Catching Up With Local Academy Award Winning Teen Alex Hibbert

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – We find 13-year-old Alex Hibbert rehearsing a play in drama class at Norland Middle School.

You might recognize his face, as Alex is no stranger to running lines or getting into character.

Last year he played the role of Chiron in the Academy Award winning movie Moonlight.

"Do they treat you any different now that you're the big movie star here?" asked CBS4's Lisa Petrillo. "If anything they treat me the same, at the end of day they know I'm Alex and I'm not going to change and they shouldn't change too, just because I'm blowing up and stuff like that," he said.

Alex is certainly on the fast track.

He's got a big part in the highly anticipated Black Panther movie and is currently starring in the critically acclaimed series on Showtime, now in its first season, called The Chi.

"I play Kevin. He's a 13-year-old and he gets into this little situation and he has to get out of the situation and the situation is so big he can't tell his family about it, as he's trying to help with the situation, he's helping himself in a way to be more confident and speak up more," Alex explained.

The Chi is shot in Chicago.

Common is the show's Executive Producer as well as its star.

The series is about life in a particular neighborhood in the south side of Chicago- a city that Alex has a grown to love, stressing that the so-called "mean streets" have good people as well.

"The people are so loving and supportive. I remember one day this dude came out of his house was like "Yo Common, you guys keep doing what you're doing!" They messed up our take but at same time they were so supportive, I just loved it," Alex said.

"What do you say to kids when you see they are going the wrong way?" asked Petrillo.

"With my acting I try to inspire all the kids that want to do something great with their lives and it doesn't have to be acting, basketball or rapping; it can be totally different things. You can be a doctor, a nurse, a schoolteacher, anything. You can do anything you desire," he said.

And for Alex, well, he has his future all mapped out, especially in about 10 years.

"I'll be sitting in my mansion calling up Denzel and saying how ya doing?" he said laughing.

"You'll say 'how ya doing Denzel, want to come over for a bite?" said Petrillo laughing.

"That's exactly how I see myself in 10 years," Alex said.

"Can I come over too?" Petrillo asked.

"Sure, ok cool," he said.

You can catch Alex in The Chi Sunday nights at 10pm.

They have confirmed a second season.