After the success of his debut film, Kauchani Bratt hopes to secure a career in acting.
Key Takeaways
- “Rez Ball” is Kauchani Bratt’s first job after graduating from UCSC in 2023.
- The 23-year-old actor has a Native American heritage and a real-life basketball background.
- The Netflix basketball film is the young actor’s first acting job.
Kauchani Bratt, the emerging actor currently trending for his debut film “Rez Ball,” is a UCSC alumnus who graduated in 2023 with a degree in philosophy.
In the Netflix basketball movie, Bratt plays Jimmy Holiday, a self-reliant high school senior and basketball player who works part-time to help his single mother with the rent.
Facing a devastating personal loss, Jimmy channels his efforts to lead his team, the Chuska Warriors, to victory.
Like his character, Bratt is of Native American heritage and is affiliated with the Quechua and Coahuiltecan Nations.
23-year-old Kauchani Bratt was raised in San Francisco and was a basketball enthusiast from a young age.
Bratt played for his high school’s varsity team for 3 years before joining the University of California, Santa Cruz.
He even led his team to win the Native American Basketball Invitational.
With aspirations of being a basketball player, Kauchani Bratt transferred from San Jose State to a junior college, but as the pandemic hit, he decided to hang up his basketball jersey for good.
The character of Jimmy Holiday was perfect for the young actor since the casting call was made for a “Native performer with basketball experience.”
In the interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Bratt said,
I never thought about acting. But I knew how groundbreaking and special this project was going to be. I thought to myself, ‘I just want to be a part of this,’ even if it was just as a background character.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
His lack of experience in acting did not deter Kauchani, and he took it upon himself to improve his skills by taking classes in his hometown of San Francisco.
Bratt’s portrayal of Jimmy Holiday was brilliant, with the film sitting at a comfortable 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Kauchani Bratt, who aspires to have a career in acting, has signed with a management company and aims to secure a role in a science fiction project.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- “Rez Ball” was produced by LeBron James’ “The SpringHill Company.”
- Kauchani’s uncle, Benjamin Bratt, is a fellow actor and helped him prepare for his role in the basketball film.
- The film is based on Michael Powell’s book “Canyon Dreams: a Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation.”
I thought he did an outstanding job.Great acting.
For not having any acting experience before this film, he did a phenomenal job! He’s a natural. I look forward to seeing Kauchani’s career soar! Big fan of his uncle Benjamin as well!