Marlon Kazadi | |
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| Born | Marlon S. Kazadi November 16, 2004 |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2018–present |
Marlon S. Kazadi (born November 16, 2004) is a Canadian actor and music artist. He is known for the role of Mike Broadstreet in the film Zombie Town (2023), a zombie thriller based on author R. L. Stine's book of the same name. Before that, Kazadi's first lead role was in the independent film Chained in which he won "Best Young Actor" from the New York International Film Awards, and nominations for Best Actor for a Canadian Film at the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards, as well as Best Lead Performance, Male at the UBCP/ACTRA Awards.
Early life
Marlon S. Kazadi moved to Vancouver, B.C. from the Democratic Republic of Congo, at the age of 7, with his mother, Fatou Kazadi; who later remarried music producer Kayvon Sarfehjooy (K-Salaam). Marlon Kazadi attended French-speaking schools – Ecole Anne Hébert and Ecole des Pionniers, before continuing his education in English.
Career
Kazadi made his first acting debut at 9 years old, on the ABC series The Whispers. He decided to respond to an open call after his mother suggested that he may take a liking to acting, as she noticed his talent from him replaying movie characters that he watched as a child.
Marlon then took a three-year hiatus from acting to pursue a career as a professional soccer player, which was his first dream. One day during his soccer training, Kazadi had an epiphany and realized that acting was his true calling. In 2018 he made his return to acting; where he landed the supporting role of Omar in the film Child's Play, a remake of the original classic horror film featuring the infamous Chucky doll. That same year, Kazadi was cast in two popular series: first as Young James (Jimmy) Olsen in Supergirl, and then in a recurring role as Malcolm in Riverdale.
By the age of 15, Marlon landed his first lead role as Taylor in the feature film Chained (2020), a crime thriller by Titus Heckel, in which Kazadi won, and was nominated for multiple awards based on his performance.
His work in Chained caught the eyes of various producers, which eventually landed him another lead role, this time as Mike Broadstreet in Zombie Town, a zombie thriller directed by Peter Lepeniotis, based on author R.L. Stine's book of the same name. The film premiered in theatres in 2023.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Zombie Town | Mike Broadstreet | Lead Actor |
| 2021 | Chained | Taylor | Lead Actor |
| 2020 | Christmas In Evergreen: Bells Are Ringing | David | Main Cast |
| 2019 | Child's Play | Omar | Main Cast |
| 2019 | Supergirl | Young James | Episode 419: "American Dreamer" |
| 2019-2021 | Riverdale | Malcolm | Episodes: Chapter Sixty: Dog Day Afternoon
Chapter Sixty-Four: The Ice Storm Chapter Seventy-Two: To Die For Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Preppy Murders Chapter Seventy-Nine: Graduation |
| 2019 | Christmas In Evergreen: Tidings of Joy | David | Main Cast |
| 2018 | Christmas In Evergreen: Letters to Santa | David | Main Cast |
| 2015 | The Whispers | Nomad Boy | Episode 2: "Hide & Seek" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | New York International Film Awards | Best Young Lead Actor | Chained | Won |
| 2021 | UBCP/ACTRA Awards, Vancouver | Best Lead Performance, Male | Chained | Nominated |
| 2021 | VFCC Awards | Best Actor in a Canadian Film | Chained | Nominated |
References
1. An Interview with NextGen Actor Marlon Kazadi on His New Feature Film 'Chained'". We Are Entertainment News. June 24, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
2. Chained: Marlon Kazadi on Leading New Feature Film - Exclusive Interview". Courageous Nerd. June 14, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
3. Médias, Groupe des Nouveaux. "Radio-Canada.ca | Information, radio, télé, sports, Arts et divertissement". Radio-Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved August 11, 2021.
4. "'Mank' leads Vancouver Film Critics nominations". AwardsWatch. February 21, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
5.“https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dan-aykroyd-chevy- chase-zombie-town-rl-stine-1235206863/ Hollywood Reporter, August 29, 2022. Retrieved Feb. 28, 2023.
6. “https://newyorkinternationalfilmawards.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/ 10/2021/05/WINNERS-NYIFA-APRIL-2021.pdf" New York International Film Awards, April 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
7. “https://www.ubcpactra.ca/ubcp-actra-awards-2021-nominees/#Lead-Male" UBCP Actra, April 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
8. "https://etcanada.com/video/0feee460-fe38-11ed-8175-0242ac110005/first-look-at-zombie-town/" Entertainment Canada, May 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023
9. "https://thegrio.com/2022/01/25/chained-marlon-kazadi-adrian-holmes-talk-interview/" The Grio, January 2023. Retrieved August 2015, 2023
10. "https://deadline.com/2021/12/noble-story-co-developing-the-heart-mender-gravitas-freestyle-acquisitions-film-briefs-1234884305/" December 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
11. "https://ici.radio-canada.ca/info/videos/1-8817604/un-francophone-au-coeur-zombie-town?isAutoPlay=1" August 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
12. "https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2260471875542" August 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
13. "https://collider.com/zombie-town-clip-dan-aykroyd/" September 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
14. "https://www.cbr.com/zombie-town-poster-dan-aykroyd-chevy-chase/" September 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
External links
- Marlon Kazadi at IMDb
- Marlon Kazadi at Insta