NatGeo’s “Genius” anthology series returns Feb. 1 with “MLK/X,” an innovative approach profiling two legendary slain American civil rights activists: Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

For the actors, “Where do you begin!” Kelvin Harrison, Jr. who plays King, wondered. “I just had to take a deep breath.”

Harrison, 29, began reading King’s interviews. “I wanted to see him first, wanted to just take him in and observe him from like, a non-fan point of view. Because I grew up and just respect him so much.

“How do I have the same courage, boldness and great language as he does? I started reading his books, his autobiography and autobiographies of older people close to him, to see what they had to say.

“I visited Memphis, Birmingham, Atlanta and DC, just to spend time in places that he walked and went. It’s a tricky process trying to interpret a whole living being. A lot of it comes from a kind of spiritual experience, having your own relationship with that.”

For Pierre (“The Underground Railroad”), his research revealed, “Something that reinforced what I already understood to be true: Malcolm X operated from a place of love and light.

“There is a considerable amount of misinformation in the world regarding Malcolm X and what his approach was. He wasn’t,” Pierre, 29, emphasized, “somebody who advocated violence. He wasn’t somebody who advocated seeking out physical engagement with anyone.

“This came from a place of deep love for his family, his friends in his community, and anyone that looked like he was. He was advocating for protecting those people’s well beings, safeguarding their livelihoods.”

As these dual biographies unreel over 10 episodes, “It’s cool because,” Harrison said in a joint Zoom interview, “both of them passed away at 39” – Malcolm in 1965, King in ‘68.

“So we’re looking at almost the exact same trajectory, at different moments in time. But a lot of it’s happening around the same era, the same moment, on just opposite sides of the country.

“And they’re navigating the same goal! It’s fascinating because a lot of us have a misunderstanding in a lot of ways with all our preconceived notions about what the media shared with us and what we teach in schools.

“We look at Dr. King being this celebrated figure in America — and we don’t get that same love for Malcolm X. And what the show does is say, ‘We really can’t celebrate Dr. King without Malcolm X in some ways — and here’s why.’

“That is a really beautiful thing, like one wouldn’t work without the other.”

“Genius: MLK/X” airs on NatGeo Feb. 1

Malcom X (Aaron Pierre), shows photos to Elijah Muhammad (Ron Cephas Jones), in “Genius: MLK/X.” (National Geographic/Richard DuCree)