Take a look at your favourite movies and tv shows and I guarantee that one of the cast members is probably a local? Yes! British actors are taking over in the entertainment industry and I am living for it. We’re seeing a rise in the amount of black British actors that are crossing over the pond and making waves in Hollywood.
Looking at the sheer acting talent we have in the UK from Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) and Damson Idris (Snowfall), to Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) and Lashana Lynch (No Time to Die) - One thing you can’t tell me is that British actors don’t have range. In fact, they have so much range in their abilities that it is evidently proving to be a success! We've had our acting OGS like Idris Elba (Luther & The Wire), Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) to rising stars like Michael Ward (Top Boy) and Daniel Ezra (All American) who dominate their scenes and give performances that make us believe they're from Sunny South Side California.
As a British babe, I must admit that I am biased when it comes to UK actors; once I discover that they are British, I'm sold! I'll raise my hand and apologize to Melanie Libard (Prof. Carrie Milgram in Power Book). I couldn't stand you until I found out where you were born, and how I wish things had turned out differently for you on Power. My point is that acting and being British in this decade is fantastic.
The awards are coming our way, and that's alright; in fact, it's fantastic. In 2014, Chiwetel Ejiofor won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Letitia Wright was named a BAFTA Rising Star in 2019. From dramas to thrillers to voice overs, the variation is there. I'm not sure about you, but if that doesn't scream success, I'm not sure what does. This is only the beginning, and we should all be excited to see how much more they can accomplish.
I sometimes pretend to be acting out a scene; I wish I had the talent to enroll in a drama school because, believe me, I have natural talent. Anyway, seeing people like me represented in Hollywood and accomplishing things that were once thought impossible is encouraging. Only God knows how young children on that path must feel, but I will say that knowing my people are killing it makes me very happy.