Xavier Smalls, the rising actor best known for his breakout role as Angel in Tyler Perry’s Netflix series Beauty in Black, was born on November 7, 1997, in Sacramento, California. He grew up in the diverse Lincoln Village neighborhood of Rancho Cordova, a working-class area that shaped his worldview and fueled his drive.
Smalls navigated a biracial (Black and white) identity as a child, often facing assumptions about his ethnicity that he later described as a “badge of honor” helping him land versatile acting roles. A standout three-sport athlete and self-described class clown at West Campus and Foothill high schools, he initially pursued a biology major (with a chemistry minor) at Sacramento State University, aiming for a career in orthodontics. After struggling with the sciences and receiving mentorship from theater instructor Berry Accius, he switched paths to business and eventually theater. He performed Shakespeare at Sacramento City College, earned his theater degree from Sacramento State in 2020, and later trained at New York’s prestigious William Esper Studio (2021–2023), where he mastered the Meisner Technique.
His professional breakthrough came with Tyler Perry projects, including Beauty in Black (2024) and the upcoming film Madea’s Destination Wedding (2025). He also produces short films, models, and remains active in the Los Angeles film scene while living in Santa Clarita, California, with his wife, makeup artist Vanessa Smalls (née Martinez).
Source: Lewis Calvert, “Xavier Smalls: Age, Height, Wiki, Bio, Net Worth, and Girlfriend,” Big Write Hook, February 22, 2026, https://www.bigwritehook.co.uk/blog/biographies-16/xavier-smalls-age-height-wiki-bio-net-worth-and-girlfriend-6514.