Page 519 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21
P. 519
16 December 2020
“When I first did drama in school when I was 14 or 15, I really didn’t like it,” Kingsley
Ben-Adir admits with a chuckle. “I found the idea of having to get in the space and be
seen quite stressful. It was very tense and nervy. My memories of it were not that
enjoyable.”
Some 20 years later, it’s mind-boggling to imagine
Ben-Adir disliking the craft for which he’s now getting
major awards buzz. Calling from London on a calm
Sunday in November, the actor’s passion for his
work—and wonder at his landmark 2020—jumps
through the line: “It’s all unraveling now, and I guess
it hasn’t really sunk in yet.”
The British actor is a relatively fresh face in film and
on television, first booking series regular roles on
ITV’s long-running “Vera” and Fox’s “Deep State”
before landing on popular BBC series “Peaky
Blinders” in 2017, then Netflix’s “The OA” and Hulu’s
“High Fidelity”—both beloved, both prematurely
canceled—back-to-back in 2019 and 2020.
Audiences will recognize him most recently from
