Playing Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X 'terrified' the stars of 'Genius: MLK/X'

LOS ANGELES — Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre had the same reaction after learning that they had been hired to play the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, respectively, in National Geographic's "Genius: MLK/X."

Terror.

Not only did they both initially feel overwhelmed by the daunting responsibility of portraying the iconic civil rights leaders but they also felt their performances would likely be compared to those of others. Denzel Washington portrayed Malcolm X in the eponymous 1992 film that earned him an Oscar nomination, Samuel L. Jackson starred as King in Katori Hall's Broadway production of "The Mountaintop" and James Earl Jones also portrayed King in the miniseries "Freedom to Speak."

But with the support of friends and producers, Harrison and Pierre eventually overcame their doubts, delivering distinctive and bold portraits of the two men.

"MLK/X" is the fourth season of "Genius," a biographical anthology series that has focused on , and in previous