We often get so caught up in our day-to-day lives that we forget to stay present. Part of being present is remembering where we are, how we got here, and helping those less fortunate. After conversing with Grown-ish star Grant Alexander Hall, it’s reassuring to see a young black man with such a heavy heart dedicated to giving back.
Poverty is a growing problem in LA, which Grant now calls home, and it wasn’t until Grant moved to LA that he genuinely noticed this. “Seeing all the tents on the side of the road and people living in terrible conditions, I realized that I needed to do something to give back,” Grant recalls. He credits his mother, a serial philanthropist, for teaching him that it’s right to give from a young age.
“”I’ve always donated. At least 10% every week. I get that philosophy from my mother.”
Grant Hall on giving to charity
Meet Grant Hall
With so much on his young plate, Grant tries to make the best of every moment, highlighted by his morning routine. He does so, first and foremost, by being a man of faith, he prays. A laundry list follows, “I make my bed, write down a few things I’m grateful for. I do cognitive work/work through brain apps. I read (for me), read out loud (for acting), and then meditate.” Naturally, not every list item gets ticked off each morning, but regularly crossing off the majority is a recipe for success.
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The actor/model has worked quite a bit on the small screen but has never lost sight of his meta goal: making it to the big screen. His intense focus on being a leading man is something to marvel at. In terms of short-term plans, he aims to be a series regular. With roles on the web series Tough Love, Tough Love: Los Angeles, and the independent short 2 Eye Drops from Normal, that goal is well within his reach.
Hall feels that modelling hasn’t allowed him to showcase his entire personality, but he revels at every opportunity to be in front of the camera. “The feeling of working in front of a camera, for me, is a flow state,” he then smiled, “as soon as I hear ‘action,’ nothing else exists.”
Growing Up Hall
Raised in Ohio, Grant was born into a family of prominent athletes. He never thought entertainment could be a career until he was cherry-picked during his freshman year in college. After his first theatre appreciation class, a moment that felt like extreme fruition, Hall suddenly found himself participating in theatre clubs. After his debut during an on-campus improv, he received instant praise from the crowd. With that, he immediately began to dedicate much of his time to enrolling in various acting classes. With a newfound purpose, Hall didn’t hesitate to sign with his first manager and, shortly after that, move to LA. Grant considers that as one of the more serendipitous moments in his career.
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For Grant, sports have always been integral to his life, with baseball leading the helm. Choosing acting over baseball in college was difficult due to fear of his father’s reaction. His mother was always supportive, but his father, a successful baseball player, took a little more convincing.
“As soon as I made the decision to be an actor, that flame never doused. It just kept getting stronger.
Grant Hall on choosing acting over Baseball
Hall admitted that he didn’t tell his dad immediately, forcing him to find out through the grapevine. He quotes his father as one of those dads where “sometimes you just have to show a little success before they’re like, ‘oh, he’s serious.'” It has been nothing but constant support from there, and Grant effortlessly admits how much he loves his father, which we love to see. Grant has shown what can happen when you follow your heart and listen to your intuition.
Giving A Little Can Help A Lot!
As his career grows, Hall plans to use his platform to highlight philanthropic matters close to his heart. He is a regular contributor to Feeding America and The Cancer Research Institute. Volunteering and raising funds to provide these charities with the resources needed to continue fighting will always be a priority for Grant Hall. “We’re supposed to give,” he stated, “that’s what we’re here to do.” Hall continues to use his voice to help increase awareness.
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See Also: Gent’s Talk: Ep 30 – A Sit-Down w/ David Rocco
“Breast cancer is personal to me,” Grant noted. Unfortunately, the debilitating disease has grabbed hold of his grandmother twice, but thankfully she has beaten it both times. Having witnessed the effects first-hand, he’s become dedicated to the search for the cure. He also has aspirations to start a charitable organization which would focus on Breast Cancer in some capacity.
Grown-Ish
Fans of the hit sitcom series can watch episodes on Freeform. New episodes air Wednesday nights at 10:30/9:30c, and you can stream on Hulu. With a couple of notable appearances in Season 5, we hope to see plenty more of Grant Hall shortly, as Grown-ish announced they would return for a 6th season. We’re excited about all things Grant Hall, including his upcoming lead in the independent film, Trigger!
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Feature image credit Audrey Sliger
