Xavier Smalls didn’t grow up dreaming of acting. In fact, while attending Sacramento State, the Sacramento native was on track to become an orthodontist. That changed when he enrolled in an acting class for extra credit.

“I was shaking in my boots. I was just so nervous,” Smalls recalled about his first time performing.

That experience would alter the course of his life. He switched his major to acting, completed his degree, and later moved to New York to further develop his craft.

“The adrenaline rush I got from acting reminded me of football or sports,” he says. “I was like, ‘You know what? I like this. Let me keep doing it.’”

That decision led him to opportunities few could have predicted. Smalls’ talent eventually caught the attention of Tyler Perry, earning him roles in multiple p

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