Jamael Westman facts for kids

Jamael Anwar Hermitt-Westman (born in December 1991) is a talented British actor. He is famous for playing the main character in the musical Hamilton in London's West End. His amazing performance even earned him a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award, which is a very important award for theatre actors.

Early Life and Education

Jamael Westman grew up in Lambeth, London, England. His dad, Wallace Hermitt, was a football coach, and his mom, Susan Westman, was a lecturer. He lived in Brixton for his first ten years. Later, his family moved to Streatham and then Croydon. Jamael has a younger brother, Myles, who is also an actor.

His paternal grandparents came to England from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation. His mother's family, from Gloucestershire, is of Irish descent. Jamael went to St Joseph's College in Upper Norwood. He later studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and graduated in 2016.

Acting Career

Theatre Roles

Jamael started his acting journey in pantomimes and local theatre shows. Before becoming famous in Hamilton, he acted in two professional plays. These were The White Devil at Shakespeare's Globe and Torn at the Royal Court.

In June 2017, it was announced that Jamael would play the lead role in Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton. This was for the West End production at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London. He played this role for several years, both in London and on tour.

He was also set to perform in a new Hamilton production in Los Angeles in 2020. However, this show was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Los Angeles show finally opened on August 17, 2021.

Television and Film Roles

Jamael Westman first appeared on screen in 2013. He had a guest role in an episode of the TV series Casualty. He has also appeared in a few films. These include Brand New-U (2015) and Animals (2019). He has also acted in several short films.

In 2021, he was in the Channel 5 miniseries Anne Boleyn. In this show, he played Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, who was Jane Seymour's brother. After that, he played Dr. George Spencer in the six-part drama The Essex Serpent on Apple TV+. He acted alongside famous actors like Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston in this series.

More recently, he appeared in the film Good Grief in 2023. He is also set to appear in the film Hedda, which is currently in post-production.

Personal Life and Advocacy

Jamael Westman has spoken openly about the issue of racism. In 2019, he said that Britain needed to face its past history of colonialism. In 2020, he was one of many well-known theatre actors who signed a letter. This letter asked theatre leaders to make "urgent changes" to fight racism and increase diversity in the acting profession.

Awards and Recognition

Jamael Westman has received several important awards and nominations for his acting.

• He was nominated for Best Actor at the 2018 Laurence Olivier Awards for his role in Hamilton.
• In the same year, he was nominated for the Emerging Talent Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. This is the oldest theatre awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, and he won this award.
• He was also chosen as a "Screen International Star of Tomorrow" in 2018. This highlights promising new talent in the film industry.