Devon Terrell

Devon Terrell Currie (born 23 October 1992), known as Devon Terrell, is an American-Australian actor best known for portraying a young Barack Obama in the 2016 biographical film Barry.

Early life and education

Terrell was born in Long Beach, California to an African-American father and Anglo-Indian mother (neé Saxby). At age 5, he moved to Perth, Australia, growing up in Forest Lakes. He attended Edith Cowan University, specialising in drama education. He graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 2013.

Career

Terrell's first role was in the Steve McQueen series for HBO, Codes of Conduct, which was canceled after the pilot was filmed. Terrell then sought an audition for Barry, feeling an affinity for Obama as both are of mixed race. He said that, when once asked at age 19 what his "dream role" was, it was to portray Obama.

To prepare for the role, he worked with a dialect coach and watched Obama's speeches to master his accent and manner of speaking. He also trained himself to portray the left-handed Obama, including learning how to write and play basketball with his left hand. He received praise for his portrayal when the trailer for the film was released.

Filmography