Edmonson County Native to Appear in TV Series

Edmonson County native Xavian Johnson is appearing in the TV series "Gone."

Story by EchoTvstudios, photo by Chandra Brown:
On a bright Monday morning, the smell of crayons and fresh pencil shavings hangs in the air at Mapleton Elementary School. In a second-grade room, teacher Xavian Johnson stands in front of the class, his voice rising and falling with the rhythm of a storyteller. His students sit wide-eyed, as if transported out of their classroom and into the pages of the book in his hands. He doesn’t just read to the students. He’s acting it out. He wants his students to feel like they are in the story.

Johnson is known as “the teacher.” But in truth, his story is much larger; a journey that stretches from the wooden pews of an Edmonson County church, to the stages of Morehead State University, and now to the set of Gone, a faith-based series that has been quietly drawing attention across social media.

Raised in rural Edmonson County, Xavian was the only child of a Baptist pastor and his wife (Ronnie and Tonya Johnson). His childhood was one of both discipline and imagination. Sundays were spent in church, listening to his father’s sermons echo through the sanctum. Weeknights, however, often found him huddled up with a book. Reading let him travel beyond those hills.

Xavian wasn’t like most boys his age.  While other kids were out hunting or fishing, he’d be reading Shakespeare or rehearsing lines for a play. He had this hunger for stories. And theatre gave him the courage to step into someone else’s shoes. School plays became his outlet. 

“That stage was where I felt most myself,” Johnson remembers. “It was a calling; you step into a role to share something meaningful with people.”

Johnson’s passion carried him to Morehead State University, where he earned a minor in theatre. He also found a love for teaching and a way for him to pay that love forward. It was a decision that raised some eyebrows back home, but for him it was a natural path. “I wanted to be part of a community and teaching was that way. But theatre gave me a way to teach beyond books. It taught me how to engage people.”

It was at Morehead that he met Chandra, a teacher from Menifee County. The two bonded over their shared faith and long campus walks. They came from different worlds, but both believed in community and service. That’s what drew them together. The couple married after graduation and made the choice to stay in Menifee County, a community they felt needed both their gifts.

Johnson’s quickly becoming known to his students as the teacher who makes lessons come alive. His background in theatre seeps into his teaching style; voices, gestures, and the occasional dramatic pause. Kids who don’t like reading suddenly lean in when Xavian starts.

In 2023, Johnson was cast in Gone, a faith-based film series shot in Menifee and Montgomery counties. The film series tells the story of people wrestling with hardship, grief, and faith after the Biblical Rapture happens.

“My dad preached from a pulpit. Now I get to tell stories that might encourage someone in their living room.” said Johnson.

Johnson plays a young man navigating the challenges of life while balancing personal trials. The role resonates deeply with his own upbringing. He grew up watching his dad preach about tough times to come if you don’t have Jesus. This role helps him honor his dad while also telling a story that others can relate to.

The film series has become a quiet success, being nominated for multiple Faith-based awards, and this October it will hit the big screen in Montgomery County, Kentucky. 

Balancing classroom duties, film shoots, and life isn’t always easy. But for Johnson, it’s all connected.

“Every child in my classroom has a story worth telling,” says Xavian.

“I hope my family sees me as a bridge between past and present.”

He’s carrying on his father’s ministry, just in a different way. His pulpit is the classroom, the stage, and the screen.

Chandra said, “Xavian doesn’t separate his roles: teacher, actor, husband, and Christian. They’re all part of who he is.”

With the third season of Gone set to release, Johnson is busier than ever. Still, he insists his greatest calling remains the classroom. “Those kids are my first audience,” he says with a smile.

As the school day winds down at Mapleton Elementary, Johnson gathers his students in a circle and asks them what story they want to tell today. Johnson nods, listening intently to his students. “Every story matters,” he tells them. “And one day, you’ll find your stage, too.”

From the quiet hills of Edmonson County to the lights of Morehead’s theatre department, and now into the classroom and on film sets, Xavian Johnson’s story is proof that faith and imagination can walk hand in hand.

More on the series can be found on https://www.echotvstudios.com/ or the EchoTV app.