Meet Justin Hurtt-Dunkley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Hurtt-Dunkley.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Justin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Being an actor to most seems so far fetched as it did to I, but a wise man told me: “Nothing is really hard if you really want to do it.” And I owe a lot of my strength to my mother, being the one person that truly supports me in any and everything I want to do. The only must be to not play around and if I do it, leave no stone unturned, attack, and keep going which is what I intend to do.

I fell in love with acting at a young age watching movies and tv shows reenacting scenes out in my room by myself and to my mother. I love the emotions television and movies are able to spark on its viewers, how it can make one sad, happy, scared, inspired all in one sitting. I feel acting is a hack on life. You normally live a single life, but acting gives you the opportunity to live 1,000 lives. My mother took me to my first Broadway play as a kid to see The Lion King and I knew that was where I wanted to be.

When I was in high school, I began networking and started doing student, short, independent films, and background work anything I could get into that I had access to gain knowledge and experience in the field. My first speaking role on a television series was HBO’s How To Make It In America in 2009, then took a break as I went off to study higher education in Baltimore at Morgan State University. I studied marketing and later would find an offer after my internship for a career in Marketing at the prestigious Barclays Center, but the corporate world did not feed my appetite.

I declined and since 2015 have been working full time on my goal as an actor. Earlier this year, my biggest project to date, working with the legendary academy award winning director Steven Soderbergh (Oceans, 11, Traffic, Magic Mike) on the film “High Flying Bird” released globally on Netflix penned by the great Tarell McCraney (Moonlight) cast by the iconic Carmen Cuba. Working alongside some great actors I looked up to like André Holland, Bill Duke, Kyle MacLachlan and more was a such a great experience. This whole cast and crew became a big family. The same year I secured roles on NBC’s Blindspot, TBS’s record-breaking series The Last O.G. alongside Tiffany Haddish and Tracey Morgan, and BET’s Boomerang executive produced by Hallie Berry and Lena Waithe shot here in Atlanta.

I am currently working on a feature film now as well as tightening up some of my own projects to shoot on my own. I have no plans on stopping anytime soon. Things shall only get bigger and greater. Acting will always be number one, but I will also broaden my positions behind the camera and continue to sharpen my own productions learning to become an even stronger producer. Strengthening my team, and fill my aspirations for directing.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
“Nothing worth having comes easy.” I don’t want to reflect on the bumpy road, though there have been countless hardships on this journey and I have made a number of sacrifices to get where I am, I regret none of them.

The tussle builds me to who I am. They say “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger” right?
I believe the struggle make you appreciate the successes so much more. I believe it makes you more aware as to where you came from and causes you to have a stronger fight and responsibility to hold on to what you gained and not allowing anyone takes that light from you.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
This is something you can’t do your own and I could not sit here and lie and say I made it here by myself with no help or support. Really every one of my friends in the industry or not have helped me whether they know it or don’t. The support and encouragement from your peers help a great deal in this field.
Though first and foremost major shout out my mother Marlene Hurtt.

Also, I have to give a major shout out to Louis Stancil – we started out in the industry together in 2006 and have been tightly knit ever since. We have helped each other and have been present for each other’s successes from the start which is a beautiful thing to me. He is now partner with celebrity acting coach Dustin Felder running the ATL branch of his performing arts school Dfas Atlanta and I couldn’t be more proud of my brother. Shout out another actor bruv David Sommerville.

Major shout out my agents Chris and Tay in ATL. Shout out Jessica Hurtt, Vanessa Sanders, Chris Swain, Stan Adams, Shiek Mahmud-by, Kamaal Hill and each and every one of the supporters that follow me and re-post and share my work I love each and every one of them.

Contact Info:

• Email: bookingjustinhurttdunkley@gmail.com
• Instagram: @justinhurttdunkley
• Facebook: @justinhurttdunkley
• Twitter: @jhurttdunkley

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.