HOUSTON – Like most 9-year-olds, Maceo Smedley spends a lot of time in his bedroom practicing layups.
But this young Houstonian's life is a little different than most kids. He's one of the stars of a new hit TV show called "Underground."
"I started off doing like little commercials little skits, stuff like that. Then, I just kept on getting a whole lot of calls for movies and TV shows on the way and now I'm here," Smedley said
The series, set in the 1850s on a Georgia plantation, depicts lives of slaves risking it all for freedom. Smedley's character, James, is the son of the plantation owner. It's a big role for the young actor who got his start in local commercials, one he admits he was nervous about his first day on set.
"Well, when I was on my way to set I had butterflies in my stomach. But once I got there, nice people were talking to me. I got pretty comfortable and then I just kept on going and going and I felt the routine," Smedley shared.
The show depicts the harsh realities of slavery, but Maceo says it has also been a history lesson for him.
"The underground railroad wasn't a real railroad. It was just a path to freedom; not only was it a path to freedom, but it helped the slaves hide from the paddyrollers so they could go ahead of them and they could just walk on," Smedley explained.
It comes as no surprise to his father, also named Maceo, that his son pursued the field of acting. But his quick rise to stardom was a little unexpected.
"When we first got into the business, I thought he would do a couple of commercials, be in a couple of magazines. So we never imagined that it would be this big," Smedley's father said.
And it will probably keep getting bigger. Maceo has rubbed elbows with John Legend, one of the executive producers of "Underground."
He's also looking forward to working with Angelina Jolie and Selena Gomez.
But for now, he's just a regular kid who likes snacking on hotdogs and bananas and telling a good joke or two.
I like making people laugh. I like cracking jokes. I like playing basketball. Football. Anything I see other people do, I want to do. That’s how I really started acting," Smedley added.
The second season of "Underground" is set to premiere in 2017 on WGN. But for now, fans can catch up with the series online.