Darcel Rockett
Most families try to avoid drama. The Rawlins family embraces it — drama of the theatrical variety, that is.
If you ventured to Victory Gardens Theater in the last few weeks, you would have set eyes on Michael Anthony Rawlins in “Moon Man Walk.” And if you made a trip to the Goodman Theatre this past holiday season to take in the 40th anniversary of “A Christmas Carol,” you probably saw Kei Rawlins, 9, in his professional stage debut as a Cratchit/Turkey Boy.
And the woman in their lives — Michael’s wife and Kei’s mom — is not to be left out. If you watch the credits on the TV series “Chicago Fire,” the name Denise Taylor-Rawlins scrolls by. The former actress turned film and TV production accountant still keeps a foot in the biz by making sure the Hollywood math adds up.
The entertainment industry is a family affair, and according to the tight-knit family, they wouldn’t have it any other way. When talking about their uniqueness, Michael Rawlins mentioned DNA might factor into his son’s pursuits.
“To the manner born, I say,” he said. “I say as a parent, knowing that can sound a little braggadocious, but as somebody who has worked in the industry a long time and who’s worked with kids, he (Kei) has wowed me on more than one occasion; his instincts – comedic and dramatic — leave me at a loss for words. I got to think a little of it is DNA and little of it is just who he is.”
Donning a “Stranger Things” T-shirt with the saying “Friends Don’t Lie,” Kei smiles and mentions his next gig, playing CJ for the Chicago Children’s Theatre’s production of “Last Stop on Market Street” this spring. He said that audition only entailed one callback, as opposed to the numerous ones for “A Christmas Carol” and Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s “Macbeth.” The young thespian’s television work can be seen on commercials for Sprint, RainSoft, T. Rowe Price and the Chicago soda tax campaign. When asked if he felt a lot of pressure in the myriad auditions, Kei said, no.
The package deal that is the Rawlins family began when Michael Rawlins saw “Mary Poppins” with his mother in London. In awe, Rawlins took to theater in his youth. His late father, a former electrician at the famous Pinewood Studios shared his love of film with his son, so when the Rawlins family moved to Canada, Michael followed his passion.
His drive to act eventually led him to a recurring role in Season 3 of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” as Jordan Bonner, in the early ’90s. A number of film and TV roles followed, including Showtime’s “Total Recall 2070.” During his career, which took him from Canada to the United States and back, Rawlins met his then-actress wife, and the rest is history.
Kei came into the world in Toronto. And the family moved to Los Angeles when Kei was 18 months old. Taylor-Rawlins’ segue toward numbers led her to opportunities with NBC’s “The Blacklist” in New York and the local Dick Wolf production of “Chicago Fire.”
“We’d both been to New York, but we’d never been to Chicago. So here we are for the past three years,” Rawlins said. “I didn’t picture myself living in a cold city again, but it was a great opportunity for my wife, and my son has done very well here. Chicago has a great reputation for theater. A lot of great talented artists come out of Chicago. I’m trying to drink as much of y’all’s water as possible,” Rawlins jokes.
Kei already has fans. His smile is ear to ear when he remembers audience members from the Goodman wanting to take a picture with him after a performance. His father manages his career, and that includes keeping up with Kei’s studies when he’s not in school.
“My job is to balance the business side of show business with the fun side, so that it remains fun for him. Otherwise why at 9 or younger would you want to pursue it? Money is not a pursuit of most children,” he said.
In between managing Kei, Michael auditions for roles that reflect the black experience. He read for Spike Lee when he was in Chicago for “Chi-Raq.” He’s a fan of “Black Panther’s” Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay — both of whom, he would like to work with because of what they are doing for the black community in film. He’s also having a TV pilot shopped around — a pilot that centers on families and people of color.
“As a black artist, there are still so many stories to be told about us that haven’t been told in all our many hues,” he said. “I think we have a responsibility to take on roles that reflect our experience, and even though we have come a long way, there is so much farther to go. That’s what I try to look for in a script — something that’s going to uplift and educate and move us forward.”
Kei’s parents come together to talk about and choose his roles, as well.
“We discuss what roles he’s doing and what they represent in our community before he auditions, as we would like to put a positive foot forward to combat what are still too many negative media images,” Taylor-Rawlins said.
Their family life may revolve around theater, TV and films, but their foundation is just that — family. Kei wants to work with his father and mother on a project in the future, and if that takes them to the set of “Stranger Things” for Season 3 or “Stranger Things: The Movie,” all the better, says Kei.
“I think Gaten Matarazzo is the best actor on the show and the cutest actor,” Kei hints.
No matter what they do in the future, the Rawlinses are a package deal — a unique package.
“We’ll take that,” Michael Rawlins says.
