LOS ANGELES, March 4 — The young American actor will play the son of Will Smith’s character in the sequel to the science-fiction blockbuster, which Roland Emmerich will return to direct. But who is Jessie Usher?
Just after turning 23, the actor has picked up a major role in “Independence Day 2,” which will also star Liam Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum. In the follow-up to the 1996 film, Jessie Usher will play Dylan Hiller, the son of the alien-fighting pilot Captain Steve Hiller, played by Will Smith two decades ago.
Is Usher headed for a career as glorious as that of his predecessor? In 1996, the blockbuster marked a turning point for Smith, transforming him from a beloved TV celebrity to an extremely bankable Hollywood star. “Independence Day” earned US$800 million (RM2.91 billion) at the global box office, becoming the second most lucrative film in history at the time, behind “Jurassic Park.”
Like Smith, Usher got his start on the small screen. But while the former became a household name in the first half of the 1990s as the star of NBC’s “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” the latter is still a relatively unknown cable TV actor.
Usher currently plays the lead on Starz comedy “Survivor’s Remorse,” which premiered last October and has been picked up for a second season. Produced in part by NBA star LeBron James, the series centers on Cam Calloway, a basketball player who moves to Atlanta with his family after signing a multi-million dollar contract with a pro team.
The role in “Independence Day 2” represents both a challenge and a huge opportunity for Usher, who has seldom appeared on the silver screen in the past, and only in smaller roles in less widely distributed films (“Beautiful Boy” and “When the Game Stands Tall”). For this new undertaking, the actor will be directed by Roland Emmerich and will share the screen with Liam Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum.
Hemsworth, who is known for his role as Gale in the “Hunger Games” franchise, will play the son-in-law of the former US president played by Bill Pullman in the first film. Jeff Goldblum will reprise his role as an IT analyst. — AFP-Relaxnews
