LaRoyce Hawkins
| LaRoyce Hawkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 4, 1988 |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Laroyce Hawkins |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Home town | Harvey, Illinois |
LaRoyce Hawkins is an American actor, stand-up comic, spoken word[1] artist, and musician. LaRoyce stars on NBC's police drama Chicago P.D. from creator Dick Wolf. On the show, LaRoyce portrays Officer Kevin Atwater, an honorable and trustworthy detective who stands for what is right and always puts others before himself. The show is currently in its fourth season. Hawkins also has a minor recurring role on the crossover show Chicago Fire.[2]
Early life
Hawkins was born and raised in Harvey, Illinois, a south suburb of Chicago, which struggles with high levels of crime rates, poverty, and unemployment. While LaRoyce was growing up he lived with his grandparents until he was 13 and he credits them with shaping his life and the lives of his siblings.
LaRoyce attended Thornton High School where he was originally recruited to play basketball. Impacted by his grandfather’s advice to “choose what makes you feel better”, LaRoyce left the basketball team sophomore year and joined the speech team where he became a two-time state champion in comedy speech writing and was awarded twice by the Illinois High Speech Association; “original comedy” his junior year and “humorous acting duet” his senior year.
Career
Hawkins attended Illinois State University on a full tuition scholastic scholarship where he majored in Theatre Arts. In first college play, he starred as Toledo from the August Wilson production Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. While in college, he landed his first major motion picture role in the feature film The Express, the biopic of Ernie Davis, portraying Davis' teammate Art Baker.
Prior to Chicago PD, Hawkins made appearances in various television series, including HBO’s Ballers, TBS’ Tyler Perry's House of Payne, MTV’s Underemployed, and ABC’s Detroit 1-8-7.
Personal life
Hawkins spends his time off screen helping youth from disenfranchised communities follow their dreams and recognize their potential. Harvey was a tough place to grow up and LaRoyce shares his experiences and knowledge with kids who share a similar background. Through spoken word and speeches he empowers them to use their stories to grow beyond their environment and avoid getting caught up in the fast life. In addition to acting, LaRoyce is an accomplished standup comedian, motivational speaker, and spoken-word poet.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Express | Art Baker | |
Shorts
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Reflection | Royce | |
| 2013 | Google Me Love | Austin | |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Detroit 1-8-7[3] | Dorcey Gamble | Episode: "Ice Man/Malibu" |
| 2012 | Underemployed | Episode: "The Gig" | |
| 2013–present | Chicago Fire | Officer Kevin Atwater | Recurring role (7 episodes) |
| 2014–present | Chicago P.D. | Officer Kevin Atwater | Main role |
References
- ↑ "LaRoyce Hawkins". NBC. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ↑ Rackl, Lori. "Harvey actor LaRoyce Hawkins brings local flavor to 'Chicago Fire' spinoff". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
- ↑ "LaRoyce Hawkins of Chicago P.D.". Redeye. Retrieved 11 April 2014.