{{short description|British actor }} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Toheeb Jimoh | image = Toheeb Jimoh on March 20, 2023 in the Oval Office of the White House - P20230320AS-2576 (cropped).jpg | caption = Jimoh in 2023 | image_size = | birth_date = | birth_place = Brixton, London, England | alma_mater = Guildhall School of Music and Drama (BA) | occupation = Actor | years_active = 2015–present | known_for = | notable_works = ''Ted Lasso''<br>''The Power''<br>''Industry'' | spouse = }} '''Toheeb Jimoh''' is a British-Nigerian actor.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Murray|first=Cori|date=8 June 2021|title=Meet Toheeb Jimoh, The Heartbeat of 'Ted Lasso' |url=https://www.essence.com/entertainment/meet-toheeb-jimoh-the-heartbeat-of-ted-lasso/|access-date=9 August 2021|website=Essence|language=en-US}}</ref> He earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and won both a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Critic's Choice Breakthrough Award for his performance as Sam Obisanya in the Apple TV+ series ''Ted Lasso'' (2020–2023).
== Early life and education == Toheeb Jimoh was born in Brixton, London,<ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://www.port-magazine.com/issue-30/toheeb-jimoh/|title=Toheeb Jimoh|journal=Port Magazine|first=Kemi|last=Alemoru|date=26 April 2022|access-date=18 April 2023}}</ref> South London,<ref>{{citation |title=How Toheeb Jimoh of 'Ted Lasso' found his character's home--and his own |first=Michael |last=Ordona |location=Los Angeles Times |date=3 August 2022 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2022-08-03/how-toheeb-jimoh-of-ted-lasso-found-his-characters-home-and-his-own}}</ref> to parents of Nigerian descent.<ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine|last=Breznican|first=Anthony|date=6 August 2021|title=Ted Lasso: A Willingness to Lose Everything Provides a Needed Win|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/08/ted-lasso-dubai-air-toheeb-jimoh-sam-obisanya|access-date=9 August 2021|magazine=Vanity Fair|language=en-US}}</ref> He moved to Nigeria as a toddler and returned to London when he was seven.<ref name=":1" />
He attended The Norwood School<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thenorwoodschool.org/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=382|title=Starring Toheeb!|publisher=The Norwood School}}</ref> before going on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/drama/final_year_actors/graduates_2017_18/toheeb_jimoh/|title=Toheeb Jimoh|publisher=Guildhall School|access-date=10 September 2021|archive-date=19 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319155240/https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/drama/final_year_actors/graduates_2017_18/toheeb_jimoh/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Career== Jimoh, in 2020, played Anthony Walker, the victim of a 2005 racist attack, in BBC One's ''Anthony'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53470369|title=Anthony Walker: How a life lost in racist killing has been imagined for TV|date=23 July 2020|access-date=10 September 2021|first=Ian|last=Youngs|publisher=BBC}}</ref> which imagines Walker's life if he had not been killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53052678|publisher=BBC|title=Anthony Walker: TV drama imagines future life of victim of racist murder|date=15 June 2020|access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref><ref name=list>{{cite web|url=http://thebritishblacklist.co.uk/tbb-talks-to-actor-toheeb-jimoh-about-almeida-theatre-production-nine-lessons-and-carols/|work=The British Black List|title=TBB Talks To ... actor Toheeb Jimoh About Almeida Theatre Production 'Nine Lessons and Carols'|date=9 December 2020|access-date=10 September 2021|first=Hannah|last=Shury-Smith}}</ref> His portrayal was called "utterly magnetic".<ref name=face/> He then portrayed Marcus in the Amazon series ''The Feed''.<ref name=rant>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/ted-lasso-sam-actor-toheeb-jimoh-tv-shows-movies-roles/|work=Screen Rant|title=Who Plays Sam In Ted Lasso? Where You Know The Actor From|date=28 August 2021|access-date=10 September 2021|first=Rick|last=Stevenson}}</ref>
Jimoh was in a stage production of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' at the Sheffield Crucible<ref name=face>{{cite web|url=https://theface.com/culture/toheeb-jimoh-interview-anthony-walker-bbc-tv-series|work=The Face|title=Toheeb Jimoh: "My job was to give Anthony the best life possible"|first=Tola|last=Onanuga|date=27 July 2020|access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref> and in 2020, was one of six performers in the Almeida Theatre's Christmas Play ''Nine Lessons and Carols'', the theatre's first production post London's COVID-19 lockdown.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/dec/07/nine-lessons-and-carols-almeida-theatre-london-christmas-play|work=The Guardian|title='Holding their nerve': Almeida reopens with play devised during lockdown|date=8 December 2020|access-date=10 September 2021|first=Andrew|last=Dickson}}</ref>
When Jimoh auditioned for ''Ted Lasso'', the character of Sam Obisanya was written as Ghanaian, but his background was changed to Nigerian to match Jimoh's own.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popsugar.com.au/entertainment/toheeb-jimoh-ted-lasso-season-two-interview-48478503|title=Toheeb Jimoh Says Ted Lasso's Most Unexpected Romance Has Been in the Works Since Season 1|date=28 August 2021|access-date=10 September 2021|work=Pop Sugar|first=Karenna|last=Meredith}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/06/ted-lasso-casting-international-team-1234644283/|publisher=Indie Wire|title='Ted Lasso' Casting Process Changed the International Team's Composition|first=Carlos|last=Aguilar|date=14 June 2021|access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref> His performance has received praise, with his character called the "heartbeat" of the show.<ref name=":0"/>
Jimoh portrays another Nigerian character, journalist Tunde, in the Amazon thriller series ''The Power'', based on Naomi Alderman's novel of the same name.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spoilertv.com/2020/01/the-power-john-leguizamo-toheeb-jimoh.html|website=spoilertv.com|title=The Power - John Leguizamo, Toheeb Jimoh, Ria Zmitrowicz And 4 Others Join Amazon Thriller|date=14 January 2020|access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref> He also has a small part in the Wes Anderson film ''The French Dispatch''.<ref name=list/>
Jimoh played Romeo in a summer 2023 production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' at the Almeida Theatre in London.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bamigboye |first=Baz |date=16 March 2023 |title=Breaking Baz: 'Ted Lasso' Star To Lead Hot London Production Of 'Romeo And Juliet' Alongside 'Red Rose' Actress Isis Hainsworth |url=https://deadline.com/2023/03/ted-lasso-toheeb-jimoh-romeo-and-juliet-isis-hainsworth-london-1235301049/ |access-date=17 May 2023 |website=Deadline}}</ref>
In 2024, Jimoh played Hal in ''Player Kings'', an adaption of Shakespeare's ''Henry IV part 1 and 2'' by Robert Icke which also co-stars Ian McKellen and Richard Coyle.
== Filmography ==
=== Film === {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2021 | ''The French Dispatch'' | Cadet 1 | |- | 2026 | ''Clarissa'' | Young Peter | |- | TBA | ''Prima Facie'' | | Post-production |- |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | rowspan="2"|2019 | ''London Kills'' | Leshae Hobbs | Episode: "The Dark" |- | ''The Feed'' | Marcus | Recurring role, 7 episodes |- | 2020 | ''Anthony'' | Anthony Walker | BBC TV movie |- | 2020–2023 | ''Ted Lasso''<ref name="j214">{{Cite news | title=Meet foreign celebrities with Nigerian heritage – Daily Trust |newspaper=Daily Trust| date=21 March 2025 | url=https://dailytrust.com/meet-foreign-celebrities-with-nigerian-heritage/#google_vignette | access-date=30 June 2025}}</ref> | Sam Obisanya | Recurring (S1 & 2), Main (S3) |- | 2023 | ''The Power'' | Tunde Ojo | Main role |- |2026 |''Industry'' |Kwabena Bannerman |Recurring role |}
=== Theatre === {| class="wikitable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2023 || ''Romeo and Juliet'' || Romeo || Almeida Theatre, West End |- |2024 || ''Player Kings'' || Hal || Manchester Opera House, Manchester. |- |}
==Awards and nominations== {|class="wikitable" width="100%" |- ! Year ! Association ! Category ! Project ! Result ! Ref. |- | rowspan="2"| {{center|2021}} | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Breakthrough Award | rowspan="5"| ''Ted Lasso'' | {{won}} | align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/the-fourth-annual-celebration-of-black-cinema-and-television-to-honor-will-smith-ruth-negga-and-more-on-december-6th|title=Critics Choice Awards Celebration of Black Cinema & Television to Honor Will Smith, Ruth Negga and More on December 6th | Festivals & Awards | Roger Ebert|date=3 December 2021 }}</ref> |- | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | {{nom}} | align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|last1=Moreau|first1=Jordan|last2=Oganesyan|first2=Natalie|title=2021 SAG Awards: The Complete Nominations List|url=https://variety.com/2021/awards/news/2021-sag-nominations-list-nominees-screen-actors-guild-awards-1234897816/ |website=Variety|access-date=14 March 2021|date=4 February 2021}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"| {{center|2022}} | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | {{nom}} | align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/07/2022-emmy-nominations-list-1235062260/|title=Emmy Nominations: The Complete List|last1=Andreeva|first1=Nellie|last2=Hipes|first2=Patrick|date=12 July 2022|work=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=12 July 2022|archive-date=12 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220712160512/https://deadline.com/2022/07/2022-emmy-nominations-list-1235062260/|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | {{won}} | align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sag-awards-2022-nominations-list-nominees-1235073685/|title=SAG Awards: 'House of Gucci,' 'The Power of the Dog' Lead Film Nominations|first1=Hilary|last1=Lewis|first2=Tyler |last2=Coates|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=12 January 2022|access-date=12 January 2022}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"| {{center|2023}} | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series | {{nom}} | align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/black-reel-television-awards-announces-nominations-the-best-man-final-chapters-leads-with-18-noms-1235418181/|title=Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; 'The Best Man: Final Chapters' leads with 18 noms|first=Valerie|last=Complex|work=Deadline Hollywood |date=15 June 2023|access-date=3 July 2023}}</ref> |- | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Song – Onscreen Performance (TV Show/Limited Series) | "So Long, Farewell" {{small|(from ''Ted Lasso'')}} | {{nom}} | align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shootonline.com/node/97702|title=Nominations unveiled for Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2023|work=Shoot Online|date=2 November 2023|access-date=3 November 2023}}</ref> |- | {{center|2024}} | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | ''Ted Lasso'' | {{nom}} | align="center"| <ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.sagawards.org/media/news/releases/nominations-announced-30th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awardsr|title=Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®|publisher=Screen Actors Guild |date=10 January 2024|access-date=10 January 2024}}</ref> |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commonscat|Toheeb Jimoh}} * {{IMDb name|8504865}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jimoh, Toheeb}} Category:Living people Category:1997 births Category:Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama Category:Black British male actors Category:British male film actors Category:British male television actors Category:English people of Nigerian descent Category:21st-century English male actors Category:Male actors from London Category:Actors from the London Borough of Lambeth Category:People from Brixton