Daniel Kaluuya

Daniel Kaluuya (/kəˈluːjə/; born 24 February 1989) is a British actor. Kaluuya began his acting career as a teenager in improvisational theatre. He subsequently portrayed Posh Kenneth in the first two seasons of the British television series Skins; he also co-wrote some of the episodes. Kaluuya was particularly praised for his leading performance in Sucker Punch at the Royal Court Theatre in London and he won both the Evening Standard Award and Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer. In 2018, he received the BAFTA Rising Star Award.

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Kaluuya gained further notice for his performances as Michael "Tealeaf" Fry in the BBC dark comedy series Psychoville, Michael "Mac" Armstrong in the BBC Three horror drama series The Fades, and Bingham "Bing" Madsen in the Black Mirror episode "Fifteen Million Merits". He appeared as Agent Colin Tucker in the 2011 spy action comedy film Johnny English Reborn and portrayed Black Death in the 2013 superhero film Kick-Ass 2. In 2015, he had a supporting role in Denis Villeneuve's thriller film Sicario.

In 2017, Kaluuya achieved a career breakthrough after starring in Jordan Peele's popular horror film Get Out, which garnered him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. This was followed by roles in Ryan Coogler’s superhero film Black Panther (2018), Steve McQueen's heist film Widows (2018), and Melina Matsoukas's romantic road crime film Queen & Slim (2019). For his portrayal of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), he won the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Critics' Choice Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Early life and education

Kaluuya was born in London, to Ugandan parents. His mother, Damalie, raised him on a council estate in Camden Town, along with an older sister. His father lived in Uganda, with whom he had no contact until he was 15. Kaluuya attended Torriano Primary School and St Aloysius College, London.

Acting career

Kaluuya wrote his first play at the age of nine, after which he began performing improvisational theatre. He began acting as a child at his local Anna Scher Theatre School and WAC Arts. He appeared in his first credited acting role in 2006 as Reece in the BBC's controversial drama Shoot the Messenger. Kaluuya then joined the original cast of Skins as Posh Kenneth; he was also a contributing writer on the first two seasons of the series, as well as the head writer of the episodes titled "Jal" and "Thomas".

After Skins, Kaluuya appeared as a guest star in many popular television series such as Silent Witness, the Doctor Who special "Planet of the Dead", and Lewis. He has also appeared in the sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Look twice and as fan favourite character "Parking Pataweyo" in the sketch show Harry and Paul. Kaluuya also voiced a character in the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Sneakiepeeks. In 2009, he became a regular cast member in the ITV comedy FM. At the end of 2009, the Screen International Magazine picked Kaluuya out in their annual report as a UK Star of Tomorrow.

In 2010, Kaluuya played the lead role in Roy Williams' Sucker Punch at the Royal Court Theatre in London; Kaluuya won rave reviews for his performance and he won both the Evening Standard Award and Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer. From 2009 to 2011, he portrayed Michael "Tea Leaf" Fry in the dark BBC comedy Psychoville.

Between 2011 and 2013, Kaluuya appeared in several short films, most notably in Daniel Mulloy's Baby, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and went on to win the Best Short Film Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, as well as the Best Short Film Award at the British Independent Film Awards. In 2011, he appeared in the sequel to the 2003 film Johnny English, titled Johnny English Reborn, as Agent Tucker. Also in 2011, he played the role of Mac Armstrong in BBC3's supernatural drama series The Fades. In 2013, he appeared in the superhero comedy film Kick Ass 2. In 2015, he portrayed an FBI Agent in Denis Villeneuve's thriller film Sicario.

Kaluuya played one of the lead characters opposite Jessica Brown Findlay in "Fifteen Million Merits", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror, for which he received positive reviews from critics. The episode originally premiered on Channel 4 in 2011, but gained popularity after it was subsequently released on Netflix in the United States. It was his performance in Black Mirror that attracted the attention of Jordan Peele, who later cast him in Get Out, which proved to be his breakthrough role.

Kaluuya's performance in Get Out, which was released in cinemas on 24 February 2017 (his 28th birthday), attracted significant critical acclaim. Steven Gaydos of Variety wrote that “the terror, tension, humor, and fury of this powerfully effective cinematic balancing act all rests on the shoulders of this brilliant young British actor who communicates universal anxieties without ever losing the essential home address of his beleaguered African-American hero." Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair called Kaluuya's performance a "masterful, telling piece of acting." For his performance, he received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also received nominations for a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and a Critics' Choice Award for his role. In 2018, he received the BAFTA Rising Star Award.

In December 2016, Kaluuya was cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther. The film was released on 16 February 2018, in the United States. Kaluuya also had a large role in the heist film Widows (2018), and starred in the road trip/crime movie Queen & Slim (2019), opposite Jodie Turner-Smith.

In October 2019, it was announced that Kaluuya was to produce a feature film based on the children's television show Barney & Friends through his newly formed production company 59%, alongside Mattel Films. According to Kaluuya, the Barney film would "surprise audiences and subvert expectations."

In 2021, he starred as revolutionary socialist Fred Hampton in the biographical drama, Judas and the Black Messiah. His performance in the film was lauded by critics, and he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.

Personal life

Kaluuya lives in West London. He is an ardent supporter of Arsenal F.C., to the extent of referring to Arsenal's North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur F.C., as the "team who must not be named" and the "Voldemort of the League". He has stated on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that his mother didn't understand his success.

Filmography

Film

Television

Short film

Theatre

Awards and nominations