Quick Facts
AriesBiography
Toheeb Gbolabo O. Jimoh (born 15 April 1997) is an English actor. He earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance as Sam Obisanya in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso (2020–2023). He is also known for his roles in the BBC One biographical film Anthony (2020) and the Amazon Prime series The Power (2023).
Early life
Jimoh was born on 15 April 1997 in Brixton, South London to parents of Nigerian descent. He moved to Nigeria as a toddler and returned to London when he was seven. He attended The Norwood School before going on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2018.
Career
Jimoh was a relative newcomer to acting when he was cast to play Anthony Walker, the victim of a 2005 racist attack, in BBC One's Anthony, which imagines Walker's life if he had not been killed. His portrayal was called "utterly magnetic". He then portrayed Marcus in the Amazon series The Feed.
Jimoh was in a stage production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Sheffield Crucible and in 2020, was one of six performers in the Almeida Theatre's Christmas Play Nine Lessons and Carols, the theatre's first production post London's COVID-19 lockdown.
When Jimoh auditioned for Ted Lasso, the character of Sam Obisanya was written as Ghanaian, but his background was changed to Nigerian to match Jimoh's own. His performance has received praise, with his character called the "heartbeat" of the show.
Jimoh portrays another Nigerian character, journalist Tunde, in the upcoming Amazon thriller series The Power, based on Naomi Alderman's novel of the same name. He also has a small part in the Wes Anderson film The French Dispatch.
Jimoh will play Romeo in an upcoming summer 2023 production of Romeo and Juliet at the Almeida Theatre in London.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The French Dispatch | Cadet 1 |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | London Kills | Leshae Hobbs | Episode: "The Dark" |
| 2019 | The Feed | Marcus | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2020 | Anthony | Anthony Walker | BBC TV movie |
| 2020–2023 | Ted Lasso | Sam Obisanya | Recurring (S1 & 2), Main (S3) |
| 2023 | The Power | Tunde Ojo | Main role |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Romeo and Juliet | Romeo | Almeida Theatre, West End |
Awards and nominations
Jimoh was nominated for an I Talk Telly Best Breakthrough Award in 2020. He was nominated alongside his Ted Lasso castmates for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a Comedy Series at the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2022 (alongside castmates Brett Goldstein and Nick Mohammed).
In December 2021, Jimoh received the Breakthrough Award at the Critics Choice Awards Celebration of Black Cinema and Television.
