Malachi Kirby facts for kids

Malachi Kirby is a talented British actor and writer. He became well-known for his roles in the 2016 TV series Roots and an episode of Black Mirror called "Men Against Fire". He even won a BAFTA award for his acting in Small Axe: Mangrove in 2020. Malachi Kirby also plays the main character, Hezekiah Moscow, in the Victorian drama series A Thousand Blows.

Early Life and Education

Malachi Kirby grew up in Battersea, London. He was an only child. His father passed away when Malachi was six years old. His parents were born in London, but his grandparents had moved there from Jamaica.

When he was older, Malachi took a DNA test. It showed that his family roots are mostly from West Africa. He also had some South Asian and a small amount of European heritage. He hopes to learn even more about his family's history.

Malachi went to Southfields Academy for school. He first loved literature, but then found acting in year nine. This happened through a course at the Battersea Arts Centre. He later studied at Richmond upon Thames College. In 2007, he was accepted into the Identity School of Acting.

Acting Career Highlights

Malachi Kirby started his acting journey in theatre. He still says that theatre acting is "at heart" his favorite. In 2011, he was nominated for a special award. This was for his great performance in a play called Mogadishu.

He also appeared in many TV shows and movies. These included a role in EastEnders and the main part in the TV film My Murder. In 2013, he was named a "Star of Tomorrow" by Screen International. This meant he was a rising talent to watch.

Breakthrough Roles

In 2016, Malachi Kirby starred as Kunta Kinte in the American miniseries Roots. This show was a new version of a famous 1977 series. Critics really liked his acting in this role.

Later that year, he appeared in an episode of the TV show Black Mirror. The episode was called "Men Against Fire". It was directed by Jakob Verbruggen.

Malachi won the Rising Star award in 2016. He also won Male TV Performance in 2017. Both awards were from the Screen Nation Film and Television Awards. For his work in Roots, he was also nominated for awards at the Black Reel Awards and NAACP Image Awards in 2017.

Recent Work and Awards

Malachi Kirby continued to take on interesting roles. In 2019, he played Michael Garwick in the show Curfew. He also played Oliver Harris in the Italian series Devils. He even wrote his own play called Level Up. It was first performed at the Bush Theatre in 2019.

In 2020, Malachi played Darcus Howe in "Mangrove". This was part of Steve McQueen's Small Axe series. It was the first time he played a character who was clearly from the Caribbean. For this role, he won the 2021 British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor. This is a very important award in British television.

In September 2021, it was announced that Malachi would join the cast of Anansi Boys. This show is based on a book by Neil Gaiman. Malachi plays both of Mr. Nancy's sons, Charlie and Spider. This series is still upcoming.

In 2025, Malachi Kirby took on the lead role of Hezekiah Moscow. This was in the British drama series A Thousand Blows. The show is about crime and illegal bare-knuckle boxing in London in the 1880s. The first season came out on February 21, 2025. Malachi is expected to play the role again in a second season.

Personal Life

Malachi Kirby did not grow up in a religious family. However, as an adult, he found faith. He is now part of a Christian group in East London.