Speedy Cardinal Gibbons student on track to make feature film debut in 2023

Life is a marathon, not a sprint, but things are moving quickly for a talented young man in Raleigh who has his sights set on the big screen in 2023.

The multitalented Jaden Lucas Miller, an accomplished sprinter in the track circuit and burgeoning actor, is not staying in one lane.

The 17-year-old Miller will play a key role in a feature film "Not Another Church Movie," directed by James Michael Cummings and Johnny Mack. During filming, Miller found himself beside household names like Mickey Rourke, Tisha Campbell, Vivica A. Fox, Kyla Pratt and Kevin Daniels for the role.

"Some people were amazed...even the teachers are like 'you're in a movie, dude,'" he said of the reception at Cardinal Gibbons High School, where he's a junior.

Miller has dabbled in modeling, dancing and theater. Over the last two years, he's come into his own enough to grow confident in his acting ability.

"I had an entertainment personality but I was shy," Miller said. "As I'm getting older, I'm starting to break out of my shell more and more."

Miller said he didn't expect to win the part, but got a couple hints from the staff that he was a top candidate after auditioning. He auditioned for roles with big productions like Space Jam: A New Legacy and Till, but was not selected.

Eventually, a thrilling phone call changed everything.

"My agent called me and said 'well, hello, Michael Jr,'" he said.

In the movie, Miller plays the role of Michael Jr., a devoted basketball player with NBA dreams scraping by with his mother in a less fortunate home life while battling teenage temptations.

"I can relate to him," Miller said. "He wants to come back and help his mother."

Miller got the chance to brush elbows with the stars like Pratt and Williams while filming in Savannah, Georgia. He said they inspired him with positive reinforcement and uplifting messages.

"When I met Kyla, I thought she was going be all bougie," Miller said. "She came up to hug me."

Because of his athleticism, Miller said he didn't have to work on his basketball skills too much for the role. In Raleigh, he shows off his speed competing in the 400 and 800-meter dashes on the Crusaders' track squad. He's won the conference in the 400 and has broken the 50-second mark in the event. He might get some of that skill from his mother, Georgia Miller, who ran track herself at St. Augustine's University.

In 2020, he was in a commercial for NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson and has done voiceover work.

Getting lost in a role and evolving a character is the appeal for Jaden, who hopes to major in psychology when he graduates high school. His mother said he's an A-B student.

"I like the psychological part of it," Miller said of acting. "You're developing a character and enhancing their objectives and knowing their arc, to be able to see it on screen, it's just magical."

The movie is slated for a spring release. You can follow Jaden's journey on Instagram (@jadenmiller05).