Percy Daggs IV may be young, but he has already reached milestone moments in his career. From working on the Emmy-nominated series Paradise to earning two NAACP Image Award nominations and landing the coveted role of Ampert in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Daggs is quickly establishing himself as one of the industry’s rising talents.
Where did your love of acting come from? Is there a particular film or TV series that sparked your interest?
It stemmed from my parents, seeing them do it, and preparing for auditions and seeing them on screen inspired me to get started. And as I’ve gotten older and grown in my skills, that love has just gotten stronger and stronger.
You’ve been in a variety of projects and have had to embody characters very different from one another. Which role has felt the most like you so far, and why?
I feel like every character I’ve played has had a little bit of me in there. Nolan’s love for his family, James’s intuitiveness and comprehension skills, and Ampert’s intelligence and selflessness are all parts of me that, at times, help me portray them better.
Season 2 of Paradise is officially out. Has it been exciting to participate in a project in the Sci-Fi genre?
It has, and I’ve enjoyed watching it back, learning and seeing all the different aspects that go into a great Sci-Fi series like this one.
In Paradise, James has to deal with the loss of a parent, living in an underground bunker, and adapting to a strange new world. How did you approach playing him?
With lots of study and preparation. Finding the meaning and what he’s trying to say in every scene, and doing all I can to portray him properly for everyone who’s really going through something like this. The parent part, not the underground bunker part.
Xavier going to the surface to find his wife is a central storyline of Season 2. How does Xavier and James’ father-son relationship evolve throughout the season?
Their relationship doesn’t exactly change per se, it’s just different now that his dad is away, and they are such a close-knit family.
How did you and your co-star, Aliyah Mastin, approach your scenes together and work to portray that authentic sibling bond as the Collins kids are left to fend for themselves amid the family facing major uncertainty?
By spending a lot of time with each other, off set and building that sibling love between us. Playing games, talking, and supporting one another.
The highly anticipated Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping film is coming out later this year, and you have a pivotal role, playing Ampert Latier. Can you share a bit about your experience working on the project?
It has been a major honor to be selected to be a part of such a wonderful franchise, such as The Hunger Games, and I’m very proud of the time I spent working on Ampert and the bonds that I made with my fellow castmates that I’ll carry with me forever.
As a young actor, what is the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far that you’ll carry with you in your career?
I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned is that it’s gonna be tough not getting jobs. Especially the ones that you really, really wanted. But you just have to persevere, continue to get better, and be prepared for whatever God has planned for you. And that’s gonna stick with me forever.
