▁Johnson ▁( born ▁July ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁in ▁Detroit , ▁Michigan ) ▁is ▁an ▁American ▁actor . ▁A ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁hon ors ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁Cass ▁Techn ical ▁High ▁School , ▁Johnson ▁currently ▁att ends ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan . ▁He ▁played ▁the ▁title ▁character ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁L if etime ▁Television ▁film ▁America , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁book ▁{ America ▁( nov el )| America ]] ▁by ▁E . R . ▁Frank . ▁Act ing ▁opposite ▁Ros ie ▁O ' D onn ell ▁and ▁Ruby ▁De e , ▁Johnson ▁port rayed ▁a ▁trouble d ▁te en ager ▁placed ▁in ▁a ▁youth ▁treatment ▁facility ▁after ▁attempting ▁suic ide ▁who ▁strugg led ▁to ▁work ▁through ▁his ▁tra um atic ▁past ▁experiences ▁with ▁fost er ▁care ▁and ▁sexual ▁ab use . ▁ ▁America ▁was ▁Johnson ' s ▁first ▁film . ▁His ▁previous ▁acting ▁experience ▁was ▁limited ▁to ▁one ▁middle ▁school ▁play . ▁Johnson ▁was ▁discovered ▁by ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁executive ▁produ cers ▁of ▁America , ▁Ros ie ▁O ' D onn ell ▁and ▁Larry ▁Sant is ky , ▁at ▁a ▁Detroit ▁coffee ▁shop ▁called ▁Small ▁Pl ates . ▁O ' D onn ell , ▁who ▁was ▁in ▁town ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁America , ▁told ▁Entertainment ▁Ton ight ▁that ▁she ▁sens ed ▁" a ▁soul ful ▁kind ▁of ▁still ness " ▁in ▁Johnson . ▁O ' D onn ell ' s ▁casting ▁crew ▁had ▁seen ▁almost ▁ 2 0 0 ▁children ▁for ▁the