en Darnell Appling was in elementary school, his love for the TV show, Family Matters, resonated with him. He told everyone that one day he was going to act just like Steve Urkel did in the show.
The former East Cleveland resident didn’t know how he was going to get from the Shaw High School marching band to Hollywood, but he knew he had to try.
Appling moved to Hollywood and after some trying and odd jobs, became the executive assistant for TV and film star Zendaya. What Appling didn’t know was that his choices would land him in the right place at the right time.
His looks have always been noticed, his flare for fashion has always kept him in the conversation. But he didn’t know it would get him noticed as he was doing his job.
He walked onto the set of Challengers, while they were doing a camera test, to offer Zendaya some coffee. That turned into an audition for Appling.
“I was just doing my job when they asked me if I would be interested in playing a role in the movie,” Appling said. He got the opportunity to be in the film and is enjoying the success that being in Challengers has brought him.
For Zendaya to allow him to be in her film says a lot about her and their relationship. “Our relationship is very important to me and I get emotional thinking about her kind gesture towards me to allow me to take this role,” Appling said.
Appling’s story comes from a place of dreams. But it also comes from a place of hard work and patient. His efforts to be a good and kind person have opened doors for him that he always knew he could open.
When the premiere of Challengers came to Cleveland, Appling’s friends and family were there to support him. “I had my 4th-grade teacher come to the premiere because she inspired me from a very young age that I could be whatever I want,” Appling said.
His teacher, along with thirty-five members of his family, got to see his dream come true. Appling is proof that a dream spoken can lead to a dream realized. ●
