In the upcoming feature film Grayson’s Encounter, Knyght Darius Jack will be starring as Grayson, with Andre Colquhoun as director, and Knyght has recently won a Canadian Black Screen Award for Best Child Actor and been nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Youth Artist for his portrayal of Grayson. Further screen work for Knyght includes an episode of Blue’s Clues & You! last year, playing Marcus in the Fox crime drama anthology series Accused, playing Cayde in short film Found, and he has recently finished working on a lead role in an animated feature film Julián. Knyght chatted to us about starring as Grayson in the upcoming feature film Grayson’s Encounter, recently winning a Canadian Black Screen Award for Best Child Actor and working on episodes of Blue’s Clues & You! and Accused.

You play Grayson in the upcoming feature film Grayson’s Encounter, can you tell us about the film and your character?

Grayson’s Encounter is a beautiful feature film about an eight-year-old boy who desperately wants to visit his mother, but strange occurrences keep preventing him and his father from visiting. What are the strange occurrences? Well, you will need to watch the feature film to find out!

Was there anything that drew you to the role of Grayson and how did you feel booking the starring role?

What really got me excited about playing Grayson was his amazing story of growing up and being tough. Grayson goes through some really hard times, just like many of us do, and I felt a strong connection to what he experiences. It’s awesome to play a character who learns to be himself and faces challenges with courage.

Getting the lead role was the best moment ever! I felt super happy and thankful because it showed that all my hard work and dreams were finally coming true. I really hope that when people see me play Grayson, it helps them believe they can get through tough times too. In the end, it’s all about sharing hope and showing that anyone can chase their dreams if they really want to!

What was Grayson like to play and how did you prepare for filming?

Playing Grayson was super fun! He has such a cool personality that makes every scene exciting. I loved how he’s not just one thing. Sometimes he’s charming, and other times he’s a little mysterious.

To prepare for filming, I had to get to know my character and figure out who I was supposed to be. I read the script a bunch of times to understand the story better. I also had some private coaching to help me feel the emotions Grayson goes through, which helped me connect with him more. Plus, hanging out with the cast and crew before we started shooting made it super easy to have great chemistry on screen. I have to say, they were super fun to be around.

Overall, jumping into Grayson’s world was a total blast for me!

How was it meeting and working with the rest of the cast and being directed by Andre Colquhoun?

Again, it was super fun to meet and work with the cast. My fondest memory on set was when I asked the director, Andre Colquhoun, a question about the type of lens they were using in the middle of setting up an important scene. Instead of Andre dismissing me or getting angry, especially because I’m a kid, he answered me and told me the type of lens with a smile on his face. This made me so happy. It was like this throughout the process of filming, as he always listened to my questions and even ideas for my character. I’m so happy that I got to help bring his amazing vision to life.

What did you enjoy most about being on set of Grayson’s Encounter?

I’m very curious about how films are made, and I LOVED learning about behind the scenes and the equipment that was used. The 1st AC, Jason Lin, taught me how to use the equipment, keeping subjects in focus, and how continuity works on the two different monitors. The sound recordist, Jake Moss, taught me how to capture sounds and level things on the sound mixer. The gaffer, Nathan Reinholds (who everyone said is my lookalike when I grow up), taught me how to angle different lights and use strobe lights. The director, Andre Colquhoun, taught me how to use the behind-the-scenes camcorder, and I was able to go around the set to interview the cast and crew. I will forever cherish these moments.

You have recently won a Canadian Black Screen Award for Best Child Actor and been nominated for a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Youth Artist; how was it hearing the news?

So, here’s a funny story! I was just hanging out when my mom told me the AWESOME news. At first, I thought she was saying Grayson’s Encounter won another award, which happens a lot when you’re in a cool feature film like this. But then the light bulb came on — I won the award! For Best Child Actor! I was like, “Whoa!”. It was such a huge surprise! Winning the Canadian Black Screen Award was totally mind-blowing, and I couldn’t help but jump around with excitement!

And then BOOM! A domino effect. A few weeks later, I found out I was nominated for the Young Artist Award! Known as the Oscars for youth. I’m deeply honoured and can’t wait to meet all the talented nominees at the ceremony!

People think being an actor is all fun, but they don’t see the hard work behind the scenes. You have to miss out on things you love doing, and go to auditions and filming, which can be tough at times. But winning these awards makes it all worth it. I feel super grateful and excited for what’s coming next!

Why would you recommend watching Grayson’s Encounter?

Grayson’s Encounter has a super awesome message that can really help a lot of people who are struggling with unfortunate past events, especially kids. If people and kids cannot see characters in films and TV shows that look like them, that they can relate to, they might not think they can do great things in real life. Overcoming obstacles and much more. That’s why it’s important for people and kids to see stories they can connect with. Grayson’s Encounter provides that.

How did you find the experience filming as a Letter Kid in an episode of Blue’s Clues & You! last year?

Wow, what an awesome experience! Being a Letter Kid on Blue’s Clues & You! felt like jumping right into a show I loved as a kid. I got to be a ring tosser at the carnival, and guess what? I didn’t miss a single toss the whole time we were filming! Hahaha! Everyone was super impressed and couldn’t stop laughing at how good I was. It felt like being part of a big happy family, and we all just had a blast being creative and having fun. It’s definitely a memory I’ll never forget.

The coolest part? My little siblings watch Blue’s Clues & You! and they saw me in it, shocked. I can’t even describe how amazing it felt having them recognise me. We all had a good laugh.

In 2023, you played Marcus in the Fox crime drama anthology series Accused, how would you describe your character and how was Marcus involved in the episode’s storyline?

My character, Marcus, is just your average kid, but he has a little extra flair. He notices that his friend is chewing gum, which is totally against the rules, but hey, everyone does it, right? Then, out of nowhere, his friend starts choking! Now Marcus has to decide whether to tell the teacher or not. It’s a tough choice, and it’s kind of funny to think about!

Playing the role of Marcus was a blast! I loved seeing all of the cool stunts we did for that scene, and it was amazing how different everything looked once it was all put together.

Oh, and here’s a fun fact: my name is Knyght, and the teacher’s name in the show was Mrs. Knight! It was hilarious to be Knyght acting alongside a character named Knight. What are the odds? Ha!

What was it like playing Cayde in the short film Found?

Playing Cayde in the short film Found was a really special time for me. I learned a lot about life and the world around me while making this short film. It will always hold a special place in my heart. It was amazing to step into the shoes of a character who, even though he was homeless and didn’t have many toys or clothes like other kids, found happiness in the little things and just wanted a family.

One funny memory I have from filming is when I was sitting with my on-screen dad, and we were pretending to be homeless, asking for money. While the crew was getting ready for a scene, people walking by thought I was really a homeless kid and started putting money in our container! It was hilarious! Most of the film was actually made up of real moments we captured because the team was so great, and we all got along really well. Being part of something that connected with fans and showed the goodness in people was awesome. Overall, it was an unforgettable adventure and I enjoyed every second of it!

How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do?

As a kid, I always liked to do drama scenes. My mom noticed that I loved doing this and noticed I had an awesome memory. So, she put me into acting classes to see if I liked it. Next thing you know, it took off from there. This was something I was just so natural at, and it’s been so much fun ever since. I’ve learned an incredible amount in this crazy industry, and it’s hard to believe how it all got started.

What are some of your favourite films and TV shows to watch?

Ahhhhh! There are so many amazing films and TV shows out there. It’s so hard to choose, but here are a few of my favourites.

Films: Sonic (all three films), Henry Danger, Willy Wonka, Spider-Man (all three Marvel films), Super Mario, and good ol’ Home Alone. It’s my favourite Christmas movie!

TV shows: Squid Game, Hudson & Rex, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, Murdoch Mysteries, and any cooking shows. I absolutely love to cook!

How do you like to spend your free time?

LEGO, LEGO, LEGO!!! I really love LEGO. And obviously, playing with my many siblings. I’m grateful to have an amazing family.

Do you have a favourite aspect of being an actor?

Yes! Being true to yourself! I want kids to learn that kids who are different and have multiple uniqueness, like Autism, ADHD, OCD, and who are also BIPOC, can totally chase their dreams! I want everyone to understand that people can look and be different, but they can still express themselves through their art or whatever they’re really good at. It’s all about trying new things and showing the world the amazing things you can do.

What are you hoping this year brings for you and do you have any projects coming up that you can tell us about?

Lots of great opportunities, whether film, TV, or voiceover. I recently finished working on an animated feature film called Julián where I play the lead role. The feature film taught me a lot about my own culture and traditions, which is very important. I can’t wait to see everything finished! I also have more leading roles/projects in the works, but I can’t say.

You can check out my official website at knyghtdariusjack.com to stay up to date with my career!

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