Heavy/Pixabay After years of Hollywood rejections, one actor has finally landed at Hallmark
When Hallmark premieres its newest Mahagony title, “Spring Breakthrough,” on April 30, 2023, at least one of its stars will be breathing a huge sigh of relief. Rising star Akono Dixon says the movie marks his first-ever leading role after years of honing his acting skills, landing smaller roles, and refusing to give up despite nearly 200 audition rejections.
The 28-year-old Mississippi native has said in recent interviews that he’s thrilled to be appearing as soon-to-be-married Shawn, a positive and upbeat character who’s the polar opposite of his most recent roles, including a character billed as an “Agitated Young Man” in Eddie Murphy’s “Dolemite Is My Name” and a recurring role as drug dealer Andre on the CW network’s “All American.”
Despite struggling with a speech impediment as a kid, Dixon told the Desoto Times he dreamed of becoming an actor from the time he was five and saw other kids on a TV commercial.
“I always felt that if others can do it, so can I,” he said, refusing to give up no matter how hard things got on the way to achieving his dream.
Akono Dixon Moved to New York City With Just $80
Hallmark“Spring Breakthrough” co-stars Rhyon Nicole Brown and Akono Dixon
In Hallmark Movies & Mysteries’ “Spring Breakthrough,” Dixon is one of four lead actors. In the role of endlessly upbeat Shawn, he and Rhyon Nicole Brown play a young engaged couple trying to gain the approval of her stressed-out mom, played by Keesha Sharp, who unexpectedly falls for Shawn’s godfather, played by Demetrius Grosse.
Dixon told The Knocturnal that his character is not only different than any other character he’s played but that he was inspired by Shawn’s positivity and empathy.
He said, “His energy is so uplifting, he’s literally a walking Hallmark card — filled with so much love, so much human connection, so much vulnerability. He’s just amazing.”
Dixon told the Memphis Commercial Appeal that since his first name – Akono — means “my opportunity” in Nigerian, landing the Hallmark movie felt like a destined opportunity to shine in his first leading role.
“Come on, man, can we talk about ‘alignment’?” he asked. “To be working with a company whose mentality and movies and cards and essence are all about love and all about connection, I’m a big believer in all of that.”
Dixon said he’s always trusted everything would work out for him, ever since he first left home a decade ago. Three days after graduating from high school, he boarded a Greyhound bus for New York with $80 in his pocket.
“I lived in a hostel,” he recalled. “It was rat-infested and roach-infested, but I was really determined. My parents weren’t too happy.”
He did book a few modeling jobs, but returned home to attend classes at Ole Miss when entertainment jobs weren’t materializing, he said. But he couldn’t shake the deep desire to act, so he eventually returned to New York to keep auditioning. When he finally landed a small part in a 2017 true crime reenactment series called “I, Witness,” he caught the eye of an agent in Hollywood who encouraged him to move to Los Angeles, which he did.
Facing fierce competition and not knowing anyone in L.A., Dixon still faced one audition rejection after another, he told the Commerical Appeal. He estimates he auditioned for — and didn’t get — 180 roles by the time he finally landed a small part in Murphy’s 2019 movie. That was the jumpstart his career needed, he said, because he’s continued to book a wide variety of roles ever since.
Akono Dixon Says He Felt Like Getting an Offer From Hallmark Was a Dream
Dixon is thrilled to have landed not only in a Hallmark movie, but in one of its recently-launched Mahogany titles — a film extension of the Hallmark Mahogany greeting card line that has honored and celebrated Black culture for more than 30 years, according to Forbes.
“Hallmark is such an iconic brand,” Dixon told the DeSoto Times. “What I like about Mahogany is we are seeing how to live life through the lens of African-American culture. I think that is so powerful and I am so grateful to be working with a company that is doing this. I’m in love with it.”
When his manager called with an offer from Hallmark, Dixon told Media Village, he could hardly believe it and asked if he was in a dream.
“I felt an overwhelming ocean of gratitude,” he recalled. “I was actually at my parents’ home, and walked into my mom’s bedroom and said, ‘Mom, guess what just happened?’ She screamed and was almost in tears. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is actually happening, and I leave a couple of days.’ Everyone was just so excited about it.”
Dixon told the outlet he’ll be watching the premiere of “Spring Breakthrough” at a viewing party back home with his family.
“We’re all going to a local country club where the owner loves Hallmark movies,” he said. “(My) entire town, and cities in North Mississippi, Memphis and even from the Delta, are traveling to watch. We’re expecting hundreds of people. It’s going to be a very grateful, abundant, uplifting experience that I’m really excited about.”
“Spring Breakthrough” premieres on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on April 30 at 7 p.m. Eastern time.