Rising Male Actor Of The Week: Get To Know "The Rookie" Star Titus Makin

Butterfly Ali is an up and coming artist who’s destined to have a meteoric rise. If he looks familiar, you’re right. Born and on IMDB as Titus Makin, Butterfly Ali currently stars as gritty rookie LAPD officer on ABC’s “The Rookie,” and is recognized from his teenage breakout roles in the hit TV series “Glee” and “Pretty Little Liars.”

In his new single “Listen to Me,” Butterfly Ali makes a true musical statement of who he is in under three minutes. He has all the charm and careful attention to detail as you would expect from a perfectionist obsessed with 60’s Motown, Stax Records, and 70’s funk. For him, music delivers something that Hollywood just can’t, where he accepts nothing but complete control over his art.

StarCentral Magazine recently caught up with Titus Makin aka “Butterfly Ali” to talk about his journey in the entertainment industry so far and here’s what went down:

How were you actually ‘discovered’? A chance encounter on the street? Audition?

I was able to do a showcase in Los Angeles in front of agents and ended up getting signed.

What do you like most about acting? –

I love that it gives me an opportunity to tell someone’s story that wasn’t raised like and is not similar to mine. I enjoy getting to live life from somebody else’s perspective

Can you tell us about your role in The Rookie?

I play rookie officer Jackson West. he’s the son of the commander of internal affairs so everyone thinks that this position was handed to me, but I continuously try my best to prove that I deserve to be in the position that I’m in and that I didn’t expect a handout.

What sort of person is going to love this character?

I feel like Jackson really identifies with people who may consider themselves an underdog. Jackson has to continuously prove himself to people until finally earning his keep, in his opinion.

How is this character like you? Different?

Jaxon and I are similar in the sense of our work ethic but extremely different in every other facet. I’m a little bit more confident and willing to stand my ground/stand up to people a little bit more than he is.

What’s the biggest challenge to taking on this role?

It’s been a blast actually, learning police jargon has been proven to be pretty challenging at times.

Besides yourself, what celebrity would you like to see tackle this character?

Maybe Jaden Smith.

Besides yourself, which actor in this show is going to blow people away?

Every single character to be quite honest. Guest stars and leading cast alike are all powerhouse actors and do a fantastic job.

If you could play any other character in this show, who would it be?

I would play Officer Harper‘s role. I think it’s awesome that she gets to go undercover and have an alter ego. Seems like that would be a lot of fun to play with.

What has been the most memorable experience of your career so far?

Honestly playing this role in the rookie but also going on the world tour with Glee many years ago.

Who have been the most interesting people you’ve met so far?

I got to meet one of my favorite actors, Will Smith. Not many things have topped that meeting quite yet, but I’ve been blessed to meet some amazing people.