himself. Since that moment, he knew he was an artist; going to college to study film, doing improv and comedy sketches, and admiring legends like Alvin Ailey. He had the makings of a star very early on. So why are we just now hearing about him?
Those were the words swirling around in Coles’s mind. “Too big, too gay, too black” lead him to stop pursuing acting altogether. As he got older, Travis couldn’t stand to be in the spotlight anymore and eventually, hid his captivating personality behind the scenes as a production assistant. On the surface, Coles had it all: a job, money, and a thriving social life, but somehow he couldn’t escape a feeling in the pit of his stomach: Why am I not happy?
“I spent every day watching other people live out my dream. I couldn’t blame society for that. Because I was the only one telling myself I wasn’t good enough.”
After 9 years, things finally started to fall into place. He found a tribe of like-minded comedians, UCB Comedy, where he began writing and performing sketches. Coles’s acting career so far has brought him a recurring role on NBC’s “Superstore,” Mx. Elijah on “David Makes Man,” and a starring role on YouTube’s “Liza On Demand.” Once he decided to trust himself and be authentic, he realized all the space he took up wasn’t a curse, it was a gift.
“On the first day of our table read, all the network executives were there, Oprah, Tarrell, Phylicia Rashad, everyone! I was so nervous. I mean, I was sitting next to the Phylicia Rashad. But she turned to me, comforted me, and told me I was worthy and talented enough to be in that room. That’s what I want to do for people. I want to give back like others have given to me,” Coles said.
“In this world, you give back by being who you were always supposed to be. In everything that I do, I remain true to myself. Because there is only one of you in this world and that is special. Cherish it. Do not diminish it by trying to be something else. We all have something that no one else has.”
Travis Coles is an unstoppable force to be reckoned with and he has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
We’re so excited for “David Makes Man” season two! Are you? Comment below and tell us!
