Despite only being 30 years of age, Keiynan Lonsdale is quickly establishing himself as one of the most groundbreaking LGBTQ+ actors and musicians of our time.
After making waves for being an out gay actor portraying Kid Flash a.k.a. Wally West on The CW’s The Flash and then playing the main love interest in the gay coming-of-age comedy Love, Simon, Lonsdale has been giving us meaningful and visible representation in nearly all of his projects.
Now, the actor is once again breaking ground by getting cast on Starz’s Step Up television series and introducing an LGBTQ+ storyline to the show. During an interview with PRIDE, Lonsdale talked about joining the show in its third season, working with icons like Ne-Yo and Christina Milian, and working on new original music.
“I tend to join series or films the second or third time, it seems to be my pattern. So I’m used to that, in a sense,” Lonsdale told PRIDE. “In another sense, it’s like you’re going to a new school, but I really felt like I was welcomed and embraced.”
He continued, “And straight away, [we just got] right into the dancing. So it was like I’m working with some of the best of the best, and I realized my body was a little bit out of whack. (…) That level of dancing on an acting show, I hadn’t done since I was 18, 19. So it was just a lot mentally, physically. It demanded a lot, but that’s also what I loved about it.”
The third season of Step Up has a star-studded cast that includes Ne-Yo (Sage Odom) and Christina Milian (Collette Jones) in very prominent roles – which made things very exciting for Lonsdale as he joined the series. “Christina is just amazing and an icon, and Ne-Yo was such a big influence in me for my songwriting,” he recalled. “I still remember the first time seeing the ‘So Sick’ music video on TV with my friends while we were away at school camp. Just like, ‘What is this?’ So it was amazing to feel a part of the team, and to watch them work and to be able to also have fun. And getting to have Ne-Yo’s music throughout the show, I think is a really cool addition. So that was just nothing short of amazing.”
You can watch Keiynan Lonsdale’s full interview with PRIDE below.
Besides his role on Step Up, Lonsdale has also been working on new music. His debut studio album, Rainbow Boy, was released in 2020. This year, he released two new songs: “Better” and “Lonely Point of View.” So, is a new full-length album coming soon?
“Yeah, I’m making my second album now,” Lonsdale revealed. “It’s been taking most of my time. I’m very happy about it. All the songs are finished, so it’s just final stages now, and I’m working on visuals and what that looks like.”
He added, “I recorded [the album] between both Los Angeles and Sydney, Australia, so it’s got a mix of my two homes, musically and character-wise. Just I guess the lifestyle between the two different places. And it’s about love, which is really fun, and not at all confusing to explore. But I’m super excited.”
We’re loving Lonsdale’s role on Step Up, and we obviously can’t wait to listen to new music from this young legend!
Step Up season three airs Sundays on Starz.
