Asante Duah Ma’at, known professionally as Asante Blackk, has garnered a massive fan following his role in This Is Us. A talented actor, Blackk comes from a family of artists and social workers.  

His Parents Are Couple Counselors

Blackk was born and raised in Maryland to parents Ayize and Aiyana Ma’at. Both his parents are psychotherapists and clinical social workers.

The Ma’ats have been together for 24 years and are now helping others through their own experience. They have a website, YouTube channel, and social media handles.

Through these mediums, they try to help as many people as they can. Their content is centered on marriage and relationship advice.

Blackk also has four siblings, as is evident from his parents’ Instagram handle. They like to post pictures with their children on New Year’s and other holidays. 

Blackk’s Extended Family Is Also Packed With Social Activists

Aside from his parents, many of Blackk’s extended family are counselors, social activists, and preachers. 

Moreover, his family is artistically inclined. While his mother’s form of art is singing, his father is a poet. His grandfather, Dennis Wiley, is also an adept songwriter and musician.

Furthermore, Blackk’s uncle is Rashar Morton, a graphic design artist, and one of his aunts is Samira Wiley, the Emmy-award-winning actress. 

The Acting Bug Bit Him At A Young Age

The 19-year-old actor started acting at the age of 6. He was chosen to play Mowgli in The Jungle Book in 2008. In high school, he joined the school theater and continued to hone his skills through acting and theater classes. 

In freshman year, he starred in Father Knows Best as Bud and Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory as Charlie. The same year, he was signed by a talent agency. He did other roles in high school, including Harry, the Horse in Guys And Dolls, and Montgomery in Fame.

He also won the ‘Most Promising Actor Award’ at the Maryland Thespian Festival and was the North Point High School Theater Club’s President in 2018-2019.

The Acting Bug Bit His Father Too

Blackk stars alongside his father in the new Netflix series, Social Distance, released in 2020. It was papa Ma’at’s first-ever acting gig.

Asante Blackk and father

Asante Blackk and his father filming Social Distance (Source: HollywoodLife)

In an interview, Blackk revealed how thrilled he was about the entire experience. The Primetime Emmy Award-nominated actor admitted that he never thought he’d be acting alongside any of his immediate family members, especially his father.

Talking about how his father landed the role, he explained that his aunt Samira Wiley made it happen. The series’s creator contacted her to see if Blackk and his father would be interested in doing it.