Chicago PD’s LaRoyce Hawkins' Son Takes after His Dad with a Passion for Acting and Fearless Stunts!
'Chicago PD’s LaRoyce Hawkins reveals his son Roman, born in April 2017, is following in his acting footsteps as he shares an exclusive bond with him'
LaRoyce Hawkins Maarten de Boer/NBCUniversal
LaRoyce Hawkins' 6-year-old son, Roman John, is already showing a passion for acting and captivating the elementary school theater audience. During the promotion of his partnership with SimpliSafe for its 24/7 Live Guard Protection and Smart Alarm Indoor Camera launch, Hawkins, 35, exclusively shared that his son has inherited his love for entertaining.
The Chicago P.D. star — who portrays Kevin Atwater on the NBC drama — explained that Roman stole the show during his first school.
LaRoyce Hawkins reminisced about the performance, noting that although the show consisted of a compilation of Disney songs, his son, Roman, was undoubtedly the standout. Not only did Roman perform his own stunts, but he also mesmerized the audience by taking one of his friends and executing an impressive spin. While other children also spun on the stage, Roman's spins were particularly noteworthy, showcasing his incredible strength.
Hawkins, who welcomed Roman in April 2017, mentioned that his son's love for acting extends to watching him on Chicago P.D. during sleepovers.
"The other day, he was staying over at one of his friend's houses, and I decided to call him to wish him goodnight. His friend's dad said, 'Yeah, they're watching you on TV right now. It's going to be tough for me to get him to talk now,'" the actor shared. "When he got on the phone, he asked, 'Dad, are you appearing in the next scene?' I didn't even know which episode he was watching, but I replied, 'I'm pretty sure I have a part in there somewhere, bro!'"
Roman's love for Chicago P.D. is one of the reasons Hawkins continues to act. He enjoys playing dynamic characters that can contribute to preserving Black boy joy, protecting Black women, and uplifting the image of the Black man. According to him, this intention can be applied to any role. Additionally, Roman wants to make his son and his friends proud and inspire them with his work, as they watch him during their sleepovers. He appreciates the responsibility and awareness that comes with this role.
LaRoyce Hawkins as Kevin Atwater Lori Allen/NBC
Hawkins' family-oriented approach has extended to his fellow cast members on Chicago P.D. After playing Atwater for nine years, Hawkins revealed that his costars are like a tight-knit family. He makes an effort to spend quality time with them outside of work. Recently, he had the chance to hang out with Jason Beghe, who plays Sarge on the show. They attended one of Beghe's son's soccer games together and had a meaningful conversation, catching up on each other's lives. Hawkins described it as one of the standout moments of his summer, as they discussed the show's trajectory and reminisced about past memories and experiences.
Hawkins teased that he and Beghe, who plays Sergeant Hank Voight on the police drama, “can’t wait to get back to work” ahead of filming next season.
With reporting by Johnni Macke
