2025 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards - Red Carpet - Source: Getty — Kordell Beckham in 2025 ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards (Image via Getty)

Love Island USA alum Kordell Beckham to star as music major in ‘Southern Fried Rice’

Modified Jun 12, 2025 06:39 GMT

Love Island USA Season 6 winner Kordell Beckham is officially stepping into the world of scripted television. In a Deadline exclusive published on June 10, 2025, it was confirmed that Beckham has been cast in Southern Fried Rice, an upcoming KeyTV series created by Keke Palmer. He will play Steve, a music major who is artistic, sociable, and lives by his own rules.

This marks Beckham’s first major acting role since winning the popular reality dating show. Southern Fried Rice follows Koko, a Gen-Z Asian American girl raised by Southern Black parents. After being accepted into a historically Black college, she starts a journey to understand and redefine her identity within that cultural space.

Page Yang stars as Koko, while Beckham’s character adds a lively and expressive presence to the college campus setting. The show is produced by Keke Palmer’s KeyTV, with Palmer, Sharon Palmer, and Lenoria Addison serving as executive producers.

The project is directed by Shayla Racquel and created by Nakia Stephens and Shanay J. Campbell in partnership with Damn Write Originals. Beckham is represented by VLF Media & Promotions and has recently launched a professional modeling career.

Love Island USA star Beckham will play Steve, a sociable and artistic music student

In the series, Kordell Beckham plays Steve, described as a “carefree, artsy intellectual” who is spontaneous and marches to the beat of his own drum. As a music major, Steve brings a laid-back energy to campus life, which complements the show’s exploration of culture and identity at a historically Black college.

Beckham’s character is expected to add both levity and depth as Koko navigates her place in a space where she feels both included and different. According to Deadline, Steve is not only known for his musical talent but also for his standout personal style and social presence.

This role reflects Beckham’s transition from reality TV to scripted storytelling roles. Since Love Island USA, he has appeared on the runway at New York Fashion Week for designers KDaniels and Romeo Hunte. With Southern Fried Rice, he is starting a new chapter in his career.

Beckham’s casting drew support from Serena Page and Love Island USA alums

Serena's Instagram story (Image via Instagram @serenaapagee)

Kordell Beckham’s transition to scripted television was met with excitement from his girlfriend Serena Page and fellow Love Island USA cast members. Serena, 25, shared her joy on Instagram Stories,

“And this is just the first one announced 🤭🤭🤭 Baby got more cooking up,” she wrote.

Her post followed the announcement of Beckham’s casting in Southern Fried Rice and hinted at more projects on the horizon. Other castmates from Season 6 also shared their support. JaNa Craig commented,

“Yuaaappp 🔥🙌 you see it!!!”

while Kaylor Martin added,

“Congrats Kordell!! Can’t wait to see.”

The responses reflected the camaraderie among the Love Island USA cast as Beckham took a new step in his career. Although Beckham was expected to appear in Love Island: Beyond the Villa, a spinoff featuring cast members from Season 6, he is not part of the main lineup.

In an earlier interview with People magazine, he mentioned that he was preparing to film Southern Fried Rice by the end of May. Reflecting on the spinoff, he said, “It’s same old Kordell, same old me, just have some time with my girl,” referring to Serena.

Catch the latest episodes of Love Island USA season 7, which are currently available to stream on Peacock.

About the author

Sindhura Venkatesh is a popular culture writer at Sportskeeda who covers all things reality TV. Although her educational background is in engineering, Sindhura believes it has provided her with a strong foundation in analytical thinking and problem-solving. Despite her technical training, she discovered a passion for writing early on in her career. Sindhura loves the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of pop culture and reality TV, which reflect society's trends, interests, and values.

With over 4 years of professional experience, Sindhura began her career in marketing before transitioning into training and teaching. She has previously worked with companies like Edureka, The/Nudge Foundation, BYJU's, Unacademy, and Maiuetic.

For Sindhura, ensuring accuracy through relentless research and fact-checking is paramount, and she strives to present diverse perspectives with objectivity, all while adhering to ethical standards. Her focus is on delivering timely, relevant content that is mindful of privacy concerns. Further, transparency is key to Sindhura’s reportage, as it helps foster trust with her audience.

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