Ava DuVernay is rooting for teen actor Jaden Michael, who was cast to portray a young Colin Kaepernick in a new Netflix limited series about the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback.
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker, who is an executive producer on the new Netflix project, āColin in Black & White,ā tweeted to Michael on Friday, encouraging him to ignore Twitter trolls criticizing the 17-year-old actor for portraying the activist.
āDear @ItsJadenMichael,ā DuVernay wrote. āYouāre on the right side of history. And youāre going to shine. Let the trolls troll. You rise. Love, A.ā
Michael, who stars in the Netflix movie āVampires vs. The Bronx,ā responded to DuVernayās tweet, sharing his gratitude for the message, which was joined by other supportive notes from Twitter users.
DuVernay and Kaepernick first announced āColin in Black & White,ā written by Michael Starrbury, back in June. Kaepernick and Starrburry also serve as executive producers on the project.
Kaepernick, who began famously kneeling during the playing of the national anthem at football games as a peaceful protest against racial injustice and police brutality, will narrate the six-episode series. The project will explore his high school years and give āmeaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today,ā a June announcement read.
On Tuesday, Kaepernick tweeted his excitement about Michael playing him in the series, calling the teen actor an āall-star.ā
Michael responded to the activistās praise on Twitter, writing that he was honored for the opportunity.
āCanāt wait to bring this much needed story to life, especially in these trying times,ā he added.
Eric Reid, an NFL free agent and former safety for the Carolina Panthers, also joined the chorus of Twitter users who celebrated Michaelās casting news.
Reid notably joined Kaepernickās protests by kneeling beside his friend and then-teammate at NFL games. Like Kaepernick, Reid has not been signed by a team in the league this season.
āI never thought youād be casting someone this good looking to play you
@Kaepernick7,ā Reid joked on Twitter. ā@ItsJadenMichael, youāre helping A LOT right now cuz Iām gonna go in on this pic next time I see Colin.ā
Netflix has not yet announced when āColin in Black & Whiteā will hit the streaming service.