Will Kemp on AllMovie

A British-born performer who trained formally as a ballet dancer, Will Kemp gained widespread acclaim for such accomplishments as his lead contribution to Matthew Bourne's production of Swan Lake -- with a cast that consisted almost exclusively of men. Kemp launched into print modeling as well, appearing in a widely seen campaign for The Gap, then segued into acting with parts in Stephen Sommers' Victorian-era supernatural thriller Van Helsing (2004) and Renny Harlin's lurid psychological thriller Mindhunters (2005), opposite Val Kilmer and LL Cool J. Kemp deftly merged his ballroom finesse and his dramatic evocations with prominent billing in Jon M. Chu's dance-themed urban drama Step Up 2 the Streets (2008); he played Blake Collins, the proprietor of a dance school who finds his chief proclivity -- an utter contempt for street dancing -- upstaged by the arrival of a brash and talented young newcomer at his school.