David Ajala
David Ajala | |
---|---|
File:David Ajala by Gage Skidmore.jpg
David Ajala at San Diego Comic-Con 2019
|
|
Born | Hackney, London, England |
21 May 1986
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 2006–present |
David Ajala (born 21 May 1986) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Manchester Black in Supergirl (2018–2019), Captain Roy Eris in Nightflyers (2018), and Cleveland "Book" Booker in Star Trek: Discovery (2020–present).[1]
Contents
Early life
David Ajala was born in Hackney, London.[2] He is of Nigerian Yoruba origin.[3] He trained at the Anna Scher Theatre. In an interview for Interview Magazine Ajala said: "When I went to secondary school, my maths teacher said I had way too much energy and was too mischievous. He tried to convince me that if I did acting, I'd be popular with the girls".[2]
Career
On stage Ajala has performed in Nation, A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Hamlet,[4] and as Jim Brown in the European premiere of Kemp Powers.[5]
In film, his first part was in Kidulthood, and he also appears in the sequels, Adulthood[2] and Brotherhood;[6] he has also appeared in The Dark Knight[4] and in major roles in Starred Up[2] and the 2016 Seekers.[6] On TV he has appeared in many series including Doctor Who[4] and in major roles in Black Box, Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, Nightflyers, and Falling Water.[7]
Sean 'Mac' McAlister, a character from 2017 video game Need for Speed Payback, is voiced by and modeled after him.
Ajala has appeared as Keith in the BBC Radio 4 dramas Burned To Nothing (2011)[8] and Felix in The Price of Oil: Someone's Making A Killing In Nigeria both by Rex Obano.[9]
In 2018 Ajala was cast in season 4 of Supergirl, portraying Manchester Black.[10]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | Kidulthood | Desmond | Uncredited |
2008 | Adulthood | Desmond | |
2008 | The Dark Knight | Bounty Hunter #2 | |
2010 | Winter Sun | Guy | Short film |
2010 | Following Footsteps | Christopher Knight | |
2011 | One Day | Floor Manager | |
2011 | Spirit | Terror | Short film |
2012 | Payback Season | Baron | |
2012 | Illegal Activity | Edward | Short film |
2012 | Offender | Kelvin | |
2012 | Sentenced Served | Marvin | Short film |
2013 | Fast & Furious 6 | Ivory | |
2013 | Starred Up | Tyrone | |
2013 | Breakthrough | Henry | Short film |
2014 | Queen of Diamonds | Bench Guy | Short film |
2014 | Emulsion | Jeff | |
2015 | Jupiter Ascending | Ibis | |
2015 | He Works the Long Nights | Short film | |
2016 | Seekers | Amadu | Short film |
2016 | Kill Command | Drifter | |
2016 | Brotherhood | Detective Desmond 'BUDS' Lynch | |
2017 | The Art of Love | Anthony | Short film |
2017 | Support | Chris | Short film |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Dream Team | Sean Campbell | Main cast |
2008 | The Revenge Files of Alistair Fury | Steve | Episode: "Technology Bytes" |
2008 | The Bill | Lenny Jones | Episode: "Beth Undercover" |
2008 | Trexx and Flipside | Flipside | Main cast |
2009 | Hamlet | Reynaldo / Dumbshow Poisoner | TV Movie |
2010 | Doctor Who | Peter | Episode: "The Beast Below" |
2011 | Silent Witness | Mark Blakefield | 2 episodes |
2011 | Coming Up | Malachi | Episode: "Micah" |
2011 | Misfits | Private Investigator | 1 episode |
2012 | Monroe | Max Portas | 1 episode |
2013 | Death in Paradise | Louis Nelson | Episode: "Murder on the Plantation" |
2013 | Black Mirror | Jeff Carter | Episode: "The Waldo Moment" |
2013 | Law & Order: UK | Gavin Dale | 2 episodes |
2014 | Black Box | Will Van Renseller | Main cast |
2016 | Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands | Rate | Miniseries |
2016 | Hooten & the Lady | Dawit | Episode: "Ethiopia" |
2016 | The Break | Xavier | Episode: "System Cycle" |
2016-18 | Falling Water | Burton | Main cast |
2018 | Nightflyers | Roy Eris | Main cast |
2018-19 | Supergirl | Manchester Black | Recurring |
2019 | Urban Myths | The Burglar | Episode: "Grace Under Pressure" |
2020–present | Star Trek: Discovery | Cleveland "Book" Booker | Main cast[11] |
Video games
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2017 | Mass Effect: Andromeda | Additional voices |
2017 | Need for Speed: Payback | Sean 'Mac' McAlister |
Theatre credits
Year | Title | Role | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
2006 | How to Steal a Diamond | YM | Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh |
2007 | The Swing of Things | Claude Kabinda | Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough |
2008 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Lysander (Understudy) | Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon |
Love's Labour's Lost | Lord Dumaine (Understudy) | Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon | |
2009 | Death and the King's Horseman | HRH The Prince | Royal National Theatre, London |
Nation | Milo | Royal National Theatre, London | |
2010 | Ruined | Fortune | Almeida Theatre, London |
2012 | The Witness | Simon | Royal Court Theatre, London |
2016 | One Night in Miami | Jim Brown | Donmar Warehouse, London |
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Cite error: Invalid <references>
tag; parameter "group" is allowed only.
<references />
, or <references group="..." />
External links
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Pages with reference errors
- Articles with short description
- Use dmy dates from April 2022
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with hCards
- Living people
- 1986 births
- Alumni of the Anna Scher Theatre School
- British male film actors
- British male television actors
- British male voice actors
- British male video game actors
- Black British male actors
- English people of Nigerian descent
- English people of Yoruba descent
- 21st-century British male actors
- Male actors from London
- People from the London Borough of Hackney