(Mashable) – Jaden Smith is taking a break from providing Twitter wisdom to do some work on Baz Luhrmann’s period music drama The Get Down.
According to a description provided by Netflix, Smith will play the role of 18-year-old Marcus “Dizzee” Kipling, a “psychedelically talented and enigmatic graffiti writer raised in the South Bronx.” The show takes place in 1970s New York City and follows a ragtag group of South Bronx teens.
“We as an audience have known Jaden since he was very young. Recently, Jaden has been seeking diverse and challenging roles and this is a testament to his passion to grow in the craft,” Luhrmann said in a statement. “In the short time he has joined our acting family, he has begun developing his The Get Down skill set, even taking lessons from the legendary graffiti artist Lady Pink of ‘Wild Style’ fame, as well as steeping himself in the history and culture of the Bronx.”
Smith joins a cast that also includes Sons of Anarchy alum Jimmy Smits (who plays “Francisco Cruz” aka “Papa Fuerte”), Justice Smith (Paper Towns), Shameik Moore (Dope), Skylan Brooks (The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete) and newcomers Tremaine Brown Jr. and Herizen Guardiola.