▁role , ▁but ▁was ▁still ▁und ec ided , ▁because ▁the ▁boy ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁" v ul ner able , ▁frag ile , ▁wounded , ▁broken ▁and ▁non - present ational ". ▁Johnson ▁fitted ▁the ▁bill ▁perfectly . ▁O ' D onn ell ▁invited ▁Johnson ▁to ▁aud ition ▁for ▁the ▁lead ▁role ▁the ▁next ▁day . ▁Johnson ▁im pressed ▁the ▁cast ▁and ▁crew ▁with ▁his ▁spot - on ▁reading ▁and ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁role ▁immediately . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁movie , ▁Johnson ' s ▁younger ▁brother , ▁Steven ▁Johnson , ▁played ▁the ▁same ▁character ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 0 . ▁ ▁Acc ol ades ▁On ▁February ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Johnson ▁and ▁his ▁parents ▁attended ▁the ▁ 4 1 st ▁NA AC P ▁Image ▁Awards , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁NA AC P ▁Image ▁Award ▁for ▁Out standing ▁A ctor ▁in ▁a ▁Television ▁Movie , ▁M ini - Series , ▁or ▁D ram atic ▁Special . ▁He ▁lost ▁to ▁the ▁Academy ▁Award ▁winning ▁actor , ▁Cuba ▁Good ing , ▁Jr , ▁for ▁his ▁work ▁in ▁G ift ed ▁H ands . ▁ ▁Personal ▁Johnson ▁graduated ▁with ▁hon ors ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁from ▁Cass ▁Techn ical ▁High ▁School . ▁Having ▁been ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁several ▁I vy ▁League ▁colleg es ▁including ▁Harvard ▁and ▁North western , ▁he ▁chose ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan . ▁In ▁inter views , ▁Johnson ▁said ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁planning