Page 533 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

11 July 2021

Kingsley Ben-Adir on the rooftop of the Martinez in Cannes. STEPHANE FEUGERE / WWD
CANNES, France — Lounging on the rooftop deck of the Hotel Martinez in Cannes, Kingsley Ben-Adir
takes in the expansive view. It’s his first time in Cannes, here to be honored by jeweler Chopard on the
20th anniversary of its coveted prize for up-and-coming actors.
“It’s kinda mad,” he says of what has been a whirlwind weekend so far. He’s met Spike Lee — “an icon”
— and Tahar Rahim, the French star he credits as one of the reasons he became an actor in the first
place. Ben-Adir dedicated his award to Rahim and his performance in “A Prophet” at the ceremony
Friday night. “That film meant so much to me, and I held a special place for him,” he said.

After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama a decade ago, by 2019 Ben-Adir had a
handful of TV roles including “Vera,” “Deep State,” “Peaky Blinders” and “The OA” under his belt. But if
he was long considered as a rising star, the last year projected the 35-year-old into the stratosphere.
In the past year, he has played two American icons: President Barack Obama in the HBO miniseries
“The Comey Rule,” and Malcolm X in Regina King’s directorial debut “One Night in Miami.” The roles
generated awards buzz, and earned him a BAFTA EE Rising Star Award nod.