Despite not being a perfect fit for what the casting call was looking for, Akeem Mair took his chances and successfully secured the role for the Apex Legends commercial with his younger brother. In doing so, they exemplify how genuine passion, perseverance, and courage open the doors of opportunity.
While scrolling through his emails back in December 2020, Akeem Mair noticed a casting notice for “real brothers” for an Apex Legends project. He immediately thought of his younger brother, Wesley Mair, whom he used to play Super Nintendo with when they were kids. The only problem was that the casting company was only looking for brothers ages 14 to 20 years.
However, Akeem Mair remained undaunted by this particular detail. He already had a vision of doing a big commercial with his younger brother, and he refused to be discouraged by age limits. For Akeem and Wesley, it was an exciting way to be part of something big while doing something they both enjoyed—playing video games. Akeem told his agent, Sarah Angeli from Commercial Talent Agency, to submit their names.
It didn’t take long for his resolve to bear fruit. In the afternoon of the next day, the casting company called and expressed that they wanted both brothers to audition for the project. Akeem quickly contacted Wesley to break the good news to him. They also did not have much time to prepare; they had to submit their audition early the next day. That night, Akeem Mair stayed up to conceptualize creative ways for their video to stand out.
The next day, he rushed to his brother’s house to help him set up some studio lights and the green backdrop. They memorized the script and delivered their lines while playing the Apex Legends video game. Fortunately, it was well-received by the casting company. They got the callback after three days. At first, they thought their audition did not land, so they were ecstatic to hear that they ended up loving Akeem Mair and Wesley’s audition.
Shelley Lewis, the director, affirmed that she loved the audition tape because “it was so original and authentic!” She had the two brothers perform the script again, only this time they were given actual console controllers and headsets. The director later asked Akeem Mair and his brother to do away with the script and pretend that they were bickering back and forth in a friendly brother’s quarrel. To that request, Akeem and Wesley quipped, “That’s easy, we fight over video games all the time to see who’s better!”
With everyone’s help, the shoot became an enjoyable experience for everyone. Akeem and Wesley were scheduled for wardrobe, tech, and shoot dates for December 28th, January 5th, and January 8th. The production team loved what the two brothers wore during their audition so much that they were asked to wear it again on the day of the shoot. When Akeem Mair decided to switch up his outfit by wearing a hat, director Shelley Lewis ended up buying him an Apex Legends hat. Akeem remains very grateful for this and considers Shelley one of the best directors he has worked with.
When assistant production supervisor Mary Leake sent out the call sheet a day before the shoot in January, Akeem Mair noticed Bryson Tiller as one of the talents for the project. Only then did he realize how big the commercial was going to be. Throughout the process, Akeem also had the support of his friends, which further enhanced the experience. And just like that, Akeem’s fearlessness in trying to pursue his vision more than paid off.
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