A Bridgeport neighborhood is home to a rising star who has starred in a Marvel television series and voiced a famous Nickelodeon cartoon.
"Ever since I was younger, I always wanted to dance, I always wanted to sing, I always wanted to be out there, I always wanted to be famous," said 17-year-old Kevin Chacon.
Chacon said he achieved that dream.
The teen has a leading role in the hit Marvel Netflix series "Jessica Jones,” as well as a leading role as the voice of Santiago in the hit Nickelodeon cartoon "Santiago of the Seas."
"I had multiple callbacks, and then I finally got the job," said Chacon.
The graduating senior at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk said it's all thanks to his family, who moved from Costa Rica to the United States 26 years ago.
"As soon as you say, immigrants, I'm thinking about my parents, I think about my family, because my sister came here as an immigrant and my brother came here as an immigrant,” Chacon said. “I'm the only American citizen in my family."
Chacon said his two parents migrated to the U.S. with nothing but a dream.
"It was tough growing up, especially them struggling with English, seeing them get judged, seeing them get bullied by other people," he said.
But Chacon and his family say it was all worthwhile.
"Now to see my dad have a very successful landscaping business and my mom has her own business as housekeeping," Chacon said. “I'm very grateful for them."
At 9 years old while in fifth grade at Black Rock Elementary, Chacon would spend hours traveling to and from New York with packets of homework prepared by his teachers.
That’s also the time he landed his first acting gig on the set of “Jessica Jones.”
When the pandemic hit, Nickelodeon set him up with a recording studio in his bedroom so he could voice the title character of "Santiago of the Seas" remotely.
Chacon’s mom said her son is her miracle, and his dad said he couldn't be any prouder.
He said that he has a new film coming out soon by a very well-known director, and though he can't talk about it, he says it promises to be his biggest role yet.
"I say people who want to follow their dreams and keep going and be a rising star, I say never give up on your dreams," Chacon said.
Chacon is graduating from Brien McMahon High School on Friday and is off to study acting at Pace University in New York.