UK Black Actors
Non-exhaustive list, feel free to recommend any I've left out!
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- UK Actors of Colour (BAME): http://imdb.to/2oH0qhP
- UK Actors of South Asian & Middle Eastern Descent: http://imdb.to/2oECwDR
- UK Actors of Asian (East & South East) Descent: http://imdb.to/2oTlzF9
- UK Actors of Colour (BAME) in LGBT Roles: http://imdb.to/2FeD7lK
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An only child, Idrissa Akuna Elba was born and raised in London, England. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked at Ford Dagenham; his mother, Eve, is from Ghana and had a clerical duty. Idris attended school in Canning Town, where he first became involved in acting, before he dropped out. He gained a place in the National Youth Music Theatre - thanks to a £1,500 Prince's Trust grant. To support himself between acting roles, he worked in jobs such as tyre-fitting, cold call advertising sales, and working night shifts at Ford Dagenham. He worked in nightclubs under the nickname DJ Big Driis at age 19, but began auditioning for television roles in his early-twenties.
His first acting roles were on the soap opera Family Affairs (1997), the television serial Ultraviolet (1998), and the medical drama Dangerfield (1995). His best known roles are as drug baron Russell "Stringer" Bell on the HBO series The Wire (2002), as DCI John Luther on the BBC One series Luther (2010), and as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He later starred in the films Daddy's Little Girls (2007), Prom Night (2008), RocknRolla (2008), The Unborn (2009) and Obsessed (2009). He also appeared in the films American Gangster (2007), Takers (2010), Thor (2011), Prometheus (2012), Pacific Rim (2013), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Beasts of No Nation (2015) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). He voiced Chief Bogo in Zootopia (2016), Shere Khan in The Jungle Book (2016), and Fluke in Finding Dory (2016).
Idris Elba was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2016 New Years Honours for his services to drama.- Actor
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John Boyega is a British actor, known for playing Finn in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015). Boyega rose to prominence in his native United Kingdom for his role of Moses in the 2011 sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block (2011), before attaining international recognition for his work as Finn in the seventh film of the Star Wars series.
Other credits include historical fiction drama film Half of a Yellow Sun (2013), four episodes of the television series 24: Live Another Day (2014), and the drama films Imperial Dreams (2014), The Circle (2017), and Detroit (2017).- Actress
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With a career spanning over a decade, Emmy-nominated Letitia Wright has cemented her position as one of the industry's most captivating young actresses. From her breakout role as ambitious Summerhouse resident Chantelle in Top Boy, to her critically acclaimed performance as Nish in Black Mirror, not forgetting her scene-stealing turn as Shuri - lead scientist and Princess of Wakanda in Black Panther, Wright has played an integral role in what are arguably the most culture defining projects of the last ten years and whose impact is still felt to this day.
In 2019, Wright won the BAFTA Rising Star Award and a SAG Award as part of Black Panther's 'Best Ensemble'. The film grossed over $1.3B at the global box office and was nominated for a 2019 Academy Award for 'Best Picture' - a first for a superhero film. In 2020, Wright had repeated success with a starring role in Steve McQueen's anthology series, Small Axe, where she played British Black Panther Party leader, Altheia Jones-LeCointe. Wright's episode, "Mangrove", was included in the Cannes 2020 official selection and the series was nominated for 2 Golden Globes, including Best Television Motion Picture. Wrights performance in Small Axe also gained her a leading actress nomination at the 2021 BAFTA Television Awards.
Led by a passion to create meaningful content within the industry, Wright's creative endeavors extended behind the scenes with the launch of her independent production company 3.16 Productions in 2020. The company joined forces with BRON Studios for their first forthcoming feature, Surrounded, starring Wright, Jamie Bell and the late Michael K. Williams. Wright also flexed her production muscles in the BAFTA-nominated, female-led anthology series I Am for Channel 4, developing the powerful story line for her episode "I Am Danielle" in creative partnership with director Dominic Savage.
2022 is set to be Wright's biggest year yet with upcoming projects including The Silent Twins, Ireland-set drama, Aisha, written and directed by Frank Berry also starring Josh O'Connor; as well as the long-awaited sequel to the Marvel/Disney blockbuster - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.- British actress Naomie Harris was born in London, England, the only child of television scriptwriter Lisselle Kayla. Her father is from Trinidad and her mother is from Jamaica. They separated before she was born, and Harris was raised by her mother and has no relationship with her father. She showed an interest in acting from an early age and attended the prestigious Anna Scher Theatre School. From here, Harris won roles in various projects, such as Simon and the Witch (1987) and The Tomorrow People (1992). She went on to study social and political sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge University, an experience Harris did not enjoy.
After graduating from the University, Harris trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Acting success soon followed and her breakthrough film role came in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later (2002). Other notable projects include Miami Vice (2006) and Small Island (2009) (for which she was named best female actor by the Royal Television Society). Harris also won fans for her role as voodoo witch Tia Dalma in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), and further international attention came her way when she played field agent Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond film Skyfall (2012).
Naomie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the drama Moonlight (2016), which won the Best Picture Oscar that year.
Naomie Harris was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2017 New Years Honours for her services to drama. - Actress
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Michaela was born on October 1st 1987 as Michaela Boakye-Collinson to Ghanaian parents and brought up in Tower Hamlets by her mother, a devout member of the Pentecostal church who instilled her religion into Michaela and her sister - something that she would later draw on for her play 'Chewing Gum Dreams. ' Already a poet and performance artist , releasing the album 'Fixing Barbie' in 2009, she obtained a 2.1 in English at university before enrolling at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she was awarded the Laurence Olivier bursary, graduating in 2012. In 2013 she made her stage debut at the Bush Theatre, where she would perform 'Chewing Gum Dreams', later in the year transferring to the National Theatre, where she would return in 2014 to appear in 'Medea' with Helen McCrory. In 2015 a sitcom based on 'Chewing Gum Dreams', its title shortened to 'Chewing Gum' began its run on Channel 4 television and in 2016 she was back on that channel in another comedy-drama 'The Aliens'.- Angel Coulby is an English actress. She made her television debut in the BBC comedy 'Orrible. She is best known for portraying the character of Guinevere "Gwen" in the BBC fantasy series Merlin.
Angel grew up in north London, Finsbury Park, but moved to Edinburgh to attend the Queen Margaret University where she studied acting. Angel has always been a fan of the fantasy genre; she counts Labyrinth and The Wizard of Oz among her favorite films. Some of the filming for Merlin takes place in France and Angel loves filming there. - Actor
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Daniel Kaluuya is a British actor and writer. He is best known for Get Out (2017), Black Panther (2018) and for portraying Fred Hampton in Judas & The Black Messiah (2021).
He had a supporting role in Sicario (2015).
He also starred in the Black Mirror episode "Fifteen Million Merits".
For his work in Get Out he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Kaluuya also had minor roles in Johnny English Reborn (2011) and Kick-Ass 2 (2013).
His film debut was Shoot the Messenger (2006).- Actor
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English actor, writer and director Chiwetel Ejiofor is renowned for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. He is also known for playing Okwe in Dirty Pretty Things (2002), the Operative in Serenity (2005), Lola in Kinky Boots (2005), Luke in Children of Men (2006), Dr. Adrian Helmsley in 2012 (2009) and Dr. Vincent Kapoor in The Martian (2015).
Chiwetelu Umeadi Ejiofor was born on July 10, 1977 in Forest Gate, London, England, to Nigerian parents, Obiajulu (Okaford), a pharmacist, and Arinze Ejiofor, a doctor. Chiwetel attended Dulwich College in South-East London. By the age of 13, he was appearing in numerous school and National Youth Theatre productions and subsequently attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA).
Ejiofor caught the attention of Steven Spielberg who cast him in the critically acclaimed Amistad (1997) alongside Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins. He has since been seen on the big screen in numerous features including Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things (2002) (for which he won Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards, the Evening Standard Film Awards, and the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards), Love Actually (2003), Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda (2004), Kinky Boots (2005), Inside Man (2006), Children of Men (2006), American Gangster (2007) and Talk to Me (2007), for which his performance won him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Ejiofor has balanced his film and television commitments with a number of prestigious stage productions. In 2008, his portrayal of the title role in Michael Grandage's "Othello" at the Donmar Warehouse alongside Ewan McGregor was unanimously commended and won him best actor at the 2008 Laurence Olivier Awards and Evening Standard Theatre Awards. He also received nominations in the South Bank Show Awards and the What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Awards in 2009. His other stage roles include Roger Michell's "Blue/Orange" in 2000 which received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Play, and the same year Tim Supple's "Romeo and Juliet" in which Ejiofor portrayed the title role.
Following his television debut in the series episode Deadly Voyage (1996), Ejiofor has complimented his film and theatre work on the small screen in productions including Murder in Mind (2001), created by the award-winning writer Anthony Horowitz, Trust (2003), Twelfth Night, or What You Will (2003), and Canterbury Tales (2003). His television appearance in the hard hitting emotional drama Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006) alongside Toni Collette, Sophie Okonedo and Tim Roth earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award as well as an NAACP Image award.
Ejiofor also appeared in such notable films as Endgame (2009), Channel 4's moving drama set in South Africa for which his performance earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries; Roland Emmerich's action feature 2012 (2009), opposite John Cusack, Danny Glover and Thandiwe Newton; and Salt (2010), opposite Angelina Jolie and Liev Schreiber. In 2013, he starred in Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) and 12 Years a Slave (2013), receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the latter film.- Actress
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Thandiwe Newton was born in London. She is the daughter of Zimbabwean mother Nyasha, a health-care worker from the Shona tribe, and British father Nick Newton, who worked as a lab technician. She lived in Zambia until political unrest caused her family to move back to the UK, where she lived in Cornwall (in southwest Britain) until she was 11 and enrolled in London's Art Educational School to study modern dance until a back injury forced her to quit dancing. This led to her auditioning for films. Her first role was in John Duigan's Flirting (1991). She then moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue acting. When her British accent limited the amount of work she was getting, she returned to Britain, studied at Cambridge University, and earned a degree in anthropology. Between semesters she continued acting and became noticed in in- demand for future film roles.- Actor
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Lennie James was born in Nottingham to Trinidadian parents, and grew up in South London. His mother, Phyllis Mary James, died when he was 12. Lennie and his older brother went into a council children's home. When he was 16 he was fostered with a social worker who had two older children, and they remain very close. Within a year Lennie began writing plays (Storm Damage was broadcast by the BBC in 2000 and won a Royal Television Society (RTS) award in 2001). Lennie received his training at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama from which he graduated in 1988.- Amuka-Bird was born in Nigeria, but grew up in the UK and in Antigua. She abandoned her dancing aspirations after suffering a back injury. After attending LAMDA, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Whilst on tour with the RSC in Japan, she met her husband, actor Geoffrey Streatfield. In addition to her numerous television roles and the RSC, she has performed onstage with the National Theatre and the Oxford Stage Company, amongst others.
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Ashley Walters was born on 30 June 1982 in London, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Speed Racer (2008), Top Boy (2011) and Stormbreaker (2006).- Actor
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Sope Dirisu was born on 9 January 1991 in Edgware, London, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Slow Horses (2022), His House (2020) and Gangs of London (2020).- Actress
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Cynthia Erivo is an English actress, singer, and songwriter. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Erivo began acting in a 2011 stage production of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. She gained recognition for starring in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple from 2015 to 2017, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Erivo ventured into films in 2018, playing roles in the heist film Widows and the thriller Bad Times at the El Royale. For her portrayal of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet (2019), Erivo received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress; she also wrote and performed the song "Stand Up" on its soundtrack, which garnered her a nomination in the Best Original Song category.
On television, Erivo had her first role in the British series Chewing Gum (2015). She went on to star in the crime drama miniseries The Outsider (2020), and received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her portrayal of American singer Aretha Franklin in National Geographic's anthology series Genius: Aretha (2021).- Freema Agyeman is a British actress who is known for playing Martha Jones in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who (2007-2010), Alesha Phillips in crime procedural drama Law & Order: UK (2009-2011), Amanita Caplan in the Netflix science fiction drama Sense8 (2015-2018), and Dr. Helen Sharpe in the NBC medical procedural series New Amsterdam (2018-2022).
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David Oyelowo also known as 'David O', is a classically trained stage actor who has quickly become one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents. He graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and received the "Scholarship for Excellence" from Nicholas Hytner in 1998.
David most notably starred as Martin Luther King Jr. in Paramount's drama Selma (2014). Directed by Ava DuVernay and produced by Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt's Plan B, the film follows Dr. King's struggle to secure voting rights for black people culminating in the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama and President Lyndon Johnson's signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Oyelowo received Golden Globe and Film Independent Spirit Award nominations and won the NAACP Image Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Dr. King. The film also received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
More recently, David's leading roles have included: Jack Radcliff in Blumhouse's Don't Let Go (2019) alongside Storm Reid, Javert in BBC and PBS Masterpiece's six-part adaptation of Les Misérables (2018) where he also served as executive producer, joining Rose Byrne and Domhnall Gleeson in Sony's Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021), and opposite Angelina Jolie as the father and mother duo to Alice and Peter, the two beloved characters from the well-known fairy tales Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.
David has also been seen in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi adventure Interstellar (2014), J.C. Chandor's crime drama A Most Violent Year (2014), Paramount's true-life crime thriller Captive (2015) with Kate Mara, A United Kingdom (2016) with Rosamund Pike, Disney's Queen of Katwe (2016) opposite Lupita Nyong'o for which he earned an NAACP Image Award nomination and Simon Brand's Default (2014), and STX and Amazon Studio's Gringo (2018) also starring Joel Edgerton and Charlize Theron.
Additional film credits include The Butler (2013), [linknm0000229]'s Academy Award nominated drama Lincoln (2012), with Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones, the critically acclaimed independent drama Middle of Nowhere (2012), which earned David individual NAACP Image Award and Independent Spirit Award nominations, Jack Reacher (2012) opposite Tom Cruise, Lee Daniels' The Paperboy (2012) opposite Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron, the British made for television movie Complicit (2013), George Lucas' produced WWII drama Red Tails (2012), which won "Best Motion Picture" at the 2013 NAACP Image Awards, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) alongside James Franco and Freida Pinto, the Academy Award nominated drama The Help (2011), 96 Minutes (2011), which premiered at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival, Kevin MacDonald's The Last King of Scotland (2006) opposite Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy, Who Do You Love (2008), in which he played the iconic Muddy Waters, A Sound of Thunder (2005) fro Warner Brothers, Derailed (2005) for Miramax, and Shoot the Messenger (2006) for BBC2.
Oyelowo first impressed audiences on the stage when he starred in "The Suppliants" at the Gate Theatre playing King Palasgus, for which he received the Ian Charleson Award commendation. Following this he played the title role of "Henry VI", becoming the first black actor to play an English king for the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company). The role won him the Ian Charleson Award and an Evening Standard Award nomination. Other theatre credits include an acclaimed performance in Richard Bean's "The God Botherers" at the Bush Theatre, the title role in Aeschylus' "Prometheus Bound', which was Off-Broadway for which David received rave reviews, and most recently, appeared in New York Theatre Workshop's Off-Broadway production of Othello with Daniel Craig and Rachel Brosnahan.
Beyond theatre, David starred in the BAFTA Award winning series MI-5 (2002) playing Danny Hunter also known as "MI:5" which aired in the United States on BBC America as well. Additionally, he won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor and was also nominated for a BAFTA Award for the same role for his work on Small Island (2009). David also starred in the BBC1 original television movie Born Equal (2006) opposite Colin Firth as well as ABC's production of A Raisin in the Sun (2008), alongside Sanaa Lathan and Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Another small screen role which garnered him attention was HBO's film, Nightingale (2014), which earned him a Golden Globe nomination and two Emmy Award nominations, including one for his work as executive producer.
He will be making his directorial debut with the feature The Water Man (2020), written by Emma Needell and produced by Shivhans Pictures. David's production company, Yoruba Saxon, will also produce alongside Harpo Films. Not only will David O direct and produce, but star in the film as well with Rosario Dawson, Lonnie Chavis, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina, and Maria Bello.
In 2015, in association with The Geanco Foundation, Oyelowo established the David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship to fully fund the education and rehabilitation of girls who have been directly affected by terrorism in Nigeria. He has continued to raise support for the Leadership Scholarship over the last four years, which is now providing thirty-two girls with an education in Nigeria.
Oyelowo was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2016 New Year Honours for his services to drama.- Actor
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Quite possibly the most underrated and underexposed actor of his caliber in both theatre and screen, Arinze Kene's undeniable talent and ability to successfully bring to life any role he undertakes is on a par with the most praised and revered A-list actors in the business.
Kene was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in Hackney, London. He spent his gap year gigging as lead vocalist in a jazz band, and nurturing his hobby: acting. He went on to university studying Physiotherapy but dropped out after only two months to pursue acting full time.
With roles in 2008's West End production of Daddy Cool and Lion King, and 2009's Been So Long (in which he led the play to scoop an Edinburgh Fringe Award), within a relatively short time Kene was able to show off his exceptional talent and ability on both stage and screen alike. His first major on-screen performance came in 2010 in the Kolton Lee directed film Freestyle. Hopefully the near future will bring an influx of more varied lead roles for black actors so that Kene can continue to astonish his colleagues and fans alike with the intensity of his skill.- Actress
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Carmen Elizabeth Ejogo was born in Kensington, London, England, to a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother. Her television career began in the United Kingdom in the early 1990s, where she presented the children's series Saturday Disney (1990). Subsequently, she has had an acting career in the United States. She has appeared in Metro (1997) with Eddie Murphy, What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001) with Martin Lawrence, and Love's Labour's Lost (2000) with Kenneth Branagh, among other films, and also presented "The Carmen Ejogo Video Show" - her own video show on BSB's Power Station channel. She starred as Thomas Jefferson's slave concubine in the television drama Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (2000) as Sally Hemings and also as Sister Anderson in the remake version of the cult classic original film Sparkle (2012).
Ejogo is also a vocalist, having collaborated with several artists in the 1990s. She wrote and sang lead vocals on the song "Candles" by English drum 'n' bass DJ Alex Reece - she appeared in the music video and is listed in the production credits as 'Carmen'. She also sang vocals and duets with British artist Tricky on a song called "Slowly". Aside from "Candles", Ejogo appears on four songs of the Sparkle (2012) original soundtrack album from the movie of the same name, singing lead on "Yes I Do" (as a solo), and co-lead vocals with Jordin Sparks and Tika Sumpter on "Jump", "Hooked on Your Love" and "Something He Can Feel". She is also a member of Mensa International, the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world.- Malachi Kirby was born on 20 September 1989 in England, UK. He is an actor, known for Curfew (2019), Devils (2020) and Roots (2016).
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Richard Ellef Ayoade was born in Hammersmith, and grew up in Suffolk, in England, the son of a Norwegian mother, Dagny Amalie (Baassuik), and a Nigerian father, Layide Ade Laditi Ayoade. He studied Law at Cambridge university, and followed in the footsteps of British Comedy legends like Monty Python's Eric Idle, Hugh Laurie and Graeme Garden when he became the president of the Cambridge Footlights club.
Ayoade's first real TV break was directing, co-writing and starring with Matthew Holness in the cult classic Garth Marenghi's Darkplace (2004) a parody of shlocky 1980's science fiction television shows, and noticed for it's "so bad it's good!" aesthetic. Notably shy and self-effacing in interviews, his performance as the debauched, self-assured publisher/pornographer/nightclub owner 'Dean Learner' showcased the young comedian's acting talent.
After cameos in another cult series The Mighty Boosh (2003) as the shaman "Saboo", his position in the popular consciousness was cemented in the series The IT Crowd (2006) where Ayoade played the social oblivious, dweebish savant known as "Moss".
All the while Ayoade continued to direct music videos for Vampire Weekend, Kasabian, and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs before finally getting his chance to direct a feature film, Submarine (2010), based on the novel by Joe Dunthorne.
Submarine was followed by The Double (2013) co-written by Avi Korine and based on a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky.- Danny Sapani is a British actor best known for his portrayal of Sembene in Penny Dreadful, Tony Morecombe in Misfits and supporting roles in Doctor Who, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Black Panther.
As an actor of Ghanaian descent, Sapani's roles have ranged through a variety of genres within film, television and theatre. Born and raised in London, his first pursuit of acting was at the Weekend Arts College in Kentish Town, soon leading to more intense training at the Central School of Speech and Drama, an institution that well and truly helped him develop an approach to the industry.
In 1992, Sapani made his screen debut in The Bill, followed by a number of supporting roles in series including Casualty, Holby City, Judge John Deed, Ultimate Force, Little Britain and Doctor Who. Smaller roles soon introduced Sapani to the cast of Misfits in 2009, portraying the role of Tony Morecombe, a probation officer who attains extreme superhuman strength after the storm. With Misfits capturing so much global attention, it elevated Sapani into the known sphere, soon scoring a main role on The Bastard Executioner as Berber the Moor, and a recurring role on cult-hit Penny Dreadful as Sembene, appearing in 18 episodes of the production until his fan-favourite character met an untimely fate.
As a familiar face of the film industry, he has appeared in a number of short and feature films including The Oxford Murders, Anansi and Danny Boyle's Trance. Most recently, Sapani has appeared as a medical frigate captain in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and as a border tribe elder in Black Panther.
In 2019, Danny Sapani is slated to appear in the television series MotherFatherSon as Jahan Zakari. - Actress
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- Paapa Essiedu was born on 11 June 1990 in Walthamstow, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for I May Destroy You (2020), The Outrun (2024) and Men (2022).
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Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in west Africa to Albertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. He moved to Lyon, France, when he was 13. Hounsou has graced the catwalks of Paris and London as a popular male model. He has since left his modeling career and has worked on Gladiator (2000) by Ridley Scott and Amistad (1997) by Steven Spielberg.- Actress
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Adjoa Andoh was born on 14 January 1963 in Bristol, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Invictus (2009), Bridgerton (2020) and Fractured (2019). She has been married to Howard Cunnell since March 2001. They have two children.- Actor
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Hugh Quarshie was born on 22 December 1954 in Accra, Ghana. He is an actor and director, known for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), Highlander (1986) and Nightbreed (1990). He is married to Annika Sundström.- Actress
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Marianne Raigipcien Jean-Baptiste is an English actress. She is known for her role in the 1996 comedy-drama film Secrets & Lies, for which she received acclaim and earned nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award in the same category. Baptiste is also known for her role as Vivian Johnson on the television series Without a Trace from 2002 to 2009, and has since starred in television shows such as Blindspot (2015-2016) and Homecoming (since 2018).- Actor
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Noel Clarke was born in London, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Brotherhood (2016), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Mute (2018). He is married to Iris Da-Silva. They have two children.- Actress
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Pearl Mackie was born on 29 May 1987 in Brixton, London, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Doctor Who (2005), Horizon Line (2020) and The Real Charlie Chaplin (2021).- Actress
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Wunmi Mosaku was born on 31 July 1986 in Zaria, Nigeria. She is an actress, known for His House (2020), Lovecraft Country (2020) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016).- Actress
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Gugu Mbatha-Raw was born Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England. Her father, Patrick Mbatha, is a Black South African doctor, and her mother, Anne Raw, is a Caucasian English nurse. Her parents separated when she was a year old, and she was brought up by her mother in the town of Witney, Oxfordshire (she is still close to her father). She joined the local acting group Dramascope and, from the age of eleven, appeared in the pantomime at Oxford Playhouse every year. A talented singer and dancer as well as playing the saxophone, she joined the Oxford Youth Music Theatre in her teens.
In 2001, she won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. Since graduation in 2004, she has appeared in all media, including as an acclaimed Juliet Capulet in "Romeo and Juliet" at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre in 2005, opposite Andrew Garfield as Romeo Montague. Mbatha-Raw was nominated for Best Actress in the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards for her portrayal of Juliet Capulet. She also appeared as Octavia in "Antony and Cleopatra" at the same theatre in 2005. In 2009, she was cast as Ophelia in "Hamlet" on London's West End and Broadway, opposite Jude Law as the title role.
Mbatha-Raw appeared on such varied television series as Bad Girls (1999), Doctor Who (2005), Marple (2004) and Touch (2012). She had a supporting role in the romantic comedy Larry Crowne (2011), written and directed by Tom Hanks, who also played the title role. She was acclaimed for her performance of Dido Elizabeth Belle in Amma Asante's Belle (2013), which earned her a British Independent Film Award for Best Actress, and a nomination as Most Promising Newcomer. She was also nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actress.
She starred in the romantic drama Beyond the Lights (2014) and was nominated for a Gotham Award for Best Actress for her performance. In 2015, she was nominated for a BAFTA Rising Star Award. That same year, she had a supporting role in Jupiter Ascending (2015), played Prema Mutiso, the wife of Dr. Bennet Omalu (played by Will Smith) in the biopic Concussion (2015), and the title role in Jessica Swale's play "Nell Gwynn", playing the actress who became the mistress of King Charles II of England. She was nominated for an Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in the play.
She played Rachel in Newton Knight's biopic Free State of Jones (2016), directed by Gary Ross, playing Knight's common-law wife, a freedwoman he had a family with after the Civil War. She also played Esme Manucharian in Miss Sloane (2016), Sophie on Netflix's series Easy (2016), and played Kelly, one of the leads in "San Junipero", the fourth episode of Season 3 of Black Mirror (2011). Her other films are the live-action remake Beauty and the Beast (2017), playing Plumette, A Wrinkle in Time (2018), directed by Ava DuVernay, and The Cloverfield Paradox (2018).
Gugu Mbatha-Raw was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2017 Birthday Honours for her services to drama.- Actress
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Naomi Campbell was born on 22 May 1970 in Streatham, London, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Zoolander 2 (2016), I Feel Pretty (2018) and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995).- Actress
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Susan was born in Southwark, London to Nigerian parents. Her television debut was at 14 years old as one of the eight children selected for CBBC's Serious Jungle (2002). Susan was a member of The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. At 18, whilst studying for her A Levels, she landed her first professional acting role in the BAFTA award winning That Summer Day (2006). The following year she started her actor's training at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Susan made her film debut in Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) as well as TV appearances in Bluestone 42 (BBC) Crashing (Channel 4) and as Cynthia in the E4 comedy hit Chewing Gum. Susan's first leading role was in the E4/Netflix co-production Crazyhead (2016). Susan is also a writer and her older sister, Emi, is a musical theatre actress.- Actor
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Jimmy Akingbola can be seen in the coveted role of 'Geoffrey', trusted advisor to Phil and the Banks family and the link back to his humble roots in the UK in BEL-AIR, the acclaimed serialized one-hour dramatic analogue of the '90s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. He has also completed filming Freegard alongside James Norton and Gemma Arterton.
His other recent credits range from EMMY nominated Most Dangerous Game for Quibi, EMMY winning Ted Lasso for Apple TV+ and for his role as arch-villain 'Baron Reiter' in Arrow (CW) he was singled out by The Hollywood Reporter as an 'iconic character' and "in their top ten major villains list". He was also seen in ITV crime thriller The Tower with Gemma Whelan, Kate and Koji with Brenda Blethyn for ITV and Britbox and In The Long Run, created by and also starring Elba for Sky One.
Additionally Jimmy set up Triforce Creative Network, which has multiple initiatives such as TriForce Short Film Festival, WriterSlam UK, and MonologueSlam UK that help to provide opportunities to discover diverse talent including actors, writers, directors and producers. Some of these initiatives have been supported by Spotlight, Equity, Channel 4. C21 Media, ITV, Sky and BBC.- Director
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Reggie Yates is a Writer and Director from London known for PIRATES (2021).
With the theatrical release of his debut feature film PIRATES, Yates achieved a long held dream of sharing his version of London with the world. This BBC Film/BFI coming-of-age comedy is a love letter to the UK Garage scene and a time capsule for 90's London. Recently acquired by NETFLIX, PIRATES is now streaming and officially selected at South By South West Film Festival .
Three decades in, Reggie's career began as a child actor. This led to a decade of bouncing from national radio host to actor and eventually fronting Saturday night prime time TV. A pivot into documentary making changed things for good as authentic storytelling became a priority.
In the last decade, Reggie has become synonymous with critically acclaimed documentaries. His films include the BBC Extreme series including Reggie Yates: Extreme Russia, Extreme South Africa and Extreme UK which are all available to a worldwide audience on Netflix. Reggie was awarded Best Presenter for the critically acclaimed Extreme Russia at the Royal Television Society Awards, Best Factual Programme at the Edinburgh TV Festival, and Best Multi-channel Programme at the Broadcast Awards.- Actor
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Joel Fry was born in London in 1984 and studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Since graduating he has worked consistently, staring in various Television, Film and Theatre productions in the United Kingdom and America. Joel is also a musician, playing a number of instruments but predominantly the guitar.- Actress
- Producer
Nathalie Emmanuel is an English actress, known for her role as Missandei on the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones (2011) and Ramsey in Furious 7 (2015).
Nathalie was born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, to a father of Saint Lucian and English descent and a mother of Dominican origin. Nathalie credits her mother for the initial motivation to become an actress. At the age of 10, she played Young Nala in the West End production of The Lion King. In 2006, she made her television break by starring as Sasha Valentine in the teen soap opera Hollyoaks (1995). Emmanuel appeared on the show until 2010, her character's story-lines included prostitution, and heroin addiction.
Nathalie presented BBC Three's Web-sex: What's the Harm?, investigating the online sexual habits of 16-24 year-old in the UK. Later in the same year she made her film debut in the thriller Twenty8. The following year, she was cast as Missandei, Daenerys Targaryen's translator, in HBO's fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011). In 2015, Emmanuel was promoted to a regular cast member on the show. In the same year, she played computer hacker Ramsey in the action film Furious 7 (2015) and Harriet in the sci-fi sequel Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015).
FHM magazine ranked Emmanuel as 99th in their 100 Sexiest Women of 2013. In 2015, she appeared in the April issues of InStyle and GQ magazines.- Actor
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Leemore Marrett Jr. is known for Three Little Birds (2023), The Batman (2022) and My Name Is Leon (2022).- Sennia Nanua was born on 13 November 2002 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Serpent Queen (2022), The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) and Frankie (2019).
- Actor
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Nathan was brought up in Wandsworth, London, He studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama, which he graduated from in 2006. He made his professional stage debut playing a number of roles in 'Brixton Stories' at the Lyric, Hammersmith and has also appeared on stage in 'The History Boys' at the National Theatre and, in 2012, in the revival of 'Pitchfork Disney', in the role of a man who eats cockroaches for a living. To television viewers he will be known as Curtis in E4's Misfits (2009), about a group of youngsters who have gained supernatural powers following a freak storm - in Curtis's case the ability to go back in time and see the future.- Alfred Lewis Enoch was born December 2, 1988 in Westminster, London, England, the son of English actor William Russell (William Russell Enoch) and Brazilian doctor Etheline Margareth Lewis. He is an actor, known for his role as Dean Thomas in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)_ (2007), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) (2009), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) (2011). More recently, he has played Philotus in Timon of Athens (2012), and Titus Lartius in Coriolanus (2013 - 2014), by William Shakespeare, both at the Donmar Warehouse theater.
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Lenworth George Henry was born on August 29, 1958, in Dudley, West Midlands in England to a family of Jamaican immigrants. He made his TV debut on a talent show called "New Faces" in 1975 at the age of 16. He won and went on to things such as The Fosters (1976) and Tiswas (1974), which was when his career as a comedian took off. In 1989, Lenny Henry made the stand-up comedy movie Lenny Henry: Lenny Live and Unleashed (1989), which caught the eyes of the Walt Disney Company, which gave him the lead role in the American movie True Identity (1991) and a contract to do two other Disney films for about US$1 million. The movie flopped, bringing in less than US$5 million. The contract was canceled, and Lenny got half of what he would have if he had done the three films. Lenny is now becoming well-known in the United States for the role of Gareth Blackstock in the hit BBC show Chef! (1993).- Simona Brown was born in April 1994 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Man Up (2015), Behind Her Eyes (2021) and The Night Manager (2016).
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Sharon Duncan-Brewster was born on 8 February 1976 in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Dune (2021), Enola Holmes 2 (2022) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).- Don Gilet was born on 17 January 1967 in Walsall, West Midlands, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Beekeeper (2024), EastEnders (1985) and Love & Marriage (2013).
- Colin Salmon is one of Britain's most renowned actors. With a bold voice and posture, Colin makes his characters a favorite among audiences for every role he plays. He made his feature debut as Sgt. Robert Oswald in the British mega-hit mini-series Prime Suspect 2 (1992), which gave him much acclaim among British audiences. He has a recurring role in the James Bond films as Charles Robinson, M's Chief of Staff. He has also appeared as the Commander James "One" Shade in the video game-to-movie Resident Evil (2002) and played Oonu, squad leader of the Skybax in the mini-series Dinotopia (2002) . His other film credits include Captives (1994), Immortality (1998), Fanny and Elvis (1999), Mind Games (2001), and My Kingdom (2001). His theatre credits include Ariadne at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall.
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Lucian Msamati was born on 5 March 1976 in the UK. He is an actor and producer, known for See How They Run (2022), The International (2009) and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (2008).- Actress
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Antonia Thomas is an English actress. She is best known for her work in the TV series Misfits, Lovesick and the The Good Doctor.
She studied for a Bachelor of Arts in acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 2009, and then joined the National Youth Theatre.
Her acting debut was in the TV movie Stanley Park (2010).- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Ruth Negga was born on 4 May 1981 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is an actress and producer, known for Loving (2016), Passing (2021) and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013).- Actress
- Producer
Pippa Bennett-Warner was born on 23 July 1988 in Banbury, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Gangs of London (2020), See How They Run (2022) and Real (2019).- Actor
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Jordan Stephens was born on 25 January 1992 in Brighton, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Last Vegas (2013) and Why Him? (2016).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sophie Okonedo is a British actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Tatiana Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (2004).
Okonedo was born within London in 1968. Her parents were Henry Okonedo (1939-2009) and Joan Allman. Her father was British Nigerian employed as a government worker. Her mother was a British Jew employed as a Pilates teacher. Sophie's maternal grandparents were Yiddish-speaking emigrants to the United Kingdom, one from Poland and the other from Russia.
Henry Okonedo abandoned his family around 1973, when Sophie was 5. Joan raised her daughter as a single mother in the Chalkhill Estate, a large council estate within the Wembley Park district of the London Borough of Brent. The Chalkhill Estate consisted of "about 1900 houses and flats" and was located at a short distance from the Wembley Stadium. The Chalkhill Estate was often vandalized by football hooligans during during the 1970s and suffered from high crime rates from the 1970s to the 1990s. The Estate's buildings were eventually demolished in 2000.
Sophie was raised as a practicing Jew, and always had access to books despite her family's relative poverty. She chose to follow acting as a profession, and was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, one of the oldest and most prestigious drama schools in the United Kingdom.
Okonedo made her film debut at 23, in the coming-of-age film "Young Soul Rebels" (1991). The film was a historical fiction work, examining the youth culture of London in the late 1970s, and the interactions between different culture movements: the skinheads, the punks, and the soul-boys. Sophie Okonedo played Tracy, the girlfriend of the main character Chris (Valentine Nonyela).
In 1995, Okonedo gained the role of Moira Levitt in the first season of the prison drama "The Governor" (1995-1996). The series primarily concerned the lives of a prison's staff members. Also in 1995, Okonedo played the role of the Wachati Princess, Ace Ventura's love interest in the comedy film "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls". In the film, the virgin princess of an African tribe has been engaged to a heir from another tribe, but disagrees with the arranged marriage and attempts to seduce pet detective Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) instead. Ace has recently become a Buddhist monk and has taken an oath of celibacy, but feels tempted by the offer.
From 1996 to 1997, Okonedo played the main role of Kelly Booth in the medical drama series "Staying Alive". In 2000, Okonedo played a main role in the legal drama mini-series "In Defence". While originally planned to be a multi-season television series, the series was cut short due to poor ratings.
In 2000, Okonedo co-stared in the dramatic television film "Never Never". She was nominated for a "Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor - Female", for her role in the film. In 2002, Okonedo played the role of the prostitute Juliette in the social thriller film "Dirty Pretty Things", which depicted the lives of impoverished immigrants in London.
In 2003, Okonedo voiced the role of Alison Cheney in the flash-animated series "Scream of the Shalka", a spin-off of "Doctor Who". In the series, Alison is a barmaid at a Lancashire village who becomes the newest time-traveling companion of the Doctor (played by Richard E. Grant). Alison also befriends the Master (played by Derek Jacobi), an arch-enemy-turned-assistant of the Doctor who is permanently trapped within the time machine known as the Tardis.
In 2004, 36-year-old Okonedo had her breakthrough role as the co-star of the historical drama film "Hotel Rwanda", depicting the Rwandan genocide (1994). Okonedo played the historical figure Tatiana Rusesabagina (1958-), a professional nurse from the Tutsi ethnic group who helped over a 1000 individuals to escape the massacre. Okonedo won a Black Reel Award for Best Actress for her role. She was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, but the Award for that year was won by rival actress Cate Blanchett (1969-).
In 2005, Okonedo had the role of Sithandra in the science fiction film "Æon Flux". The film was set in the 25th century, within the fictional city-state of Bregna. The characters Æon Flux (played by Charlize Theron) and Sithandra are female assassins, tasked with assassinating Trevor Goodchild, the local head-of-state. But in the process, Æon finds out that the city-state's main rebel-organization is actually a tool for a coup d'état orchestrated by other politicians. And also discovers some dark secrets about the city's past. The film gained a worldwide box office total of 52 million dollars, smaller than its actual budget,
In 2006, Okonedo played the intelligence agent "Mrs. Jones" in the spy film "Stormbreaker", an adaptation of the "Alex Rider" novel series by Anthony Horowitz (1955-). In the film, Mrs. Jones (full name "Tulip Jones" in the novels) is an an agent of the Special Operations Division of MI6, and the de facto second-in-command of MI6. When subordinate agent Ian Rider gets assassinated by enemy agents, Mrs. Jones recruits Ian's nephew and surrogate son Alex Rider as a replacement agent. Blackmailing the boy by threatening to deport his housekeeper and primary caretaker Jack Starbright (played by Alicia Silverstone) if he refuses to serve the agency. The film gained about 24 million dollars at the international box office, receiving only a limited release in the United States.
Also in 2006, Okonedo played the role of Anna in the British comedy-drama film "Scenes of a Sexual Nature", an anthology film depicting seven loosely connected stories, all set in the nature reserve of Hampstead Heath within Greater London. Anna was depicted as a woman suffering from extreme mood swings, which convince her boyfriend to leave her alone in the nature reserve. The depressed Anna is approached by the weirdly-acting stranger Noel (played by Tom Hardy) who attempts to cheer her up and befriend her. Anna is at turns amused and annoyed by Noel, attempts to have sex with him, and then abruptly abandons him due to another sudden change in her mood. The film opened in niche cinemas.
Also in 2006, Okonedo played the role of Susie Carter in the mini-series "Tsunami: The Aftermath", which depicted the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In the film, Susie is a young mother who is searching for her daughter Martha Carter (Jazmyn Maraso). Martha was swept away by the tsunami, and her whereabouts are unknown for most of the series. Okonedo won an "NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special" for this role, and was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Okonedo's next films were the comedy-drama "Martian Child" (2007), the drama film "The Secret Life of Bees" (2008), and the biographical film "Skin" (2008). The last two films allowed Okonedo to be nominated for several Black Reel Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Satellite Awards, and British Independent Film Award. Despite the critical acclaim for her acting roles, Okonedo never actually won these awards.
In 2010, 42-year-old Okonedo was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire, a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences. The Order was established in 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom (reigned 1910-1936) and counts among its members several actors.
In 2010, Okonedo returned to the Doctor Who franchise, playing another character in the most recent "Doctor Who" television series. She was cast as Elizabeth X (nicknaned "Liz Ten"), a Queen regnant of the United Kingdom in the 29th century. In the series, Elizabeth is immortal, but has limited access to her own memories due to a series of mind-wipes. She was depicted as still alive and reigning in an episode set in the 52nd century, at which point she was over 2300 years old.
Okonedo was limited to television roles for much of the early 2010s, but returned to theatrical films with the post-apocalyptic science fiction film "After Earth" (2013). The film is set in the 31st century, when the planet Earth has long been abandoned by humanity. Most humans live in the colony world Nova Prime, which is protected from alien threats by the Ranger Corps. Okonedo was cast in the role of Faia Raige, wife of the General Cypher Raige (Will Smith), the commanding officer of the Rangers. Early in the film, Faia convinces Cypher to take their son Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) with him in mission, as a bonding experience. Young Kitai's application to become a Ranger has already being rejected due to reckless behavior, Kitai suffers from survivor's guilt for playing a part in his sister's death, and his father sees him as a failure. Faia's request for a bonding experience results in father and son being left stranded on planet Earth, the only two humans alive on the planet. The film was poorly received by critics, but earned about 244 million dollars at the worldwide box office. Becoming the commercially most successful film in Okonedo's entire career at this point.
Okonedo's next film was the political drama "War Book" (2014). The film depicts British civil servants who participate in a war-game, concerning government reactions in a potential nuclear war. In 2016, Okonedo had a major role in the mini-series "The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses", depicting the historical Wars of the Roses (1455-1487), a series of English civil wars involving rival branches of the royal family. Okonedo was cast in the role of Queen consort Margaret of Anjou (1430-1482, terms as Queen 1445-1461, 1470-1471). The historical Margaret was the wife and consort of Henry VI of England (1421-1471, reigned 1422-1461, 1470-1471), the mother of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (1453-1471), and the mother-in-law of Anne Neville (1456-1485). Due to Henry's health problems and Edward's underage status, Margaret served as the de facto head of the House of Lancaster and the Lancastrian military faction in early phases of the war. The defeat of her army at the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471) caused the deaths of both her husband and her son, and allowed the rival House of York to dominate the English throne until 1485.
In 2018, Okonedo returned to voice acting. She voiced Kanga the kangaroo of the Hundred Acre Wood in the fantasy film "Christopher Robin", a sequel to the Winnie-the-Pooh novels of Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956). The film depicts an adult Christopher Robin as a World War II veteran and aging businessman. He thinks that his childhood friends from the Hundred Acre Wood were imaginary, until said friends come searching for him. He has aged, but they have not. The film earned about 198 million dollars at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing film in Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise.
In 2019, Okonedo played the seer Lady Hatton in the superhero film "Hellboy", the first superhero film of her career. The film earned about 40 million dollars at the worldwide box office, lower than its own budget. The film was criticized for its excessive gore, including an opening scene where King Arthur mutilates the corpse of his enemy Nimue.
Also in 2019, Okonedo was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019., for her services in drama. She is living with her only daughter Aoife Okonedo Martin in Muswell Hill, a suburban district of north London. Aoife is employed as a Personal Trainer. At 51, Okonedo continues to work regularly in her chosen field.- Actress
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Karla Crome was born on 22 June 1988 in London, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Canvas 5 (2021), Under the Dome (2013) and Misfits (2009).- Actress
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Shyko Amos is known for Death in Paradise (2011) and A Very English Scandal (2018).- Actor
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Ivanno Jeremiah is a British Ugandan Actor and Writer. Since graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art has worked consistently in Film, Television & International Theatre.
Ivanno is best known for playing 'Max' in Channel 4 and AMC's, Humans (2018) & 'Chris' in Sky's, A Discovery of Witches (2020). Also starring in the unaired Game of Thrones Prequel (2019).
Additional screen credits include Counterpart (2019), Cold Feet (2020), Doctor Who (2017), Black Mirror (2016), The Flood (2019), The Hollow Crown (2016), Julius Caesar (2012), The Jury II (2011) and Injustice (2011).- Actor
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Aml Ameen can currently be seen playing iconic civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. opposite Jeffrey Wright, Colman Domingo, and Chris Rock in George C. Wolfe's RUSTIN, produced by Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Bruce Cohen for Netflix. Ameen recently starred in Sky Cinema's independent film DEADSHOT opposite Felicity Jones. He received a 2023 Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Lead Performance for his work on the Paramount+/BET drama series THE PORTER.
In 2021, Ameen made his writing and directing debut with BOXING DAY. Financed by Warner Brothers, Film Four, and the BFI - BOXING DAY was released be Amazon in the U.S. Ameen's previous credits include the HBO/BBC critically-acclaimed series I MAY DESTROY YOU opposite star and creator Michaela Coel, Idris Elba's directorial debut YARDIE for Amazon which earned him a UK National Film Award nomination for Best Actor in 2019, Lee Daniel's THE BUTLER, THE MAZE RUNNER franchise on Fox, the Wachowski's Netflix series SENSE 8, and George Lucas' RED TAILS. Ameen portrayed series regular Lewis Hardy on the hit BAFTA series THE BILL, earning him a Screen Nation's Best Actor Award in 2007. His breakout performance as Trife in the cult classic KIDULTHOOD secured him a Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow Award in 2007 and a Screen Nation's Best Newcomer Award nomination in 2006.
Ameen can now be seen in David E. Kelly's limited series A MAN IN FULL executive produced and co-directed by Regina King for Netflix.- Actor
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After three years of performing arts studies, Chucky Venn has plied his trade professionally in the acting business for eleven years. His big break came when he auditioned for the role of Curtis Alexander on hit football soap Dream Team (Hewlland International, Sky One). What originally started out as a two-episode contract developed into a three-year role filming 98 episodes. In-between projects he also landed a featured role in medical drama Casualty (BBC1) as well as The Bill (ITV). After which he then swapped Sky One's No.1 soap for prime time ITV's Footballers Wives (Shed Productions). Chucky has featured in 'Return to House on Haunted Hill (Warner Premier), Blockbusters 'Bourne Ultimatum' (Universal Pictures), 'Batman The Dark Knight' (Warner Brothers), 'Thick as Thieves' (Lionsgate) with Morgan Freeman & Antonio Banderess plus 'Sharpe's Peril' (Picture Palace, ITV) with Sean Bean and the horror sequel 'Wrong Turn 3' (Twentieth Century Fox), as well as strong performances in the Olivier nominated hit plays Iya Lle 'The First Wife' (Soho Theatre) and hit musical 'Annie Get Your Gun' (Young Vic Theatre), with Jane Horrocks, playing the first Black 'Buffalo Bill'. Chucky played a lead role in the action movie 'Ghost Recon Alpha' with Oscar Winning directors Herve De Crecy & Francois Alaux, as well as featuring in the Tragic Theatrical Drama 'Wedlock Of The Gods' (Cochrane Theatre) and a National Tour of the hit play Keeler with Paul Nicholas. After landing a role on hit No1 TV show EastEnders (BBC1) playing Ray Dixon, Chucky has received an MVSA & Screen Nation Award for Best Male TV Star.- Actor
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Michael Obiora (pronounced OH-BEE-ORA) is an actor, writer, producer, and director. Having started out as a child in Grange Hill, he made the rare transition into adult star with leading stage and television roles in shows including My Family, Sea of Souls, Misfits, and Afterlife. He is most recognizable for his portrayal of Ben Trueman in the BBC smash hit Hotel Babylon, and for his roles in Casualty, Fortitude, Luther, Tomb Raider, Doctor Who: Blink, the television series remake of Guy Ritchie's Snatch, and the prequel series to Jonathan Glazer's classic crime movie Sexy Beast.
Michael made his directorial debut with the award-winning Soaperstar, which was selected for screening at the Academy Award® qualifying Pan African Film Festival.
Michael's first novel Black Shoes, was published in 2009. This was followed by 2014 novel Vivian's Couch.- Actress
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Kehinde Fadipe is a British-Nigerian actress and writer. She is best known for playing 'Melissa/Curtis' as a series regular on Misfits (Channel Four). She has also starred in Body Farm (BBC) and as a lead in 'Of Mary' (dir. Adrian Lester).
She has worked onstage at The Almeida Theatre (Ruined by Lynn Nottage), The Finborough Theatre (Fanta Orange) and The National Theatre Studio (Eclipsed by Danao Gurira)- Jenny Jules was born in London, England, UK. She is known for Up 'n' Under (1998), EastEnders (1985) and Skins (2007). She is married to Ralph Brown.
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David Harewood was born on 8 December 1965 in Birmingham, England, UK. He is an actor and director, known for Blood Diamond (2006), The Merchant of Venice (2004) and Supergirl (2015). He has been married to Kirsty Handy since 26 February 2013. They have two children.- Actress
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Amma Asante is a British BAFTA award winning screenwriter and director, known for Belle (2013), and A Way of Life (2004). She is a former child actress, who began her writing career at the age of 23 with a script deals from both Channel 4 in the UK and BBC. Her first movie, A Way of Life, which she wrote and directed won her numerous awards, both in the UK and internationally, including FIPRESCI prizes and the Carl Foreman BAFTA Film Award. In 2017 Amma was awarded an MBE on the Queen's New Year's Honours List, for her services to film as a writer and director.- Actor
- Script and Continuity Department
Kadiff Kirwan is a British actor of stage and screen.
Kadiff Paterson Kirwan was born in Plymouth, Montserrat, to parents Matilda and Peter Kirwan. In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufrière Hills volcano, dormant for centuries, erupted and buried the island's capital, Plymouth, destroying its airport and docking facilities, and rendered part of the island, uninhabitable and not safe. With Montserrat being an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom in 1998 Kadiff and his family moved and settled in Preston, Lancashire.
At the age of 18 Kadiff moved to London to pursue a career in acting. He graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama in 2011 after studying a 3 year degree in Acting.
He starred in the National Theatre's Production of HOME alongside Michaela Coel and Antonia Thomas in 2013/14. He has starred in various productions at theatres including the Donmar Warehouse and The Old Vic.
On Screen Kadiff is best known for playing Aaron in BAFTA award winning show Chewing Gum, and Chester in BLACK MIRROR (Netflix). Other credits include Strike (BBC/HBO), Timewasters (ITV), QUEERS (BBC) Crims (BBC) and Call the Midwife (BBC).- :Along with his brother, Don was raised in Warrington Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. Inspired to act after seeing the film On the Waterfront (1954), he got into stage school then became an Assistant Stage Manager.at a Newcastle theatre then went to a drama school, As there was already an actor called Donald Williams, Don had to change his name so adopted that of the road he grew up in. In 1973 he got a part in the touring production of The Banana Box with Paul Jones, Leonard Rossiter and Rosemary Leach, who after a short while left and was replaced by Frances de la Tour. This was then adapted for television and with a change of title became the hit series Rising Damp (1974).
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Born in London, with a Nigerian father, Nina trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and gained A-levels in Performing Arts. Soon she was appearing as Desdemona in "Othello", Olivia in "Twelfth Night" and Hermia in "A Midsummer Night's Dream", along with the title role in "Educating Rita". Joining the RSC, she played in "Henry V", "The White Devil", "The Learned Ladies" and "Herbal Bed", before moving to the National Theatre for "Anthony & Cleopatra" and "House and Garden", followed by "The Marriage of Figaro" at the Royal Exchange.
On TV, Nina has appeared in People Like Us (1999), Teachers (2001), The Jury (2002), The Three Gamblers (2000), Prime Suspect 2 (1992) - and many others. New projects include Human Trade (2003) with Martin Kemp and John Duttine, and Richard Curtis's new film Love Actually (2003) with Hugh Grant. She also appears in "The Vortex" at the Donmar Warehouse until February 2003.- Actress
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Marsha Thomason is a British television and film actress who is known for playing Sara Evers in Disney's The Haunted Mansion, Naomi Dorrit on the ABC series Lost, FBI agent Diana Berrigan on the USA Network series White Collar, Francine Bridge on Sky's Cobra and DS Jenn Townsend in ITV crime series The Bay.- Actress
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Zawe Ashton is an actor, writer and director.
Her role as Vod in Channel 4's "Fresh Meat" won her a cult following, and the diversity of her work across television, film, and stage has attracted numerous accolades and awards.
Most recently, Zawe starred on Broadway in the critically acclaimed revival of Harold Pinter's BETRAYAL directed by Jamie Lloyd, opposite Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Cox. Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote that Zawe is "a breakout star... her deeply sensitive performance elicits a feminist subtext in Betrayal." She also received a WhatsOnStage nomination for the West End run of the show.
Zawe's recent film and TV credits include the Netflix feature film Velvet Buzzsaw, in which she starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Toni Colette, and Rene Russo. She is seen teaming up with Toni Colette again in the BBC/Netflix TV series Wanderlust. She will appear as a new character Oona in the fourth series of the critically acclaimed Handmaid's Tale. She was nominated for two British Comedy Awards for her break out role as Vod in 'Fresh Meat', the show was nominated for a BAFTA in 2014. Her heartbreaking portrayal of Joyce Vincent in Carol Morley's 'Dreams of a Life' earned her a Best Newcomer nomination at the British Independent Film Awards in 2012.
In addition to being an accomplished actress, Zawe has also established herself as an award-winning writer, producer and director. As a playwright, her second play FOR ALL THE WOMEN WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE... MAD was produced in London at the Hackney Showroom and at Soho Rep in New York, simultaneously in 2019. Her writing career began when she became the youngest winner of the London Poetry Slam Championship in 2000. Her debut play Harm's Way was nominated for a Verity Bargate Award in 2007. Zawe's directorial debut Happy Toys was nominated for Best British Short at the Raindance Film Festival in 2014.
As an author, Zawe's novel, CHARACTER BREAKDOWN, was published by Penguin / Random House in 2019. The Times called it "'Smart, funny, vivid, honest, dark, timely'".- Roxy Sternberg is a British actress, born and raised in Hammersmith, London to parents Bernard Sternberg and Flora Sternberg. Her father studied at LAMDA and she also found herself in love with acting at a young age.
Her first job was the lead role in IT'S A LOT, a British urban cult comedy, which she landed quickly after graduating from the Royal Holloway University in London. She has since starred in both comedies and dramas- including a series regular role on NBC's EMERALD CITY, which opened up other tv opportunities overseas in the US. This includes Nat Geo's MARS, Amazon's ABSENTIS and AMC's INTO THE BADLANDS.
She featured in the BAFTA winning comedy, CHEWING GUM and is currently starring in Dick Wolf's CBS series, FBI: MOST WANTED. - Actor
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Paterson Joseph was born on 22 June 1964 in Willesden, London, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Wonka (2023), The Beach (2000) and Æon Flux (2005). He is married to Emmanuelle Joseph. They have one child.- Actress
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Film and television actress Christine Adams was born in London, United Kingdom.
She starred on several British and American films and television series since early 2000s.
On television, she is known for roles as "Katherine Williams Osgood" on the British miniseries, NY-LON (2004); "Simone Hundin" on the American comedy-drama series, Pushing Daisies (2007) (2007-2009); as "Lena Boudreaux" on the short-lived ABC legal drama series, The Whole Truth (2010); and as "Mira" in FOX's science-fiction drama series, Terra Nova (2011).
In 2012, she starred, opposite Anthony LaPaglia, on the ABC drama series, Americana (2012). Adams appeared on several films, such as Submerged (2005), Batman Begins (2005), Eye of the Dolphin (2006), Green Flash (2008), Beneath the Blue (2010), Tron: Legacy (2010) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.- Vivian Oparah is a British actress best known for her role as Tanya Adeola in the British science fiction drama, Class.
As a musician, stage performer and screen actor, Oparah has been involved in a number of projects in her recently established career. She has appeared in the production An Octaroon at the Orange Tree Theatre, and will be appearing in the 2018 production of Fanny & Alexander at the Old Vic.
In 2016, Oparah was announced as one of the main cast members of the BBC Three Doctor Who spin-off, Class. Only new to the world of acting at the time, she scored the role after several auditions, a role that caught her interest whilst studying a summer course at the National Youth Theatre.
Vivian Oparah is set to appear in the musical drama film Teen Spirit, and The Rebel. - Actor
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Tomiwa Edun was born on 4 March 1984 in Lagos, Nigeria. He is an actor, known for What Happened to Monday (2017), Argylle (2024) and Cinderella (2015).- Adelayo Adedayo was born on 18 December 1988 in Dagenham, Essex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Some Girls (2012), Timewasters (2017) and Origin (2018).
- Ricky was born in Oldham, Lancashire. His father was in the Royal Air Force which meant travelling the world to different bases. Ricky was scouted to play as a professional footballer for Arsenal and Celtic football clubs but this was thwarted by injury and instead he went to Southampton University to read Law. Whilst there he began modeling and became the Face of Reebok for 2000. He then moved into acting, with his first lead role in the football drama 'Dream Team'. In 2007 he left to play in another British soap, as P.C. Calvin Valentine in the award winning soap 'Hollyoaks'. In 2010, Ricky took his talents to Los Angeles immediately booking a lead in Sony romantic comedy Austenland before gaining several TV roles in mistresses, NCIS,single ladies amongst others. His versatility and nuance depicted as Lincoln in sci fi Netflix drama The100 before his breakout role and critically acclaimed portrayal as shadow Moon in the award winning American Gods ,streamed worldwide on Amazon
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Kirby is an actress who is best known for her memorable roles in "Killing Eve," "The Good Place," "Barry," "Why Women Kill," and "Veronica Mars." Her other television credits include "Infinity Train," "Love," 'Downward Dog," "House Of Lies," and "Comedy Bang! Bang!."
In 2021, Kirby was seen in the Disney feature "Cruella", opposite Emma Stone and Emma Thompson, and starred in the STX Films comedy "Queenpins," a two-hander with Kristen Bell and Kirby in co-leading roles. She was also seen in the independent feature "Silent Night," and appeared in Saban Films' dark romantic comedy "Happily."- Actress
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Lashana Lynch (born 27 November 1987) is a British actress. She plays the leading role of Rosaline in the ABC period drama series Still Star-Crossed.
Lynch is a graduate of the BA Acting course at ArtsEd drama school in London. She made her film debut in the 2011 drama film Fast Girls. She later co-starred in the BBC television film The 7.39. On television, she also has appeared in Silent Witness, Death in Paradise, and was regular cast member on the short-lived BBC comedy Crims in 2015.
In 2016, Lynch was cast as leading character, Rosaline, in the American period drama series Still Star-Crossed produced by Shonda Rhimes.
Lynch is of Jamaican descent.- Actress
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Ayesha Antoine was born on 8 May 1981. She is an actress and writer, known for Artemis Fowl (2020), Doctor Who (2005) and The Sea Beast (2022).- Actress
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Alisha Bailey was born in London, England, UK. Alisha is an actor and writer, known for Domino Day (2024), Doctor Who (2005) and Grace (2021).- Actress
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Jade Anouka was born on 12 June 1990. She is an actress and director, known for His Dark Materials (2019), Cleaning Up (2019) and The Donmar Warehouse's All-Female Shakespeare Trilogy (2017).- Actress
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Noma Dumezweni was born on 28 July 1969 in Swaziland. She is an actress, known for The Little Mermaid (2023), Mary Poppins Returns (2018) and Dirty Pretty Things (2002).- Actress
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Angela Griffin was born on 19 July 1976 in Cottingley, Leeds, Yorkshire, England, UK. She is an actress and director, known for Waterloo Road (2006), Help (2021) and Crime (2021). She has been married to Jason Milligan since 27 July 2006. They have two children.- Actor
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Samuel Anderson was born on 27 April 1982 in England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for The History Boys (2006), The Lady in the Van (2015) and Gunpowder Milkshake (2021).- Actor
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- Malique Thompson-Dwyer was born on 2 February 1998 in Hollinwood, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, UK. He is an actor, known for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017), Hollyoaks (1995) and The Dumping Ground (2013).
- Theo was born and raised in Manchester England. He started acting at school, before contacting local actor training company - DNA Performance Resource - in order to start his journey towards becoming a professional actor. He signed with an agent a year later and quickly secured his first TV credit. Since then he has has a wonderful start to his career, playing regulars and series leads in a number of productions. His most recent work was on Netflix smash hit 'Fate - a Winx Saga'. His current focus is to work internationally on high end TV and film productions.
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Ben has a host of notable television performances under his belt including a starring role in BBC One's The Split, Silent Witness, ITV's Law & Order, Cleaning Up, Brief Encounters, Midwinter of the Spirit and Des, Channel 4's The Inbetweeners and Derek, BBC thriller Hunted, BBC comedies Rev, Miranda, Fleabag, Russell Howard's Good News, Live at the Apollo, and Brittania for Sky Atlantic. He also stars in the Amazon movie Cinderella and forthcoming releases include The Light, a drama series for Channel 4, the AppleTV thriller Suspicion and Jane Austen feature Persuasion (Netflix).
He is highly regarded for his work with Ricky Gervais, touring, writing and acting alongside him since 2012. Smith starred in the 2016 Gervais movie David Brent: Life on the Road, as well as working on the C4 series Derek and a number of comic songs and sketches. Ben also boasts a wide following amongst children, creating and co-writing the BAFTA winning Four o'Clock Club and starring in and writing for the cult animation Strange Hill High, both for CBBC. He read a number of different books for CBeebies Bedtime Stories and appeared in the film adaptation of the bestselling book Ratburger, for Sky One.
Ben has written music for the screen since 2010 including CBBC's Four o'Clock Club and Strange Hill High, as well as for the movies Attack The Block and Quartet. He has also penned a number of mainstream advertising campaigns including Sainsbury's and the wildly successful Snoop Dogg series for Just Eat. He still makes Rap music for himself and his fans under the name Doc Brown.Zadie Smith's Brother- Lorraine Burroughs was born in 1981 in Birmingham, West Midlands, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Doctor Who (2005), DCI Banks (2010) and Fast Girls (2012).
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Georgina Campbell was born in Maidstone, Kent, England. Georgina is an actor and producer, known for Barbarian (2022), Black Mirror (2011) and Bird Box: Barcelona (2023).- Actress
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Clare-Hope Ashitey was born on 12 February 1987 in Enfield, Middlesex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Children of Men (2006), Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned (2015) and Shooting Dogs (2005).