For those of us with a dream, rejection can at times feel like death. Hearing “no,” especially when it’s tied to something you deeply desire, can either break you or build you. For actor and singer Devin Bowles, he’s learned firsthand that even rejection can be a blessing along the pathway to greatness.
Growing up, Devin just knew he was going to the NFL to play ball. Coming from a family of athletes, it wasn’t until he had surgery as a young man and had to take time to rest that he discovered his love for singing. What started in his living room quickly grew into choir, school musicals, and eventually a desire to pursue acting at the collegiate level. That shift marked the beginning of learning how life can redirect you when the original plan calls you to pivot.
He continued refining his skills and later found himself doing theme park work at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. From there, he landed a role as the “Seasons of Love” soloist in the Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning musical Rent in Washington, D.C., a moment that helped solidify his trajectory. After Rent, he had the confidence and intuition to move to New York and fully pursue his dream.
Shortly after arriving, he booked Kinky Boots Off-Broadway and was eventually introduced to the creatives behind MJ the Musical. When auditions opened, he put his hat in the ring, and after seven callbacks, still heard “no.” It was the kind of rejection that could have stopped him in his tracks, but instead became another turning point in his persistence.
Devin still remembers the next month like it was yesterday.
As his birthday weekend approached, his agent called and the MJ the Musical team wanted him back to read for the role of Joe Jackson. He laughs now, recalling how he was slightly irritated that his birthday was just two days away, and he couldn’t celebrate the way he wanted. Instead, he locked in.
Two days later, on his birthday, he got the call. He’d booked the role. His life hasn’t been the same since.
These days, he is on the road doing what he loves, while also learning how to find balance in a demanding industry. He works with both a nutritionist and a therapist to stay grounded and refreshed through the pace of touring life – accessing tools that help him sustain the same resilience that carried him through years of working in entertainment.
From May 12 to 17, audiences can find Bowles on stage in MJ the Musical at the Buell Theatre in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, where he takes on two dynamic roles. He alternates between Rob, a fictional character created as Michael Jackson’s right-hand man and choreographer, and Joe Jackson, the infamous and often misunderstood father of the King of Pop.
Taking on a figure as widely known and complex as Joe Jackson comes with weight. I asked Bowles whether he feels a responsibility to protect Joe’s image, particularly as a Black man portraying another Black man whose legacy is layered.
Rather than approaching the role from a place of judgment, Bowles leans into perspective, saying, “He’s a human who bled the same blood we do. Whether we agree with it or not, we have to take the time to understand why he was like that.”
The actor went on to explain that Joe used what he knew from growing up in Gary, Indiana, surrounded by poverty and gang violence, to create a different path for his family. And much like his own father, Bowles says, Joe ultimately wanted the best for his children. The methods may have differed, but the goal was the same.
In MJ the Musical, audiences are taken on a journey through Michael Jackson’s career, from the Jackson 5 to Thriller. Through that progression, Bowles says audiences will begin to see the imprint Joe had on his son’s career, shaping a standard of excellence and perfectionism that would ultimately define one of the greatest performers of all time.
You can catch Devin Bowles and the rest of the cast this May. Visit denvercenter.org for tickets.
