{{Short description|British actor}} {{Infobox person | image = sam adewunmi 2021 2.jpg | caption = Adewunmi at the British Independent Film Awards 2021 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1994}} | birth_place = Camden, London, England | nationality = | other_names = Sam Adewunmi | education = | alma_mater = Identity School of Acting | occupation = Actor | years_active = 2014–present }} '''Samuel Adewunmi''' (born 1994) is an English actor. He won Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards as well as receiving a Best Actor nomination for his role in the film ''The Last Tree'' (2019). He was nominated for a BAFTA for his role in the BBC drama ''You Don't Know Me'' (2021).
He was named a 2019 ''Screen International'' Star of Tomorrow.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/stars-of-tomorrow-2019-sam-adewunmi-actor/5140845.article|title=Stars of Tomorrow 20191: Sam Adewunmi (actor)|journal=Screen International|first=Ben|last=Dalton|date=8 July 2019|accessdate=14 November 2021}}</ref>
==Early life== Adewunmi was born in Camden, London to a single Nigerian Yoruba mother, a chef.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/samuel-adewunmi-you-dont-know-me-b1973513.html|title=Samuel Adewunmi: '95 per cent of our cast is Black – I wouldn't expect to see that on the BBC'|journal=The Independent|first=Ellie|last=Harrison|date=10 December 2021|accessdate=19 December 2022}}</ref> He and his brother grew up on the Maiden Lane Estate just north of King's Cross and St Pancras stations, the same estate where ''Tin Luck'' was filmed.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/tin-luck-film-beatrix-blaise-raindance-samuel-adewunmi-b46938.html|title=Tin Luck: The community-led short film that captures a slice of real London life|journal=Evening Standard|first=Jochan|last=Embley|date=4 November 2020|accessdate=23 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.okayafrica.com/2019-sundance-film-festival-shola-amoo-sam-adewunmi-the-last-tree/|title=The Director and Star of 'The Last Tree' Speak on the Endless Search for Identity Growing Up Nigerian and British|journal=OkayAfrica|first=J. Don|last=Birnam|date=29 January 2019|accessdate=23 November 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://hero-magazine.com/article/157417/the-last-tree-is-a-powerful-evocation-of-nuanced-black-british-identity|title=The Last Tree is a powerful evocation of nuanced Black British identity|journal=Hero|first=Hannah|last=Holway|date=23 September 2019|accessdate=23 November 2021}}</ref> He first discovered drama through a school play in year three, and was eight when he put on a community play at the Camden People's Theatre. He trained at Identity School of Acting.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-last-tree-interview-shola-amoo-sam-adewunmi|title=Meet the director and star behind a new kind of London coming-of-age film|journal=Time Out London|first=Phil|last=de Semlyen|date=24 September 2021|accessdate=23 November 2021}}</ref>
==Career== In 2016, Adewunmi played Benedict in the third series of the CBBC Online web series ''Dixi''. He made his feature film debut as Isaac in the 2017 crime film ''The Hatton Garden Job'' and guest starred in the ''Doctor Who'' series 10 episode "The Eaters of Light"
Adewunmi led the film ''The Last Tree'' and signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) shortly after its premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://deadline.com/2019/02/uta-sam-adewunmi-agency-signing-1202558495/|title=UTA Signs Sam Adewunmi, Star Of Sundance Film 'The Last Tree'|journal=Deadline|first=Amanda|last=N'Duka|date=15 February 2019|accessdate=19 December 2022}}</ref> For his performance, he won Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards and was nominated for Best Actor. He also received two National Film Awards UK nominations. In 2020, he starred as Carcer Dun in the BBC America adaptation of Terry Pratchett's ''The Watch'' and the short film ''Tin Luck''.
In 2021, Adewunmi starred in the ITV thriller ''Angela Black''<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.ft.com/content/1314bce6-a179-4c93-901c-53af00a067c7|title=Samuel Adewunmi excels in gripping domestic drama Angela Black|journal=Financial Times|first=Suzi|last=Feay|date=8 October 2021|accessdate=23 November 2021}}</ref> and led the BBC One adaptation of ''You Don't Know Me'' as Hero.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://thebritishblacklist.co.uk/samuel-adewunmi-leads-bbc-drama-adaption-you-dont-know-me/|title=Samuel Adewunmi leads BBC Drama's adaptation of 'You Don't Know Me'|journal=The British Blacklist|first=Tamika|last=Mitchell|date=20 May 2021|accessdate=23 November 2021}}</ref> For the latter, he was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. Adewunmi made his professional stage debut starring in the world premiere of ''Trouble in Butetown'' at the Donmar Warehouse in February 2023.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/production-news/samuel-adewunmi-and-sarah-parish-to-star-in-diana-nneka-atuona-play|title=Samuel Adewunmi and Sarah Parish to star in Diana Nneka Atuona play|journal=The Stage|first=Giverny|last=Masso|date=2 December 2022|accessdate=19 December 2022}}</ref> He made his West End debut in ''A Mirror'' at the Trafalgar Theatre in January 2024.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jonny Lee Miller, Tanya Reynolds and Samuel Adewunmi to star in West End transfer of A Mirror|url=https://www.bestoftheatre.co.uk/blog/post/a-mirror |publisher=Bestoftheatre.co.uk|access-date=28 November 2023 |date=28 November 2023}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2017 | ''The Hatton Garden Job'' | Isaac | |- | rowspan="2" | 2019 | ''The Last Tree'' | Femi | |- | ''Born a King'' | Marzouq | |- | 2020 | ''Tin Luck'' | Trey |rowspan="5"| Short film |- |rowspan="2"| 2023 | ''Oba'' | |- | ''(SPIN)'' | Zekiel |- |rowspan="2"| 2024 | ''i and i'' | Two |- | ''Ciclos'' | Theo |- |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2014 | ''The Missing'' | Manager | 2 episodes |- | 2016 | ''Dixi'' | Benedict | Web series; series 3 (40 episodes) |- | rowspan="2" | 2017 | ''Prime Suspect 1973'' | Billy Myers | 2 episodes |- | ''Doctor Who'' | Vitus | Episode: "The Eaters of Light" |- | 2018 | ''Stan Lee's Lucky Man'' | Kit | Episode: "The Zero Option" |- | 2020 | ''The Watch'' | Carcer Dun | Main role |- | rowspan="2" | 2021 | ''Angela Black'' | Ed Harrison / Theo Walters | Main role |- | ''You Don't Know Me'' | Hero | Miniseries; main role |- | 2023 | ''Secret Invasion'' | Beto | Miniseries; main role |- | 2024 | ''Queenie'' | Frank Ssebendeke II | |- |}
==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- ! Year ! Award ! Category ! Work ! Result ! Ref |- | rowspan="2" | 2019 | rowspan="2" | British Independent Film Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a British Independent Film | rowspan="4" | ''The Last Tree'' | {{nom}} | rowspan="2" | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/british-independent-film-awards-2019-winners-list-1258575/|title=British Independent Film Awards: 'For Sama' Wins Top Prize|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Alex|last=Ritman|date=1 December 2019|accessdate=10 October 2021}}</ref> |- | Most Promising Newcomer | {{won}} |- | rowspan="2" | 2020 | rowspan="2" | National Film Awards UK | Best Actor | {{nom}} | rowspan="2" | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalfilmawards.org/renee-zellweger-ricky-gervais-rowan-aitkinson-kate-beckinsale-david-tenant-eddie-redmayne-and-liam-neeson-are-among-stars-nominated-at-2020-national-film-awards-uk/|title=Renee Zellweger, Ricky Gervais, Dev Patel, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Olivia Coleman are among stars nominated at 2020 National Film Awards UK.|website=National Film Awards|date=13 January 2020 |accessdate=19 May 2020}}</ref> |- | Best Newcomer | {{nom}} |- | 2022 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Actor | ''You Don't Know Me'' | {{nom}} | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/mar/30/bafta-tv-awards-2022-full-list-of-nominations|title=Bafta TV awards 2022: full list of nominations|website=The Guardian|date=30 March 2022|accessdate=30 March 2022}}</ref> |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|6733105}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adewunmi, Samuel}} Category:Living people Category:1994 births Category:21st-century English male actors Category:Alumni of the Identity School of Acting Category:Black British male actors Category:English male film actors Category:English male television actors Category:English people of Nigerian descent Category:English people of Yoruba descent Category:Male actors from London Category:Actors from the London Borough of Camden