{{short description|English actor}} {{Infobox person | name = Jonathan Ajayi | birth_date = | occupation = Actor | education = London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts | years_active = 2014 –present | television = }} '''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).
==Early life== From West London, London, Ajayi is of Nigerian heritage .<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://anthearepresents.com/artist/jonathan-ajayi|title=Jonathan Ajayi|website=Anthea Represents|accessdate=28 January 2025}}</ref> 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.<ref name="woode">{{cite web|first=David|last=Woode|date=24 March 2021|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/jonathan-ajayi-on-the-drifters-insecurities-and-fame-i-had-to-fight-to-be-allowed-to-act-928246|website=inews|accessdate=28 January 2025|title= Jonathan Ajayi on 'The Drifters', insecurities, and fame: 'I had to fight to be allowed to act'}}</ref>
==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.<ref name="woode"/> He had a lead role in British romantic drama film ''The Drifters''.<ref name="Drifters">{{cite web|first=Phuong|last=Le|date=22 March 2021|website=The Guardian|url= https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/mar/22/the-drifters-review-brexit-french-new-wave-jonathan-ajayi-lucie-bourdeu|title= The Drifters review – grating post-Brexit romantic drama|accessdate=28 January 2025}}</ref> He was named by Screen International as one of their 2021 ''Stars of Tomorrow''.<ref>{{cite web|date=4 October 2021|accessdate=28 January 2025|title=Stars of Tomorrow Jonathan Ajayi|url= https://www.screendaily.com/features/stars-of-tomorrow-2021-jonathan-ajayi-actor/5163774.article|website=Screen Daily}}</ref>
In 2022, Ajayi was commended at the Ian Charleson Awards for his performance as Laertes in ''Hamlet'' at the Young Vic.<ref>{{cite web|website=The Stage|url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/shortlist-revealed-for-this-years-ian-charleson-awards|title= Shortlist revealed for Ian Charleson Awards|date=28 March 2022|first=Georgia|last=Snow|accessdate=28 January 2025}}</ref> He had a recurring role as Wes Harper in the second series of British thriller series ''Vigil''.<ref>{{cite web|date=12 December 2023|title= Vigil season 2 cast - Meet the characters in BBC thriller|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/vigil-cast-bbc-series/|website=Radio Times|accessdate=28 January 2025}}</ref> In 2024, he appeared in experimental production ''Talking People'' at the Bush Theatre in London.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://everything-theatre.co.uk/2024/11/review-talking-people-volume-2-bush-theatre/|title= Review: Talking People: Volume 2, Bush Theatre|first=Harriet|last=Ruggiano|date=14 November 2024|website=Everythingtheatre|accessdate=28 January 2025}}</ref>
Ajayi portrays Smee in the science-fiction series ''Alien: Earth''.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://deadline.com/2024/09/alien-earth-series-logline-teaser-1236076325/|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=28 January 2025|title= FX's 'Alien' Earthbound Series From Noah Hawley Drops Logline & Teaser|first=Rosy |last=Cordero|date=September 3, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=Variety|accessdate=28 January 2025|url= https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/noah-hawley-alien-series-fx-cast-1235813069/|date= Nov 29, 2023|title=Noah Hawley's 'Alien' Series at FX Rounds Out Main Cast (EXCLUSIVE)|first=Joe |last=Otterson}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |+Key | style="background:#FFFFCC;" | {{dagger|alt=Projects that have not yet been released}} |Denotes projects that have not yet been released |} ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"| Notes ! class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |- | 2017 | ''Hallelujah'' | Obi | Short film | <ref>{{cite web |last1=Nunn |first1=James G |title=Hallelujah |url=http://www.jamesgnunn.co.uk/?page_id=1704 |website=James G Nunn |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref> |- | 2018 | ''Gone (After Lysistrata)'' | Marlon | Short film | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Hughes |first1=Nathan |title=TBB Talks To … Jonathan Ajayi STar Of Romantic Drama The Drifters |url=https://thebritishblacklist.co.uk/tbb-talks-to-jonathan-ajayi-star-of-romantic-drama-the-drifters/ |access-date=9 February 2026 |agency=The British Blacklist |date=30 March 2021}}</ref> |- | 2020 | ''Wonder Woman 1984'' | Emerson | | <ref>{{cite web |title=Jonathan Ajayi in Wonder Woman 1984 |url=https://www.markhamfroggattandirwin.com/2020/12/jonathan-ajayi-in-wonder-woman-1984/ |website=Markham, Froggatt & Irwin |access-date=16 December 2020}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"|2021 | ''The Drifters'' | Koffee | | <ref name="Drifters"/> |- | ''Play It Safe'' | Jonathan | Short film | <ref>{{cite web |title=Play It Safe |url=https://www.compulsory.film/project/play-it-safe |website=COMPULSORY. |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref> |- | rowspan="3"|2024 | ''5lbs of Pressure'' | Lucky | | <ref>{{cite web |title=Jonathan Ajayi as "Smee" |url=https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/alien-earth/characters/jonathan-ajayi-smee |website=FX |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref> |- | ''i and i'' | T | Short film | <ref>{{cite web |title=Fighting talk: two new directors take us behind the scenes on their powerful shorts |url=https://www.canon.com.cy/pro/stories/lammas-park-making-of/ |website=Canon Inc. |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref> |- | ''Chief of Station'' | Desmond Jackson | | <ref>{{cite news |last1=DeVore |first1=Britta |title=‘Chief of Station’ Sneak Peek — Aaron Eckhart Is Hiding Something |url=https://collider.com/chief-of-station-sneak-peek-aaron-eckhart-alex-pettyfer/ |access-date=9 February 2026 |agency=Collider |date=1 May 2024}}</ref> |- | 2025 | ''The Man in My Basement'' | Ricky | | <ref>{{cite web |title=See Jonathan Ajayi in ’The Man in My Basement’, a new psychological thriller starring Willem Dafoe, which is released on Disney+ tomorrow |url=https://anthearepresents.com/news/See-Jonathan-Ajayi-in-The-Man-in-My-Basement-a-new-psychological-thriller-starring-Willem-Dafoe-which-is-released-on-Disney-tomorrow |website=Anthea Represents |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref> |- | {{tba}} | {{Pending film|Alone at Dawn}} | {{tba}} | Post-production | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Gajewski |first1=Ryan |title=Ron Howard’s Anne Hathaway-Adam Driver Amazon MGM Movie ‘Alone at Dawn’ Adds 7 to Cast (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/alone-at-dawn-amazon-mgm-ron-howard-adds-cast-1236433152/ |access-date=9 February 2026 |agency=The Hollywood Reporter |date=21 November 2025}}</ref> |- |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable"| Notes ! class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |- | 2020–2022 | ''Noughts + Crosses'' | Lieutenant Lekan Baako | Series regular; 7 episodes | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Craig |first1=David |title=Meet the cast of BBC One's Noughts and Crosses |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/noughts-and-crosses-full-cast/ |access-date=9 February 2026 |agency=Radio Times |date=26 April 2022}}</ref> |- | 2023 | ''Vigil'' | Wes Harper | Series regular; 6 episodes | <ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Drama Vigil reveals series two casting and story details |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2023/vigil-series-two-casting-story |website=BBC |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref> |- | 2025 | ''Alien: Earth'' | Smee | Series regular; 8 episodes | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Francisco |first1=Eric |title=How Jonathan Ajayi Grew Young for Alien: Earth |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a66381740/alien-earth-jonathan-ajayi-interview/ |access-date=9 February 2026 |agency=Esquire |date=18 September 2025}}</ref> |- |}
==Theatre credits== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Role !Venue ! class="unsortable"| Notes ! class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |- | 2015 | ''A Midsummer Night's Dream In New Orleans'' | Lysander | Above the Arts, London | | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Hochstrasser |first1=Tim |title=REVIEW: A Midsummer Night's Dream In New Orleans, Above The Arts |access-date=16 March 2026 |url=https://www.britishtheatre.com/posts/review-a-midsummer-nights-dream-in-new-orleans-above-the-arts-3stars|agency=British Theatre |date=28 August 2015}}</ref> |- | 2018 | ''The Brothers Size'' | Oshoosi Size | Young Vic, London | | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Minamore |first1=Bridget |title=The Brothers Size review – magical and bracing portrait of southern masculinity |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/jan/28/brothers-size-review-young-vic-sheibani-alvin-mccraney-brotherhood-dirisu-ajayi |access-date=9 February 2026 |agency=The Guardian |date=28 January 2018}}</ref> |- | 2019 | ''Strange Fruit'' | Errol Marshal | Bush Theatre, London | | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Billington |first1=Michael |title=Strange Fruit review – Caryl Phillips’ immigrant family feel the heat |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jun/18/strange-fruit-review-caryl-phillips-bush-london |access-date=9 February 2026 |agency=The Guardian |date=18 June 2019}}</ref> |- | 2019–2020 | ''Three Sisters'' | Igwe | Royal National Theatre, London | | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Wong Davies |first1=Ava |title=Review: Three Sisters at National Theatre |url=https://exeuntmagazine.com/reviews/review-three-sisters-national-theatre/ |access-date=9 February 2026 |agency=Exeunt |date=17 December 2019}}</ref> |- | 2021 | ''Hamlet'' | Laertes | Young Vic, London | | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Wiegand |first1=Chris |title=Adrian Dunbar cast alongside Cush Jumbo in Hamlet at Young Vic |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/aug/16/adrian-dunbar-to-star-in-hamlet-young-vic-cush-jumbo |access-date=9 February 2026 |agency=The Guardian] |date=16 August 2021}}</ref> |- | 2024 | ''Talking People: Volume 2'' | Tolu | Bush Theatre, London | | <ref>{{cite news |last1=Ruggiano |first1=Harriet |title=Review: Talking People: Volume 2, Bush Theatre |url=https://everything-theatre.co.uk/2024/11/review-talking-people-volume-2-bush-theatre/ |access-date=9 February 2026 |agency=Everything Theatre |date=14 November 2024}}</ref> |- |}
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|nm6596215}} * [https://www.spotlight.com/6777-1277-5575 Jonathan Ajayi] at Spotlight
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ajayi, Jonathan}} Category:Living people Category:21st-century English male actors Category:Actors from the London Borough of Hounslow Category:Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Category:Black British male actors Category:English male film actors Category:English male television actors Category:English people of Jamaican descent Category:English people of Nigerian descent Category:English television actors Category:People from Chiswick Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Year of birth missing (living people)