Photograph courtesy of Jalyn Hall
Jalyn Hall has been anxiously anticipating the release of NBC’s The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins.
Featuring an all-star comedic cast that includes Tracy Morgan, Erika Alexander, Bobby Moynihan, and Daniel Radcliffe, the mockumentary sees disgraced ex-footballer Reggie Dinkins (Morgan) hiring filmmaker Arthur Tobin (Radcliffe) to make a documentary on his comeback. But Tobin has his own embarrassing past that he’s attempting to overcome.
“I’ve been really nervous to see the show out in the world,” Hall—who plays Reggie’s teenage son Carmelo—tells Atlanta magazine. While the 19-year-old star of Till knew he was surrounded by elite comedic talent, he was eager to know just how well the jokes would land. Hall needn’t have worried about the reaction. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, which airs Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC, has been met with stellar reviews, so much so that it currently has 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. “Viewers have been receiving it so well. Everyone is laughing at the jokes. People are comfortable with it. It’s an amazing honor to be involved.”
The Atlanta native has made a habit of appearing in critically acclaimed projects. Till was named one of the best films of 2022 by the National Board of Review, Hulu’s Bruiser earned an impressive critical response, plus he’s appeared in the acclaimed shows Atlanta, Black-ish, and Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.
Atlanta recently spoke with Hall about The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, what he learned from working with Morgan and Radcliffe, splitting his time between Atlanta and Los Angeles, and his dream superhero role.
How did you get involved in The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins?
With most auditions, when you look over the script you wonder, Do I want to do it? But when I looked over this I had a special love for it. I immediately saw that it was shot in the mockumentary style. This is the first thing that I’ve ever done like that. It’s a different level of comedy. Breaking the fourth wall meant there were so many avenues of comedy to explore. I was totally drawn to it. When we went to film my audition tape, me and my acting coach decided to do it in mockumentary style. She was filming me with a hand-held camera, following me, zooming in and out. Right then I really just stepped right into the character seamlessly and that never left me.
How would you describe Carmelo?
He’s impressionable. But he’s also grounded. He’s still a teenager, trying to figure out his life. But he’s an anchor for his family. He’s almost a third parent. I feel like there’s an amazing duality to this character. He’s trying his best to be centered in his own life, but also be centered in everyone else’s. He loves his father. He wants to be there for his father in whatever capacity he can, whether it’s right or wrong. He wants to be in his corner. But we also get to see his vulnerability. I just really enjoy playing a character coming of age and becoming mature for the sake of the entire family.
Photograph by Marleen Moise/Getty Images
What did you learn from working with Tracy Morgan?
I could sit here for another hour and just go on describing the type of man that Tracy is. He’s so genuine and truly cares about the people he works with. He’ll text you just to check up and see how you’re doing. It’s those things that really translate onto the camera. There’s a familiarity and genuine love for each other. He’s been a guiding light in my life. He’s also been teaching me tips about the craft, the business, about comedy in general, as well as morals and principles. Erika [Alexander, who plays Carmelo’s mother] is the same. She’s so inviting. She’s so educational herself. She’s been around the block and mastered it all. She’s done all that while making us laugh in the process. Then when Erika and Tracy are together, they’re magic. It’s truly been a blessing. I’m so thankful to have this opportunity.
When did you first become interested in acting?
I’ve always been a character. My mom owned a hair salon and I would just be around the hair salon, terrorizing everybody, dancing, and asking questions. I thought I knew it all. I was very performative and always looking to be entertaining. I would look at the TV and tell my mom, One day I’ll be inside the TV. My mom was always encouraging. Then Kandi Burruss advertised an acting showcase. My mom took me and I was on the edge of my seat the entire night. People were dancing, singing, rapping, and doing monologues. The following week, I enrolled. I would go every day. I just had this genuine fire for entertainment and creativity. There was a point where I was actually doing the triple threat. I did acting, music, and dancing. I enjoyed all of them. But I especially fell in love with acting because it gave me this chance to step into a character and tell a story in so many beautiful ways. I fell in love with improv. I was not the best at it by far. But every time I came up short, it only made me love it even more because I was alway having an amazing time. I just really fell in love with mastering and cultivating these skills. I could do a whole scene right now and love every moment.
How hard has it been to remain enthusiastic about acting while making it your profession?
I think it’s really about staying in touch with why you wanted to become an actor. I feel like a lot of times people get into this business for the wrong reasons. You need to be in this business for the right reasons, not because of money, or fame or notoriety, but because you enjoy acting. That helps you keep the joy. Because then you can continuously fall in love with the art. That far outweighs anything else. Because then you’re fulfilled. This is too unstable a career choice to do it for any other reason. I’m blessed to be able to make this my full time job. But it is very hard. There have been a fair share of trials and tribulations. But because it’s what I love I want to persevere.
How do you feel like being from Atlanta has shaped your creative voice?
If I’m being honest, it’s made me a lot more real. Being someone who’s lived in Atlanta and also lived in L.A., I feel like I meet a lot of people where I end up thinking, Is this really you though? Or is this who you’re trying to portray to me? In Atlanta, and especially being around my family, you’re gonna get them at face value. Who they are today is who they’re gonna be an hour from now, the next day, and maybe next year. That’s a quality that needs to be respected. Once you have a set morality and principles, no one can take that from under you. They’ll respect you for that. That’s very important to me. My personality is important to me. I feel like I’ve actually mastered both worlds. I think coming from Atlanta has given me that realism. While L.A. has made me be better in meetings and selling myself.
What’s next?
I just want to enjoy the ride. I want to have a highly diverse career. Right now, I feel like I’m on the right track. I’ve done historical roles, grittier roles, comedic roles. I’d love to be an action star and a superhero by the end, for sure. My grandfather, who was my best friend and passed, fed into my love for film. He would show me DVDS of The Avengers, Justice League, Batman, animated stuff, buddy cop films, and a lot of action films. We loved Jet Li. He made me fall in love with all this stuff. So I definitely want to do some action.
Which superhero do you want to play?
I feel like I would make a great Miles Morales. But I also love playing original characters and being in independent films. I’m completely open to anything and just making sure that the art is there, But right now, my home and my main focus is The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins and hopefully getting to do more of that.
