Kingsley Ben-Adir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kingsley Ben-Adir
Ben-Adir in 2021
Born	(1986-11-20) 20 November 1986 (age 38) Kentish Town, London, England
Alma mater	Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2011–present
Awards	List

Kingsley Ben-Adir (born November 20, 1986) is a talented British actor known for playing a wide range of characters on screen and stage. You might have seen him as the detective Karim Washington in the Netflix series The OA, or as Colonel Ben Younger in the popular BBC show Peaky Blinders.

He has also played famous real-life people. He starred as the civil rights leader Malcolm X in the movie One Night in Miami... (2020). More recently, he brought the legendary musician Bob Marley to life in the film Bob Marley: One Love (2024).

Early Life and Schooling

Kingsley Ben-Adir was born in Kentish Town, a neighborhood in London, England. His family background is a mix of cultures. His mother's parents came from Trinidad and Tobago, a country in the Caribbean. His father's parents were from England.

He went to Rhyl Street Primary School in Kentish Town. For his secondary education, he attended William Ellis School in Northwest London. After finishing school, he decided to pursue acting seriously. He trained at the famous Guildhall School of Music and Drama and graduated in 2011.

Acting Career

Ben-Adir's career began in the theatre. In 2011, he performed in a play called The Riots. He continued to act in classic plays, including William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2012 and Much Ado About Nothing in 2013.

Big Roles on TV and in Movies

Ben-Adir soon became a familiar face on television. From 2017 to 2019, he played Colonel Ben Younger in the hit drama Peaky Blinders. In 2019, he starred as a private detective in the second season of the Netflix mystery series The OA.

His movie career took off when he played Malcolm X in One Night in Miami.... The film, directed by Regina King, showed a fictional meeting between four famous Black Americans in 1964. His performance was highly praised.

In 2024, he took on another huge role, playing music icon Bob Marley in the movie Bob Marley: One Love. He also appeared in the hit movie Barbie (2023) and played the villain Gravik in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Secret Invasion (2023).

Acting Credits

Here is a list of some of Kingsley Ben-Adir's most well-known roles in film, television, and theatre.

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Nominations

For his role in One Night in Miami..., Ben-Adir won several awards, including the Breakthrough Actor award at the Gotham Awards. He has also been nominated for other major awards, like the BAFTA Rising Star Award.

See also

In Spanish: Kingsley Ben-Adir para niños