About Cornell

One of seven children, Cornell grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, where sports came first. He loved movies and appeared in plays in middle school, but football took the lead, and he went on to play wide receiver at McKendree University.

Looking for balance alongside his marketing courses, he turned to theater, moving between football practice and rehearsals with his teammates cheering from the front row. He has described himself as a real-life Troy Bolton.

After appearing in the Netflix romance series Forever, Cornell joined the cast of A Different World, Netflix's sequel to the iconic sitcom, following a new generation of students at Hillman College. As Shaquille, he plays a freshman juggling football, a complicated romance with Deborah Wayne, and grief over his late mother.