# Ashton Sanders

Ashton Durrand Sanders (born October 24, 1995) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of teenage Chiron in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight (2016). He has since acted in films such as The Equalizer 2 (2017), All Day and a Night (2020), and Judas and the Black Messiah (2020). He portrayed Bigger Thomas in Native Son (2019) and Bobby Brown in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022).

## Early life and education

Sanders was born in Carson, California. He attended Grand Arts High School in Downtown Los Angeles, from which he graduated in 2014. He was studying towards a BFA at The Theatre School at DePaul University, before leaving after three years in 2016 to focus on his acting career.

## Career

Sanders made his film debut in The Retrieval, directed by Chris Eska. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 11, 2013. It was released in a limited release on April 2, 2014, by Variance Films.
In 2015, Sanders had a small role in Straight Outta Compton. In 2016, he appeared in an episode of Refinery29's web series The Skinny.
The same year, Sanders appeared in the drama film Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins. The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2016, and began a limited release on October 21, 2016, by A24. Moonlight received massive critical acclaim as well dozens of accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture – Drama. The film also won three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali. Sanders' role in the film was praised by critics; Benjamin Lee of The Guardian called his performance "powerful".
Sanders co-starred in The Equalizer 2, a sequel to the hit action film The Equalizer, opposite Denzel Washington. In 2019, Sanders starred in Rupert Wyatt's science fiction thriller film Captive State, opposite John Goodman and Vera Farmiga. He also played the lead in HBO's adaptation of the novel Native Son. In November 2020, he was set to star in The Things They Carried, a Vietnam war movie featuring an ensemble cast.
In September 2021, Sanders was cast as Bobby Brown in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, a biopic feature on Whitney Houston.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2012 | Making Possibilities | Donnie | Short film Los Angeles Film and Script Festival Honorable Mention |
| 2013 | The Retrieval | Will | |
| 2015 | Straight Outta Compton | Kid on bus | |
| 2016 | Moonlight | Teen Chiron | Austin Film Critics Association Special Honorary Award for Best Ensemble Gotham Special Jury Award – Ensemble Performance Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss Nominated – Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor Nominated – Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2016 | We Home | Javan | Short film |
| 2016 | The Last Virgin in LA | Josh | Short film |
| 2018 | The Equalizer 2 | Miles Whittaker | |
| 2018 | The Kids Are Alright | Angel | Short film based on the Grammy-nominated album The Kids Are Alright by Chloe x Halle |
| 2019 | Native Son | Bigger Thomas | |
| 2019 | Captive State | Gabriel Drummond | |
| 2020 | All Day and a Night | Jahkor | |
| 2021 | Judas and the Black Messiah | Jimmy Palmer | |
| 2022 | Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody | Bobby Brown | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2016 | The Skinny | Tyler | Episode: "Squad" |
| 2019 | Wu-Tang: An American Saga | Bobby/The RZA | Series regular |
| 2022 | The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder | College Kareem (voice) | Episode: "When You Wish Upon a Roker" |