Kingsley Ben-Adir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kingsley Ben-Adir
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Ben-Adir in 2021
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| Born | 20 November 1986 Kentish Town, London, England
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| Alma mater | Guildhall School of Music and Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Awards | List |
Kingsley Ben-Adir (born on November 20, 1986) is a British actor. He is known for playing many different characters in TV shows and movies. Some of his famous roles include Marcus Summer in the TV show Vera and Karim Washington in Netflix's The OA.
He also played Colonel Ben Younger in the BBC drama Peaky Blinders. More recently, he was Gravik in the superhero series Secret Invasion. Kingsley Ben-Adir has also played real-life famous people, like Malcolm X in the movie One Night in Miami... and Bob Marley in Bob Marley: One Love.
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Early Life and School
Kingsley Ben-Adir was born in Kentish Town, a part of London, England. His grandparents on his mother's side came from Trinidad and Tobago. His grandparents on his father's side were born in England. His last name, Ben-Adir, is a Hebrew name that means "son of the strong."
He went to Rhyl Street Primary School in Kentish Town. For secondary school, he attended William Ellis School in Gospel Oak, Northwest London. After that, he studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He finished his studies there in 2011.
Acting Career Highlights
Kingsley Ben-Adir started his acting career in theatre. In 2011, he performed in a play called The Riots. The next year, in 2012, he played Demetrius in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream at an outdoor theatre in London.
In 2013, he acted in another Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing, at the Old Vic theatre. He also appeared in a play called God's Property. In 2014, he was in a play at the Bush Theatre that got good reviews.
From 2017 to 2019, Kingsley Ben-Adir was part of the popular BBC show Peaky Blinders. He played Colonel Ben Younger. In 2019, he took on the role of private detective Karim Washington in the Netflix series The OA.
A big role for him was playing Malcolm X in the 2020 film One Night in Miami.... This movie was directed by Regina King. In 2022, he was chosen to play the famous musician Bob Marley in the movie Bob Marley: One Love, which came out in 2024.
He also joined the cast of the movie Barbie in 2022. In 2023, he appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Secret Invasion. In this show, he played Gravik, a Skrull rebel who wanted to take over Earth.
Film Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | City Slacker | Thug | |
| 2013 | World War Z | Officer Hawkins | Not credited |
| 2016 | Trespass Against Us | Sampson | |
| 2017 | King Arthur: Legend of the Sword | Wet Stick | |
| 2018 | The Commuter | Agent Garcia | |
| 2019 | Noelle | Jake Hapman | |
| 2020 | One Night in Miami... | Malcolm X | |
| 2023 | Barbie | Basketball Ken | |
| 2024 | Bob Marley: One Love | Bob Marley |
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Agatha Christie's Marple | Errol | 1 episode |
| 2014–2018 | Vera | Dr. Marcus Summer | Main role, 16 episodes |
| 2016 | Midsomer Murders | Bartholomew Hines | 1 episode |
| 2016 | Ordinary Lies | Jake | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Death in Paradise | Irie Johnson | 1 episode |
| 2017 | Diana and I | Russell | TV movie |
| 2017–2019 | Peaky Blinders | Col. Ben Younger | Main role, 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Deep State | Khalid Walker | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | The OA | Karim Washington | Main role, 6 episodes |
| 2020 | High Fidelity | Russell McCormack | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2020 | Love Life | Grant | 1 episode |
| 2020 | The Comey Rule | Barack Obama | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Soulmates | Franklin | 1 episode |
| 2023 | Secret Invasion | Gravik | Miniseries, main role, 6 episodes |
Theatre Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Riots | Performer | Tricycle Theatre, London |
| 2012 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Demetrius | Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London |
| 2013 | Much Ado About Nothing | Borachio | The Old Vic, London |
| 2013 | God's Property | Soho Theatre, London | |
| 2014 | We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884–1915 | Actor 2 | Bush Theatre, London |
| 2024 | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Brick | Almeida, London |
Awards and Nominations
Kingsley Ben-Adir has received several awards and nominations for his acting work.
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | British Academy Film Awards | Rising Star Award | Himself | Nominated |
| 2021 | Cannes Film Festival | Trophée Chopard of Male Revelation | Himself | Won |
| 2021 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture | One Night in Miami | Nominated |
| 2021 | Independent Spirit Award | Robert Altman Award | Won | |
| 2020 | Gotham Awards | Breakthrough Actor | Won | |
| 2020 | Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Most Promising Performer | Nominated | |
| 2020 | San Francisco Film Awards | Outstanding Ensemble | Won | |
| 2020 | Atlantic Film Critics Circle | Breakthrough Performer | Won | |
| 2020 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | |
| 2020 | Indiana Film Journalists Association | Best Actor | Nominated |
See also
In Spanish: Kingsley Ben-Adir para niños
