8 Things To Know About Aaron Pierre, The 'Rebel Ridge' Actor On Everyone’s Radar

Aaron Pierre stands at a towering height of 6'3''.

Aaron's good looks and striking blue-gray eyes aren't the only physical attributes that have viewers captivated, it's also his stature. At 6'3'', Aaron spoke about how important it is to work with filmmakers in his career who understand that "physicality is not indicative of emotional intelligence" has been in his career so far.

When asked what attracted him to his Rebel Ridge character Terry Richmond, the actor told Men's Health:

"Jeremy [Saulnier] had written Terry Richmond with an elite, intimidating level of physical prowess. At the same time, he is so centered, grounded, and emotionally intelligent. That he paired those traits—and arguably made a statement in doing so—was exciting. Something highlighted to me, early in my journey, was my height and my size; I was told that some people may not be able to envision me as a character with the capacity to be emotionally intelligent."

Yes, his baritone voice is glorious, but did you know Aaron Pierre is also British?

Aaron was born and raised in London. According to IndieWire, Aaron grew up around "culturally diverse children from immigrant families" in public housing in West Croydon. His environment ignited within him the drive to follow his desires in the pursuit of his calling.

"How all of us in that area were raised was, ‘It’s plan A or plan A. If you want something, you have to put all your eggs in one basket, and that way at least you know for certain whether it was your calling in life. And that’s a really scary thing to do."

Aaron's known to do a monologue or two.

Though the camera loves him, Aaron's first love is the stage. In fact, Aaron, who describes himself as "a nerd," studied playwrights like William Shakespeare and John Steinbeck and got lost in the pages of Greek tragedies. Aaron got his first taste of theater through a high-school production where he acted as a narrator.

Years later, he studied at Lewisham College in London for two years before training in Toronto and then an additional three years at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art. Aaron went on to star in Othello in 2018, gracing the Globe Theatre in London as Cassio.

What is Aaron Pierre's ethnicity?

When it comes to his ethnicity, Aaron resembles the melting pot he grew up in. Aaron is of Jamaican, Sierra Leonian, and Curaçaoan descent. His mother is Jamaican, and his father is Curaçaoan-Sierra Leonian. The English actor is also the eldest child of three siblings.

He is 'deeply in love' with martial arts. 

Aaron's martial arts affinity goes beyond what you see in the movies. In fact, the actor shared with Men's Health that not only is he a "student of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing," but that he is also "deeply in love with martial arts." He continued, "What I love about martial arts is, firstly, how deeply humbling it is. I love the family. I love the camaraderie. It feels like a unit or a team."

His top four favorite films are just as layered as he is.

Per an interview with Letterboxd, Aaron revealed some of his favorite movies in their recurring series, "Four Favorites." The Brother actor named The Departed, American Gangster, The Lion King, and the feature directorial debut of his frequent collaborator, Barry Jenkins, Medicine for Melancholy as his "Four Favorites."

Aaron is best friends with Kelvin Harrison Jr.

To be young, Black, and in Hollywood is probably not the easiest path to navigate, but luckily, Aaron has a best friend in fellow actor and frequent collaborator Kelvin Harrison Jr. Kelvin dished to IndieWire about his support system in Aaron:

“Aaron’s always looking out for my best interest and making sure I feel safe and empowered, and I think a lot of that comes from how his parents raised him and his sense of identity. He has a very strong sense of where he’s come from, and that fuels a lot of it. He’s not taking on roles to figure himself out.”

Aaron and Kelvin both starred in Genuis: MLK/X as the civil rights icons themselves and will also star as Mufasa and Scar in the forthcoming live-action Lion King prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King.

Aaron Pierre says he got into the best shape in his life to play Terry Richmond.

In preparation for his character Terry Richmond, Aaron pushed his body to Marine Corps shape, and the work continued while filming on location in Louisiana. Per Men's Health, thanks to a warehouse set up by the director, Aaron was putting in work with "grappling mats, boxing bags, gloves, pads, wraps" and, of course, some weights. In the process of getting into action hero shape, he also did extensive weapons training and became a yoga fan. He added:

"We would spar. We would practice choreography. We would do drills. It was strength training, but I had to really work on being dynamic. This was one of the first times it fully set into me that flexibility is a strength, because without flexibility, you can’t engage with your strength to its fullest capacity. That’s one of the things I learned from this and have doubled down on since then. I’m a big Yin Yoga lover now."

We love a man who knows there's strength in flexibility.

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