Kareem J Grimes from 'All American' Takes His Family into Consideration before Choosing an Onscreen Role

Kareem J. Grimes is an American actor and producer who became famous for his recurring role as Cordell "Preach" Simms, a gang member in the sports series "All American."

"All American," which is currently in its fifth season with over 70 episodes, first aired on October 10, 2018. The series focuses on the social struggles of a professional high school football player.

In the series, Kareem J. Grimes' character has experienced growth and challenges from prison to working as a security guard, returning to prison, and working as an English Literature tutor.

Although a rising star, the actor has proven that he has family values as he considers them before deciding to take any role. He aims to constantly take on positive roles to be a good role model.

Grimes started his career in 1991 as the ice cream truck kid in the coming-of-age drama, "Boyz n the Hood." Since then, he has starred in other movies and series.

He starred in "Boston Public," "Malcolm in the Middle," "Nineteen Summers," "Children of the Sun," "The Preacher's Son," "N.C.I.S.," "S.W.A.T.," "For the Love of Jason," and more.

Kareem J. Grimes Found a Great Mentor Who Helped Establish His Career

Before Grimes got his big break, he started as an extra in production, hence his role in the late John Singleton's feature directorial debut "Boyz n the Hood."

Singleton pushed Grimes to improve and aim higher. He also allowed the young actor to work behind the camera as an assistant director in a movie. In the film, the director also cast the actor in a minor role.

In an interview, Grimes revealed that Singleton played a significant role in his career. He said:

"He definitely played a big part in hammering education and just learning every aspect of this business, not just being an actor, but really expanding your brand and learning other things."

The foundation he got from his mentor allowed him to explore other projects and show his range as an actor. When he starred in "For The Love of Jason," he was a newlywed principal. This differed from his role as a gang member in "All American" or "S.W.A.T."

Kareem J. Grimes' Family Is His Biggest Influence on His Career

Grimes does not accept any character that comes his way, as he has his family in mind when considering what projects to tackle and which roles to take.

He always wants to take on projects that would be a good and positive representation that his nephews and nieces could emulate.

Grimes occasionally posts pictures of his niece on his Instagram, gushing over her cuteness. In one photo he shared, his niece, whom he called his favorite, struck a pose he had no choice but to capture.

She wore a buttoned-up denim dress that had a tulle-styled bottom. The dress was styled with a gold belt, matching gold ballet shoes, and her afro styled in an updo. The actor's niece posed on the street, giving the peace sign with one hand on her waist.

Grimes' adoration for kids is also reflected through his close relationship with his T.V. daughter, Ella Simone Tabu, from "All American." He posted a picture he had taken with her and praised her for making his job easy.

What Does Kareem J. Grimes Do Aside from Acting?

Besides working as an actor and producer, Grimes has also moved into the tech industry. He and other celebrities like Sway Calloway, Miki Barber, and Terrell Owens backed the founding of the social networking app, TruSo.

The audio-visual founded by Matthew Newman in 2021 targeted the Black community and promised to be available for Apple and Android users.

He is also the co-founder and creative director of The Facepop Company. The actor partnered with Bervick Deculus and Jerome Henry to create an app allowing users to create emojis from their pictures.