Paapa Essiedu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paapa Essiedu
Essiedu in 2024
Born	Paapa Kwaakye Essiedu (1990-06-11) 11 June 1990 (age 35) London, England
Education	Guildhall School of Music and Drama (BA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2012–present
Spouse(s)	Rosa Robson ​ (m. 2023)​

Paapa Essiedu (born in 1990) is a talented British actor. He started his acting journey in 2012 with the famous Royal Shakespeare Company. There, he performed in many classic plays like The Merry Wives of Windsor (2012), King Lear (2014), Hamlet (2016), and Romeo and Juliet (2016).

Paapa became widely known for his role in the HBO TV show I May Destroy You (2020). This role earned him nominations for big awards like the Primetime Emmy Award and the British Academy Television Award. He also played George Boleyn in the TV series Anne Boleyn (2021). You might also recognize him from the action series Gangs of London (2020–2022), the science fiction show The Lazarus Project (2020–2023), and the Black Mirror episode Demon 79 (2023).

He made his first movie appearance as a police officer in the mystery film Murder on the Orient Express (2017). He has also appeared in films like the horror movie Men (2022), the fantasy film Genie (2023), and the drama The Outrun (2024). On stage, he has received praise for his roles in plays such as A Number (2022) and The Effect (2023–2024).

Early Life and Education

Paapa Essiedu was born in Southwark, London. His parents were from Ghana. He grew up in Walthamstow, East London, with his mother, who was a fashion and design teacher. His father had returned to Ghana and passed away when Paapa was 14 years old.

Paapa attended Forest School on a special scholarship. When he was younger, he enjoyed sports and acting in school plays. He even thought about becoming a doctor at first. However, his drama teacher at Forest School really encouraged him to act, especially in plays by Shakespeare. This led him to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. While he was at drama school, he faced a difficult time when his mother passed away from breast cancer.

Career Highlights

Early Roles (2013–2019)

In 2012, Paapa Essiedu joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). He played the character Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor. After that, he worked with the National Theatre. He played Burgundy and also filled in as Edmund in a production of King Lear. When another actor lost his voice, Paapa stepped in and performed the role so well that he received great reviews.

In 2016, Paapa starred in two big Royal Shakespeare Company plays: Hamlet, where he played the main character, and King Lear, where he played Edmund. Critics said his Hamlet was so captivating that the audience listened "completely still." They noted he could change his performance quickly, being sweet and playful one moment, then very smart and intense the next.

Essiedu in 2016

Paapa started his TV career with roles in shows like A Midsummer Night's Dream (2016) and The Miniaturist (2017). He also appeared in Kiri (2018) and Press (2018). His first movie role was a small part as a policeman in Kenneth Branagh's Murder on the Orient Express (2017). In 2019, he acted in the play The Convert with Letitia Wright.

Recent Work (2020–Present)

From 2020 to 2022, Paapa Essiedu starred as Alex Dumani in the crime drama Gangs of London. In 2020, he played Kwame in the BBC One series I May Destroy You. His performance in this show was highly praised. He even won an award for Best Ensemble with the rest of the cast at the 36th Independent Spirit Awards. He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a British Academy Television Award for his role. In 2021, he played George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford in the series Anne Boleyn.

In 2022, Paapa returned to the theater in the play A Number at The Old Vic. He played three different characters in the show, and critics called his performance "a tour de force." That same year, he began starring in the science fiction series The Lazarus Project, where he plays George, a character caught in a time loop. He was nominated for a British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for this role. He also appeared in the film Men (2022) and joined the cast of The Capture as Isaac Turner, a Security Minister.

In 2023, he acted in the Black Mirror episode Demon 79. Many people called it one of the best Black Mirror episodes in years. Critics noted Paapa's amazing ability to play many different types of characters. He returned to the stage in the play The Effect in 2023 and 2024. He also acted alongside Saoirse Ronan in the film The Outrun, which was shown at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Personal Life

Paapa Essiedu is married to actress and comedian Rosa Robson. They had been together for eight years before they got married in 2023.

Acting Roles

Here are some of the films and TV shows Paapa Essiedu has been in:

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and Nominations

Paapa Essiedu has been recognized with several awards and nominations for his acting: