Andre was born to Gloria Simmons on October 14, in Tacoma, WA. where he
was a star athlete in high school as a McDonald's All-American nominee
in basketball. His first experience in entertainment was in junior high
school as part of an improvisational drama club. While securing a
basketball scholarship and attending college for two years, Andre
gravitated toward his love of language and performance and joined his
childhood friends in a rap group, appearing on two releases. He then
went on to release several underground solo projects. After moving to
Los Angeles in 2011, Andre began to pursue acting, attending workshops
ran by Bobbi Chance. Andre says "the cathartic nature" of the art form
is what attracts him the most and drives him to continue to learn the
craft.