Jonathan Ajayi
English actor
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Jonathan Ajayi is an English stage, television and film actor from London. He was recognized as a 2021 Screen International Star of Tomorrow. He trained at ArtsEd and LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art).
Jonathan Ajayi | |
|---|---|
| Education | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2014 –present |
Early life
From West London, London, Ajayi is of Nigerian heritage .[1] He was mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company actor Joseph Marcell, whose wife worked at his sixth form. Ajayi attended ArtsEd and graduated in 2018 from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.[2]
Career
Leaving drama school early, Ajayi made his theatre debut at the Young Vic starring in The Brothers Size and played Lieutenant Lekan Baako in 2020 in the BBC One television series Noughts + Crosses. He appeared in the Patty Jenkins film Wonder Woman 1984 and was included on the 2020 longlist for Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards.[2] He had a lead role in British romantic drama film The Drifters.[3] He was named by Screen International as one of their 2021 Stars of Tomorrow.[4]
In 2022, Ajayi was commended at the Ian Charleson Awards for his performance as Laertes in Hamlet at the Young Vic.[5] He had a recurring role as Wes Harper in the second series of British thriller series Vigil.[6] In 2024, he appeared in experimental production Talking People at the Bush Theatre in London.[7]
Ajayi portrays Smee in the science-fiction series Alien: Earth.[8][9]
Filmography
| † | Denotes projects that have not yet been released |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Hallelujah | Obi | Short film | [10] |
| 2018 | Gone (After Lysistrata) | Marlon | Short film | [11] |
| 2020 | Wonder Woman 1984 | Emerson | [12] | |
| 2021 | The Drifters | Koffee | [3] | |
| Play It Safe | Jonathan | Short film | [13] | |
| 2024 | 5lbs of Pressure | Lucky | [14] | |
| i and i | T | Short film | [15] | |
| Chief of Station | Desmond Jackson | [16] | ||
| 2025 | The Man in My Basement | Ricky | [17] | |
| TBA | Alone at Dawn † | TBA | Post-production | [18] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–2022 | Noughts + Crosses | Lieutenant Lekan Baako | Series regular; 7 episodes | [19] |
| 2023 | Vigil | Wes Harper | Series regular; 6 episodes | [20] |
| 2025 | Alien: Earth | Smee | Series regular; 8 episodes | [21] |
Theatre credits
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | A Midsummer Night's Dream In New Orleans | Lysander | Above the Arts, London | [22] | |
| 2018 | The Brothers Size | Oshoosi Size | Young Vic, London | [23] | |
| 2019 | Strange Fruit | Errol Marshal | Bush Theatre, London | [24] | |
| 2019–2020 | Three Sisters | Igwe | Royal National Theatre, London | [25] | |
| 2021 | Hamlet | Laertes | Young Vic, London | [26] | |
| 2024 | Talking People: Volume 2 | Tolu | Bush Theatre, London | [27] | |