The Black British boom is big in Hollywood, but while we all know about Daniel Kaluuya, John Boyega and Idris Elba, did you know that some of your favorite television and film actors are also British?
Here’s a list of 10 actors you may not have realized were from across the pond.
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Nicholas Pinnock
Pinnock is starring in ABC and 50 Cent’s drama For Life, based on the true story of Isaac Wright, Jr., who made history defending himself against his false conviction and gaining his freedom after becoming a lawyer while in prison. However, fans might also know him from his performance in Channel 4’s crime drama Top Boy. Pinnock was born and grew up in both London and Saudi Arabia. Along with acting, he is also a trained contemporary dancer.
Lindo has been making rounds for his stellar performance in Spike Lee’s Da Five Bloods and is still a fan favorite on CBS’ The Good Fight. But while Lindo’s career took off in America thanks to starring in several Spike Lee films, Lindo was born in London to Jamaican parents.
Eamonn Walker
Walker plays Battalion Chief Wallace Boden on NBC’s Chicago Fire, and garnered fans previously for playing Kareem Saïd in HBO’s Oz, but before his turn as a firefighter, Walker made waves playing Othello in ITV1’s televised production of Shakespeare’s famous play about an African general. Boden was born in London to Grenadian and Trinidadian parents and trained as a dancer before finding theater.
Pierre is currently starring in Barry Jenkins’ Amazon Prime series The Underground Railroad as Caesar, but Pierre, born in London, caught the acting bug early as a teenager and joined a Croydon-based theater group. After that, he moved to Toronto to train in acting. Apart from The Underground Railroad, Pierre also starred in the American series Krypton, which aired on SyFy and told the history of Superman’s home planet before its tragic end.
Ashley Madekwe
Madekwe has wowed American audiences as Ashley Davenport in ABC’s Revenge and as Tituba in WGN America’s Salem. However, she’s probably best known to British audiences as Bambi in ITV2’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Madekwe was born in London to a Nigerian father and white English mother and went to school for acting, performing in stage productions of Wuthering Heights and King Henry V.
Daniel Ezra
Ezra is currently playing Spencer James on The CW’s All American. However, American he is not–Ezra is from Birmingham, England (Birmingham, Alabama’s sister city, so there’s still an American connection after all). Hailing from a Jamaican immigrant background, Ezra bean acting at age 18, making his start in a production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, earning him an Ian Charleson Award nomination.
Carmen Ejogo
Ejogo is known for playing several American historical figures including Sally Hemings in TV film Sally Hemings: An American Scandal and Coretta Scott King in Ava DuVernay’s Selma. She’s also starred in many other American films such as Sparkle and Alex Cross and several American shows such as NBC’s Kidnapped and HBO’s True Detective among others. But Ejogo is from London, born to a Nigerian father and white Scottish mother.
Lennie James
James is beloved by The Walking Dead franchise fans for his portrayal of Morgan Jones, but James also has an extensive acting career in Britain, starring in the BBC’s Line of Duty and Sky 1’s Critical. James was born in Nottingham to Trinidadian parents and raised in London.
Ricky Whittle
Whittle is currently entertaining fans with his turn as Shadow Moon on STARZ’s American Gods. Before dabbling in fantasy, he starred in VH1’s Single Ladies, ABC’s Mistresses and The CW’s The 100. VH1 introduced him to American audiences, but British audiences already knew him for his soapy role on UK Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and his stint on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Whittle was born in Oldham to a Jamaican immigrant father and white English mother.
Kinglsey Ben-Adir
Ben-Adir is best known to American audiences as Malcolm X in Regina King’s directorial debut, One Night in Miami. He’s also portrayed Pres. Barack Obama in Showtime’s The Comey Rule But Ben-Adir, born in London to a white English father and Trinidadian mother, honed his acting chops on the British stage, starring in several Shakespeare productions in London. He also made it to British television in roles on ITV’sMarple, BBC One/PBS/France 2 series Death in Paradise, ITV’s Midsomer Murders and BBC’s Peaky Blinders.
