Student Spotlight Featuring André Holland, MRPL ’25

Under the lights of the Globe Theatre in London, the renowned home of Shakespeare, a young André Holland, MRPL ’25, performed a monologue from Richard II after winning a student competition. Holland described this moment as a “religious experience.” Years later, Holland played Othello on that same stage; he recalls being struck by the “inherent connection” he felt between his experiences with community in the church and his experiences honoring shared humanity through the arts. 

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Holland grew up in a Pentecostal church where religious service ran in his family. His grandfather was a preacher, and his father ministered throughout his life. At age 12, Holland started performing at his local community theater with the encouragement of his mother. He went on to earn an MFA in acting at New York University. 

Building on his work in theater, Holland fell in love with film and television—using discernment to collaborate with directors who were “conscious, aware, and asking big questions.” Working on major motion pictures like Ava DuVernay’s Selma (2014) and Brian Helgeland’s 42 (2013), which starred the late Chadwick Boseman, Holland saw firsthand how film can go “beyond just being entertainment with the power to affect people’s lives in meaningful ways.” Offscreen, Holland worked with nonprofits, such as the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and he realized that his calling to be an actor connected to his work as an organizer—with both roles dedicated to bringing community together. 

Holland began his journey at Harvard Divinity School in 2024 intending to exclusively study religion. However, Holland soon discovered that one of his favorite aspects of the University was having access to a wide variety of courses. “I had the opportunity to learn about religion from an array of brilliant HDS professors,” he says, “as well as the opportunity to study African American literature with the legendary Henry Louis Gates, Jr.” Holland says he deeply appreciates the range of perspectives and depth of knowledge found at HDS and across Harvard.  

In a full-circle moment, Holland dedicated his MRPL thesis project to his father. He explains: “I wrote a solo show that I performed in a beautiful chapel over at the Business School. The piece was largely about my father, his spirituality, and his life. Before he passed away, I mentioned that I was curious about the Divinity School, and he encouraged me to apply.” Noting his nerves as he began the intimately personal show, Holland shares: “This performance felt like a chance to honor my father—and to honor my own time and experience at HDS in front of the community that I had built throughout the year.” 

Since graduating in May, Holland says his discernment has deepened: “I had this idea that there’s an innate discernment in everything I do, but now I feel like I’ve gained the language, knowledge, and relationships to better articulate big ideas—like why religious literacy in film and media matters.” This fall, Holland returned to Harvard as a fellow at the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, continuing his exploration of how the arts, education, and community engagement can help advance the vision of a just world at peace. 

Banner photo courtesy of André Holland, MRPL ’25