On My Block Actor Brett Gray Recently Launched His Musical Career: 7 Facts About the Netflix Breakout Star

American actor Brett Gray is best known for his breakout role as Jamal Turner on Netflix comedy series On My Block. The coming-of-age drama series won the Teen Choice Award for Breakout Show of 2018 and was in the list of the Netflix most binged show of 2018. 

Gray also had feature roles in television series as When They See Us and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Besides winning audience praise with his spectacular performance, he is also a talented singer-songwriter who has had years of experience in the world of musical theater. Let's look at seven interesting facts of Gray. 

7. How old is Brett Gray?

Brett Gray is 23 years old as of now. He was born on August 7, 1996, which makes his zodiac sign, Leo. 

He started acting at the age of 6, as an amateur artist in a school play. Gray's mother took him to the New Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia after learning his goal to be an actor. 

By seven, he was already doing a professional show, the first one being at the Academy of Music. Gray graduated with a theater degree in 2015 from The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. 

6. Where is Brett Gray From?

Gray is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he spent his formative years acknowledging his love for performing arts. He currently resides in New York.  

Relocating to New York, he felt most inspired but had hard times acclimatizing to his new surroundings for a few years. He said to Sheen Magazine. 

New York is a lot more fast-paced, and in a way, it is a bit more tough. I still sort of live in Philadelphia, and I say that both of the cities have their own kind of charm about them.

5. He is Active in Social Media

The 23 years old actor joined Twitter on June 2012. Currently, he has 218.5K followers on Twitter. Meanwhile, on Instagram, Gray has 2.1m followers. 

You can follow him on Instagram and Twitter to stay up-to-date with his latest projects. He goes by the username @iambrettgray on Instagram while his Twitter handle is @brettgray. 

4. Had an Episodic Role in When They See Us

Brett appeared as Clarence in the Emmy-nominated drama web television miniseries When They See Us alongside an ensemble cast, including Vera Farmiga and Felicity Huffman.

Shortly after graduation, Gray booked a lead role in The Radio City Music Spectacular in New York City. At the time, he also started his training with the Barrow Group.   

His first off-broadway play was Esai’s Table, after which he appeared in a lead role in the world premiere of musical Man In The Ceiling at the Bay Street Theater. 

​The 23 years old also had a small role in Gabourey Sidibe's directorial debut, The Tale of 4 and NBC's coming-of-age drama, Rise.

3. Released His Debut Single in 2018

Gray had always wanted to make his own music. But his musical endeavor came years later, only after heeding the advice of his friend who suggested Gray to try something new rather than covering other artists. 

Brett released his debut single Old Thing Back, ​on May 2018. Two months later, on his birthday, his debut EP 'Easy Daze' came out, which included five R&B tracks. In October 2018, the 23 years old dropped his most recent single, S.O.S.

2. Is the Lead Cast of Netflix's On My Block 

Brett Gray plays as Jamal Turner in the teen comedy-drama web television series On My Block. The show, which premiered on March 16, 2018, completed its third season on March 11, 2020.

Gray's character, Jamal, is introduced as the student of Freeridge High School along with other main characters. He is the nerd of the group and is utterly indiscreet but also remains an optimistic member of the core four. 

The series also stars Sierra Capri, Jason Genao, Diego Tinoco, Jessica Marie Garcia, Ronni Hawk, Emilio Rivera, Peggy Blow, and many more.

1. On My Block Marks His First Foray Into Comedy 

Before the teen drama, Gray had only done projects which involved using his musical talent. However, when his agent approached him with the role of Jamal Turner, a 'hyperactive' nerd of the show, the 23 years old was more than happy to transition into the comedy genre. In an interview with The Fader magazine, Brett exclaimed, 

"Because it was my first comedy, I didn't know how to balance the drama and comedy of the show fully yet; thank God we had the direction of Lauren Iungerich. But it was so much fun and I think I played the best character because I got to do all the fun stuff."