By Fidele Lungieki
A 12-year-old boy walks into an audition on a whim, unaware that the moment is about to change his entire life.
Khalil Madovi got the part of Josh Carter in CBBC series 4 O’Clock Club and ended up winning the Children’s BAFTA for Best Performer in 2012.
“I knew that in one stage of my life, I would want to try that world.” With a father who ran an acting agency, he soon got the chance to.
Now 28, and an award-winning music artist and actor, he describes his experience being in the performing arts industry as ‘magical’. Despite being in the creative arts world from a young age, and facing a few difficulties in his professional career, his love and passion for music and acting has always kept him going.
“Within creative processes, there are moments of magic that you encounter, like another building block of whatever you’re making has just been laid.” He described those moments as a ‘beautiful essence.’
Madovi, probably still best known for his role in 4 O’Clock Club, had always had his heart set working in the acting field. He said it was an ‘impactful’ experience having worked on a black-led series, written by a black man. Working at 4 O’Clock Club with other black actors became his ‘safe space’ as he never experienced encounters of racism or prejudice for who he was. He was always encouraged and was able to be his genuine self and felt comfortable in the midst of people who resembled him.
Madovi was shocked when he won the BAFTA children’s award for it back in 2012. It was a surreal experience for him to be nominated with people he also grew up watching on TV and was ‘very grateful’ to have received such an honorary award.
Being a young black boy, however, was not always easy for Madovi, having grown up attending a predominantly white all-boys grammar school in Manchester. He felt restricted in who he was and struggled to be his authentic self. Being a child star at a prestigious school, was overlooked, as being extraordinary was the norm. He wasn’t recognised for his talents nor his accomplishments and as a result felt unseen.
Nevertheless, Madovi had always found peace in performing arts, and chose to continue down that path and study it in further education. After having finished university, during the peak of COVID-19 and with writers going on the US Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strikes, acting opportunities had come to an all-time halt, inspiring him to take the initiative and pursue the next step in his creative career.
In 2021, Madovi functioned as a key collaborator in theatrical film Can I live co-directed by Simon McBurney and Daniel Bailey. Not only did he act in the film, but he also operated as the musical director and composer. Finding endless means to express himself creatively, Madovi discovered it was undoubtedly something he wanted to pursue, leading him to compose and sound design for his next project – Red Pitch.
Finding his calling within acting, music and sound design, Madovi found that it became an outlet for him, articulating himself through his work, in whatever format it came.
“Storytelling is a thing I’ve discovered I’m most passionate about, I’m gifted and that I’ve put into use.” He called it his ‘forte and strength.’
Madovi said his faith played a huge role throughout his time in his performing arts career, carrying him through every ordeal. One thing he had to overcome was battling himself. His ego and insecurities made it difficult for him to navigate his 20s, but he found that ‘knowing when to submit to the Lord’ was a significant part of finding balance.
“I wasn’t built to operate without God being the centre of everything that I do; God is my source and my inspiration, and I give him all the glory.”
One challenge he admits to facing is his relationship with time. Having been an ambitious child star, there were many things he had hoped to accomplish by a certain age, feeling he had to have done so within a ‘certain window of time.’
Similar mental pressures came from the arts industries and weighed down on him, making it difficult for him to navigate. The industry tends to be harsh on artists who are more profitable within a certain age bracket. Although this encourages artists to be more enterprising, it can also have detrimental effects on their mental health.
Madovi recently took part in 27 CLUB, a collection of songs sung by multiple artists, referencing musicians who have died at 27. His involvement follows a dystopian interpretation of Greek mythology figure, Icarus. Part one was released in March last year with part two released in September.
He has also tackled his first acting role again for quite a while, at London’s Shakespeare Globe in Deep Azure – a play originally written by Chadwick Boseman in 2005. The story follows a young black woman with an eating disorder, grieving the loss of her partner who was wrongfully shot by a police officer. Going from being technical crew to being back on the stage again, Madovi said: “It’s a pleasure to be able to provide that sort of inspiration and deliver that sort of power to people.”
One Monday in March, the Globe had its very first black out night, where a show centred around a black story invites a black only audience. Madovi said he was immensely gratetful to have been a part of such an opportunity, impacting many people.
“That magic exchange, between you and art, the feeling you get from making stuff, the fact I can give that feeling to people is what keeps me going,” he added.
