Actor from Louisville shares career journey before landing Christmas movie Jingle Jangle

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Louisville native Justin Cornwell acts as young Jeronicus Jangle in the Netflix movie “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey.” Forest Whitaker portrays the older Jeronicus in the film.

Cornwell said after graduating from the University of Louisville, he made his dreams come true through taking a leap of faith.

“I’ve been around for a little while,” Cornwell told WAVE 3 News. “But this role, I feel like it’s opened the door for me to a broader audience all around the world.”

Cornwell graduated from Eastern High School and the University of Louisville. His high school choir director, Lori Knapke, said Cornwell had been a star since he was a child.

“When he stepped out and took the down beat of that music, tears just started screaming,” Knapke said. “It was just an incredible, incredible thing, I’m so proud of him.”

After graduating from UofL, Cornwell took a leap of faith and moved to Chicago, where he began his acting career.

“As I continued to move out of the theatre space and into the film space, I just kept thinking man I’d really love to do something with music and film,” Cornwell explained. “I had no idea Jingle Jangle was coming.”

Jingle Jangle is a story of hope; Cornwell says that’s something that everyone could use these days.

”When we watch this movie, I think people can see that we have a lot of joy still left in us, still left to be discovered,” Cornwell added. “It’s not just all pain, it’s not just all anguish, and even though 2020 has been a really trying year, I think we need a reminder of what the human spirit is capable of.”

Cornwell said he’s working on a few different projects, but in the meantime, “Jingle Jangle” is a worthwhile watch.

Copyright 2020 WAVE 3 News. All rights reserved.