Akili McDowell, who appeared in FX’s hit series Billions, was arrested and charged with murder in connection to a deadly shooting that occurred on July 20 in Houston, Texas.
The actor was placed under arrest and charged with theft on Aug. 1. He was then hit with the murder charge the next day.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez with the Harris County Sheriff’s County Office revealed in a post on Facebook that on July 20, deputies responded to an incident that occurred in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 135034 North Thorntree, which is near Wallsville and Uvalde (East Harris County). “An adult male (possibly in his 20s) sustained gunshot wounds and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Suspect(s) fled the scene.”
In an update, Gonzalez revealed that 21-year-old actor Akili McDowell was arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death of 20-year-old Cesar Peralta. Although it’s not clear how he came to being charged, he has yet to enter a plea or hire an attorney.
Akili McDowell first started acting as a teen in 2013, when he appeared in the short film It’s Not About Me. He made appearances in The Astronaut Wives Club and Criminal Activities in 2015. He then starred as David in the TV series David Makes Man from 2019 to 2021.
McDowell landed the role of Savion Williams on Billions in 2020.
His most recent filming project was in the 2024 film The Waterboyz. According to IMBd, the film follows two young men who cross paths on the streets of Atlanta. While one is trying to make a legit living, the other is creating mayhem and ruling the street. The film earned Best Director at the 2024 American Black Film Festival earlier this year.
Akili McDowell Opens Up About His Role in ‘David Makes Man’
While speaking to Vulture in 2019, Akili McDowell opened up about his starring role in David Makes Man. McDowell shared that he landed the role when he was just 16 years old. He felt he could relate to the character.
“With David being raised by a single mother and him feeling like he had to be the man of the house at such an early age and make all these grown folks’ decisions and things like that, I’ve also felt like that in my life,” he stated at the time. “He just wants to be there for his mom. She doesn’t gotta worry about David. That’s what he wants. David’s gonna do his job; David gonna get things done. And I felt that way in my life as well.”
Akili McDowell also pointed out that there wasn’t a series like David Makes Man on television, making it extra unique. “There’s no other story like this on television right now. It’s very dear to me, it’s very kind to me,” he noted. “Because I feel like it’s bigger than just doing a TV show. I feel like I’m the voice of the kids that don’t get to speak out, and they go through these hard things, and they’re forced to make these grown folks’ decisions day in and day out. “