Xavier Roe

Hey there, I'm Xavier Roe. I'm an actor working and living in Chicago, Illinois and I was almost an aeronautical engineer. I remember growing up on the South side of Chicago staring at the stars and getting lost in the vast expanse of space. It was a wonderful escape. I recall watching TV, along with many plays and movies, where I did not see myself. I recall image after image, story after story that reinforced the idea that my role in society as a black man was to be the funny best friend or a background filler for diversity's sake, the gangster, or the monster- Imagery repeated so frequently that I needed to re-imagine myself as Caucasian in order to feel represented by people/characters that were "greater than". No longer. Living as a minority in this country and having to combat the stereotypes presented in media ignites a drive to reform the system which I fell victim to. I plan on challenging the traditional role of Black Americans and other marginalized peoples in the media by continuing to address the astounding lack of radical inclusion, creating beautiful diverse works of my own, and rethinking already established, artfully-crafted works. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the Theatre Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as trained as an Acting Apprentice at the American Players Theatre. I completed an Advanced On-Camera class at the Actors Studio Chicago with Janelle Snow and Jerry Kernion. Chicago Credits include productions with the Goodman Theater, Writers Theater, The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Teatro Vista, and Chicago Dramatists. Regional credits include The American Players theatre and the Illinois Shakespeare Theatre. TV credits include: the Illinois Lottery and Sears. I joined the Writers Theatre family as an Artistic/Education Intern with a focus in casting. I have worked with the Education Departments of multiple theaters including, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Writers Theatre, Teatro Vista, Definition Theatre Company, and Silk Road Rising. I have boundless love and adoration for my loving family and friends. I am represented by DDO Artist Agency (Chicago). Empathy is Essential, X