Main page
Community Hub0 subscribers
Community Hub
Samuel Adewunmi
View on Wikipediafrom Wikipedia
Samuel Adewunmi (born 1994) is a British actor. He won Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards as well as receiving a Best Actor nomination for his role in the film The Last Tree (2019). He was nominated for a BAFTA for his role in the BBC drama You Don't Know Me (2021).
Key Information
He was named a 2019 Screen International Star of Tomorrow.[1]
Early life
[edit]Adewunmi was born in Camden, London to a single Nigerian Yoruba mother, a chef.[2] He and his brother grew up on the Maiden Lane Estate just north of King's Cross and St Pancras stations, the same estate where Tin Luck was filmed.[3][4][5] He first discovered drama through a school play in year three, and was eight when he put on a community play at the Camden People's Theatre. He trained at Identity School of Acting.[6]
Career
[edit]In 2016, Adewunmi played Benedict in the third series of the CBBC Online web series Dixi. He made his feature film debut as Isaac in the 2017 crime film The Hatton Garden Job and guest starred in the Doctor Who series 10 episode "The Eaters of Light"
Adewunmi led the film The Last Tree and signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) shortly after its premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.[7] For his performance, he won Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards and was nominated for Best Actor. He also received two National Film Awards UK nominations. In 2020, he starred as Carcer Dun in the BBC America adaptation of Terry Pratchett's The Watch and the short film Tin Luck.
In 2021, Adewunmi starred in the ITV thriller Angela Black[8] and led the BBC One adaptation of You Don't Know Me as Hero.[9] For the latter, he was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. Adewunmi made his professional stage debut starring in the world premiere of Trouble in Butetown at the Donmar Warehouse in February 2023.[10] He made his West End debut in A Mirror at the Trafalgar Theatre in January 2024.[11]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The Hatton Garden Job | Isaac | |
| 2019 | The Last Tree | Femi | |
| Born a King | Marzouq | ||
| 2020 | Tin Luck | Trey | Short film |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Missing | Manager | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Dixi | Benedict | Web series; series 3 (40 episodes) |
| 2017 | Prime Suspect 1973 | Billy Myers | 2 episodes |
| Doctor Who | Vitus | Episode: "The Eaters of Light" | |
| 2018 | Stan Lee's Lucky Man | Kit | Episode: "The Zero Option" |
| 2020 | The Watch | Carcer Dun | Main role |
| 2021 | Angela Black | Ed Harrison / Theo Walters | Main role |
| You Don't Know Me | Hero | Miniseries; main role | |
| 2023 | Secret Invasion | Beto | Miniseries; main role |
| 2024 | Queenie | Frank Ssebendeke II |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | British Independent Film Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film | The Last Tree | Nominated | [12] |
| Most Promising Newcomer | Won | ||||
| 2020 | National Film Awards UK | Best Actor | Nominated | [13] | |
| Best Newcomer | Nominated | ||||
| 2022 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Actor | You Don't Know Me | Nominated | [14] |
References
[edit]- ^ Dalton, Ben (8 July 2019). "Stars of Tomorrow 20191: Sam Adewunmi (actor)". Screen International. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ Harrison, Ellie (10 December 2021). "Samuel Adewunmi: '95 per cent of our cast is Black – I wouldn't expect to see that on the BBC'". The Independent. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ Embley, Jochan (4 November 2020). "Tin Luck: The community-led short film that captures a slice of real London life". Evening Standard. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Birnam, J. Don (29 January 2019). "The Director and Star of 'The Last Tree' Speak on the Endless Search for Identity Growing Up Nigerian and British". OkayAfrica. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Holway, Hannah (23 September 2019). "The Last Tree is a powerful evocation of nuanced Black British identity". Hero. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ de Semlyen, Phil (24 September 2021). "Meet the director and star behind a new kind of London coming-of-age film". Time Out London. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (15 February 2019). "UTA Signs Sam Adewunmi, Star Of Sundance Film 'The Last Tree'". Deadline. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ Feay, Suzi (8 October 2021). "Samuel Adewunmi excels in gripping domestic drama Angela Black". Financial Times. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Mitchell, Tamika (20 May 2021). "Samuel Adewunmi leads BBC Drama's adaptation of 'You Don't Know Me'". The British Blacklist. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Masso, Giverny (2 December 2022). "Samuel Adewunmi and Sarah Parish to star in Diana Nneka Atuona play". The Stage. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
- ^ "Jonny Lee Miller, Tanya Reynolds and Samuel Adewunmi to star in West End transfer of A Mirror". Bestoftheatre.co.uk. 28 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Ritman, Alex (1 December 2019). "British Independent Film Awards: 'For Sama' Wins Top Prize". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Renee Zellweger, Ricky Gervais, Dev Patel, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Olivia Coleman are among stars nominated at 2020 National Film Awards UK". National Film Awards. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Bafta TV awards 2022: full list of nominations". The Guardian. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
External links
[edit]Samuel Adewunmi
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life and education
Family background
Samuel Adewunmi was born in 1994 in Camden, London, to a single mother of Nigerian Yoruba descent who worked as a chef.[12][3][13] Raised in a single-parent household alongside his brother, Adewunmi experienced the challenges and resilience of urban family life from an early age.[4][14] Adewunmi grew up on the Maiden Lane Estate in Camden, a vibrant yet gritty area north of King's Cross and St Pancras stations, where the estate's community dynamics shaped his early worldview.[15][16] This environment, marked by its multicultural fabric and proximity to bustling transport hubs, instilled in him a strong sense of cultural identity rooted in his Nigerian heritage.[3][17] The absence of his father further emphasized the pivotal role his mother played in fostering independence and emotional grounding amid the estate's urban realities.[14] These family dynamics, centered on his mother's nurturing influence and the estate's communal spirit, profoundly informed Adewunmi's perspective on identity and belonging, laying the groundwork for his later artistic pursuits.[4]Acting training
Adewunmi first discovered his interest in drama during primary school in London, where he participated in a school play as an elf during year three, despite experiencing stage fright that left him unable to speak on stage; he nonetheless received positive feedback from teachers and peers.[4] By the age of eight, while growing up in Camden, he performed in a community play organized by a local centre at the Camden People's Theatre, marking an early non-professional stage experience that further nurtured his passion for performing arts.[4] In his late teens, Adewunmi dropped out of two colleges before beginning formal acting training.[4] He began formal acting training at the Identity School of Acting in London, enrolling around 2013 after a chance encounter at a retail job where a stranger—an actor—encouraged him to pursue the craft and recommended the school.[5][4] The part-time program, founded to support Black actors and those from underrepresented backgrounds without access to elite institutions like RADA or LAMDA, provided Adewunmi with a supportive environment that emphasized cultural identity and practical skills development, shaping his approach through workshops and classes focused on building confidence and authenticity in performance.[4] Influenced by his secondary school drama teacher, Mr. Smith, and exposure to Nollywood films, he drew on these elements during training to refine his foundational techniques, with his mother eventually overcoming initial reservations to fund his attendance.[4]Career
Early work (2014–2018)
Adewunmi made his professional acting debut in 2014 with a minor role as the Chicken Shack Manager in two episodes of the BBC/Starz thriller series The Missing, a production that explored the disappearance of a young boy in France and its impact on an American family. This cameo marked his entry into television, following his training at the Identity School of Acting, where he learned to embody characters authentically rather than perform superficially.[5] In 2016, he secured a recurring role as Benedict in the CBBC web series Dixi, appearing across 40 episodes of the interactive drama aimed at young audiences, which followed a group of school friends using a fictional social network to solve mysteries and tackle everyday teen issues like bullying and friendships.[18] Benedict's character contributed to the group's adventures, providing comic relief and loyalty amid the digital-age plotlines. The following year, Adewunmi appeared in the ITV miniseries Prime Suspect 1973 as Billy Myers, a young suspect in a murder investigation central to the prequel exploring Jane Tennison's early days in the police force; his role spanned two episodes, portraying a troubled youth entangled in the crime's web. Adewunmi's television momentum continued in 2017 with guest roles in high-profile series. He played Vitus, a young Roman soldier, in the Doctor Who episode "The Eaters of Light," where his character allies with the Doctor, Bill, and Nardole to battle alien invaders in ancient Scotland, uncovering themes of sacrifice and hidden histories; the on-set experience involved period costumes and location shooting in Wales, immersing him in the show's fantastical production scale. That same year, he took on a supporting role as Isaac in the crime film The Hatton Garden Job, a dramatization of the 2015 real-life heist by elderly thieves targeting a London safe deposit vault, directed by Ronnie Thompson with a cast including Matthew Goode and Phil Daniels; Isaac was depicted as one of the younger accomplices in the meticulously planned robbery, adding tension to the ensemble-driven narrative.[19] Filmed in London, the production recreated the high-stakes burglary with practical effects to capture the event's audacity. As a newcomer navigating the industry, Adewunmi faced typical hurdles such as competitive auditions and juggling multiple short-term gigs alongside commercials, which helped build his resume before more substantial opportunities arose; he has reflected on overcoming initial shyness from his school days to embrace on-camera vulnerability.[4] In 2018, he closed the period with a guest spot as Kit in the Sky1 series Stan Lee's Lucky Man, appearing in the episode "The Zero Option," a superhero thriller about a detective with luck-manipulating powers, where his character supported the protagonist's high-risk operations. These early projects allowed Adewunmi to hone his craft across genres, from mystery and sci-fi to heist drama, establishing a foundation for his rising profile.Breakthrough and acclaim (2019–present)
Adewunmi achieved his breakthrough with the leading role of Femi in Shola Amoo's The Last Tree (2019), a coming-of-age drama that premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.[1] In the film, Adewunmi portrays a British-Nigerian teenager transitioning from a rural foster home in Lincolnshire to the challenges of inner-city London, exploring profound themes of identity, belonging, and the Black diasporic experience.[20] Amoo's collaboration with Adewunmi emphasized authentic storytelling drawn from the director's own observations of urban youth, allowing the actor to infuse the role with personal resonance from his London upbringing.[5] The performance earned widespread critical acclaim for its emotional depth and marked Adewunmi's emergence as a compelling talent in British independent cinema.[1] Building on this success, Adewunmi expanded into international productions, beginning with the supporting role of Marzouq in Agustí Villaronga's historical drama Born a King (2019), a Saudi-UK co-production depicting the early life of Prince Faisal amid World War I espionage.[5] His character, a loyal companion to the young prince, navigates themes of cultural displacement and political intrigue, showcasing Adewunmi's versatility in multilingual, cross-cultural settings.[21] He followed this with a main role as Carcer Dun in the fantasy series The Watch (2020–2021), a adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. In 2021, he appeared as Ed Harrison / Theo Walters in the psychological thriller Angela Black. His entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe came with the role of Beto in the Disney+ miniseries Secret Invasion (2023), where he played a young rebel Skrull recruit grappling with divided loyalties during a shape-shifting alien infiltration of Earth.[22] Beto's arc highlights internal conflict and moral ambiguity within the Skrull resistance, contributing to the series' exploration of trust and deception under Nick Fury's investigation.[22] Adewunmi further solidified his leading-man status with the titular role of Hero in the BBC One miniseries You Don’t Know Me (2021), an adaptation of Imran Mahmood's novel that unfolds as Hero's direct address to the jury during his murder trial.[23] The narrative's innovative second-person perspective—adapted into a first-person courtroom monologue—immerses viewers in Hero's subjective account of love, loyalty, and entrapment in London's criminal underworld, emphasizing the unreliability of perception.[23] The series had significant cultural impact by illuminating racial biases in the British justice system, where young Black men face disproportionately high incarceration rates, and by centering authentic Black British voices in a primetime drama.[23] In recent years, Adewunmi has continued to diversify his portfolio with roles in short films such as Oba (2023) as Ayo, an Afrofuturist drama, and Ciclos (2024) as Theo, exploring intergenerational relationships, as well as the lead in the Channel 4 series Queenie (2024) as Frank.[24][25][26] Throughout his post-2019 career, Adewunmi has consistently portrayed multifaceted Black British characters confronting identity, systemic inequality, and personal agency, earning industry recognition as one of Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow in 2019.[5] In a 2019 interview, he articulated his drive to "curate a career... where I can look back and know what I said was important and it was heard," prioritizing roles that delve into humanity's complexities over mere performance.[5] This approach has positioned him as a key figure in amplifying diverse narratives on global stages.[23]Stage career
Initial stage roles
Samuel Adewunmi made his professional stage debut in the world premiere of Diana Nneka Atuona's Trouble in Butetown at the Donmar Warehouse in London, running from 10 February to 25 March 2023. Directed by Tinuke Craig, the play is set in Cardiff's Tiger Bay neighborhood in 1943 and explores the complexities of interracial relationships between black American GIs stationed in Wales during World War II and the local white community, highlighting themes of racial tension, community solidarity, and forbidden romance amid wartime social upheaval.[27][28] In the production, Adewunmi portrayed Nate, a young African American soldier who goes absent without leave after a confrontation with military police, seeking refuge in the diverse, multicultural enclave of Butetown where segregation is less rigidly enforced than in his home country. His performance as the vulnerable yet resilient fugitive earned praise for conveying the character's moral integrity and emotional depth, with critics noting how Adewunmi's portrayal captured the immediate chemistry and tension in Nate's evolving relationship with local teenager Connie. As a relative newcomer to theatre following his screen breakthrough in the 2019 film The Last Tree, this role marked a significant diversification of his portfolio into live performance.[27][28][29] Prior to this debut, Adewunmi had no documented professional theatre credits, having primarily built his career through screen roles after training at the Identity School of Acting in London, which emphasizes diverse representation in film and television. The transition to stage presented challenges inherent to live theatre, such as maintaining audibility and projection without the safety net of retakes, areas where some reviewers observed initial adjustments in his delivery during the production's early run. Despite these, the role solidified his reputation as a versatile performer capable of handling the immediacy of audience interaction and improvisation in a demanding ensemble piece.[6][30]West End debut
Samuel Adewunmi made his West End debut in Sam Holcroft's play A Mirror, portraying the character of Adem, a young playwright and mechanic whose work draws scrutiny from a dystopian censorship regime.[31][32] The production, directed by Jeremy Herrin, transferred from its premiere at the Almeida Theatre in 2023 to the Trafalgar Theatre, where it ran for a limited 13-week season from January 22 to April 20, 2024.[33][34] Adewunmi joined co-stars Jonny Lee Miller as the interrogator Čelik, Tanya Reynolds as Mei, and Geoffrey Streatfeild as Bax, all reprising roles from the Off-West End run.[31][35] Holcroft's style in A Mirror blends sharp satire with intricate plotting, exploring themes of surveillance, identity, and artistic freedom in a near-future society where all creative works require state approval.[36][37] The play's structure unfolds through a series of interrogations and twists, mirroring the characters' unraveling personal and professional lives under oppressive oversight.[38] Critically, the production received praise for its intellectual provocation and the cast's performances, with reviewers highlighting Adewunmi's portrayal of Adem as "wonderfully perplexed" and effectively conveying the character's vulnerability and defiance.[39][40] Commercially, the transfer underscored the play's appeal, drawing strong audiences during its West End run and affirming Adewunmi's transition from earlier stage work, such as his professional debut in Trouble in Butetown at the Donmar Warehouse.[6] Adewunmi reflected on the experience as exhilarating, noting the script's timeliness in addressing under-discussed issues like censorship amid contemporary global tensions.[41] He expressed particular enthusiasm for the play's thematic depth, stating it was "a really great play – the themes are so interesting, especially in the current climate," and hoped its stage realization would match the impact of reading it.[41] As of November 2025, Adewunmi has no major announced stage projects following A Mirror, focusing instead on screen endeavors.[6]Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | The Hatton Garden Job | Isaac | Ronnie Thompson | Feature film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5351458/ |
| 2019 | The Last Tree | Femi | Shola Amoo | Feature film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7802246/ |
| 2019 | Born a King | Marzouq | Agustí Villaronga | Feature film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6718730/ |
| 2020 | Tin Luck | Trey | Beatrix Blaise | Short film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12833316/ |
| 2023 | (SPIN) | Zekiel | Precious Wura Alabi | Short film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28235107/ |
| 2023 | Oba | Ayo | Femi Oladigbolu | Short film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27838770/ |
| 2024 | Ciclos | Theo | Ashleigh Jadee | Short film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36120865/ |
| 2024 | i and i | Lead | Samona Olanipekun | Short film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26923645/ |
| 2025 | meet-cute (J.L-A.L campaign vignette) | Lead | Werner Vivier | Short vignette https://www.instagram.com/p/DPlGxGWjZGO/ |
Television
Adewunmi began his television career with guest appearances in established series, gradually transitioning to more prominent roles in both ongoing dramas and limited series.| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | The Missing | Chicken Shack Manager | Guest role; 2 episodes. [] (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3877200/fullcredits/) |
| 2016 | Dixi | Benedict | Supporting/recurring role in web series for CBBC Online; series 3, 40 episodes. [] (https://www.screendaily.com/features/stars-of-tomorrow-2019-sam-adewunmi-actor/5140845.article) |
| 2017 | Prime Suspect 1973 | Billy Myers | Guest role; 2 episodes. [] (https://anthearepresents.com/artist/Samuel-Adewunmi) |
| 2017 | Doctor Who | Vitus | Guest role; 1 episode ("The Eaters of Light"). [] (https://tardis.wiki/wiki/Sam_Adewunmi) |
| 2018 | Stan Lee's Lucky Man | Kit | Guest role; 1 episode. [] (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4800878/fullcredits/) |
| 2020 | The Watch | Carcer Dun | Main role; 8 episodes (series regular). [] (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8080292/) |
| 2021 | Angela Black | Ed Harrison / Theo Walters | Supporting role; miniseries, 6 episodes. [] (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13288904/) |
| 2021 | You Don't Know Me | Hero | Lead role; miniseries, 4 episodes; earned a BAFTA nomination for his performance. [] (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12005828/) [] (https://deadline.com/2022/05/samuel-adewunmi-bafta-tv-awards-nomination-you-dont-know-me-1235008470/) |
| 2023 | Secret Invasion | Beto | Recurring guest role; 4 episodes in Marvel miniseries. [] (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13157618/) |
| 2024 | Queenie | Frank Ssebendeke II | Supporting role; 7 episodes. [] (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27775188/fullcredits/) |
Theatre
Adewunmi's theatre credits include the following stage roles:- Trouble in Butetown (2023) as Nate at the Donmar Warehouse.[42][43]
- A Mirror (2024) as Adem at the Trafalgar Theatre.[32][44]