Devon Terrell (born 23 October, 1992) is an Australian actor,[1][2] best known for playing a young Barack Obama in the 2016 biographical film Barry[3] and Arthur in the Netflix original series Cursed.
Terrell was born in Long Beach, California, US, to an African-American father and an Anglo-Indian mother. At age five, he moved to Perth, Western Australia, growing up in the Forest Lakes estate in Thornlie. After finishing his secondary education at Lynwood Senior High School,[4] he attended Edith Cowan University, specialising in drama education. He graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 2013.[3][5][6]
Terrell's first role was in Steve McQueen's HBO miniseries Codes of Conduct, which was cancelled after the pilot was filmed. He then starred in the Netflix film Barry, a biopic about the college years of future US president Barack Obama. Terrell said that he felt an affinity for Obama and that the president had been his dream role since the age of 19.[7][8]
To prepare for the role, Terrell worked with a dialect coach and watched Obama's speeches to master his accent and manner of speaking. He was offered the part after one audition. He also trained himself to portray the left-handed Obama, including learning how to write and play basketball with his left hand.[6][7] He read Obama's book Dreams from My Father three times to get into his mindset, and he received praise for his portrayal when the film was released.[9][10][11]
Later, he portrayed Arthur in the Netflix original series Cursed. The first season was released on 17 July 2020.[12]
Terrell played the role of Cliff in Issa Rae's comedy television series Rap Sh!t, which premiered on 21 July 2022 on HBO Max.[13]
In August 2024, it was reported that Terrell had joined the cast of the crime thriller television series The Assassin.[14]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Barry | Barack Obama | |
| 2018 | Ophelia | Horatio | |
| The Professor | Danny Albright | ||
| 2024 | It's What's Inside | Reuben |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Codes of Conduct | Beverly Snow | Unaired pilot |
| 2020 | Cursed | Arthur | Main cast |
| 2022 | Rap Sh!t | Cliff | Main cast |
| 2023 | Totally Completely Fine | Dane | Main cast |
| 2025 | The Assassin | Ezra | Main cast |
| 2025 | Good Cop/Bad Cop | Det. Shane Carson | Main cast |
It is upsetting, especially as an Australian actor. I know there's so many actors of colour in Australia that don't feel like they're represented on the screen there.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
