David Gyasi
David Kwaku Asamoah Gyasi (/ˈdʒæsi/;[1] born 2 January 1980) is a British actor. His films include Cloud Atlas (2012) and Interstellar (2014). On television, he is known for his roles in the BBC series White Heat (2012) and Troy: Fall of a City (2018), the CW miniseries Containment (2016), and the Amazon Prime series Carnival Row (2019–2023).
David Gyasi | |
|---|---|
| Born | David Kwaku Asamoah Gyasi 2 January 1980 Hammersmith, London, England |
| Alma mater | Middlesex University |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Spouse | Emma Gyasi |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
Gyasi was born in Hammersmith, London, one of seven children to Ashanti Ghanaian parents[2] who had arrived in England in 1966.[3] They divorced when he was young. Gyasi grew up in Fulham and Hayes. He attended Bishopshalt School[4] and completed his A Levels at East Berkshire College.[5] He went on to study Drama at Middlesex University.[6]
Career
Gyasi landed his first main television role as Jeremy Hands in the 2005 ITV comedy Mike Bassett: Manager, a follow-up to Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001), and his first major film role that same year in Michael Caton-Jones' Shooting Dogs. Gyasi appeared alongside Kit Harington in the 2008 National Theatre production of War Horse.
In 2012, Gyasi starred in the science fiction film Cloud Atlas and as young Victor (played by Hugh Quarshie later in the character's life) in the BBC Two historical drama White Heat. This was followed by roles in the BBC One television film The Whale (2013) and Christopher Nolan's Interstellar (2014), the latter of which earned him a Black Reel Award nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance. Gyasi was cast as the lead of The Interceptor, also on BBC One, but had to drop out due to a heel injury. The role was taken over by O. T. Fagbenle.[7]
Gyasi starred as Major Alex "Lex" Carnahan in 2016 the CW miniseries Containment. He went on to portray Achilles in the 2018 BBC and Netflix adaptation of The Iliad, titled Troy: Fall of a City. From 2019 to 2023, he starred as Agreus in the Amazon Prime fantasy series Carnival Row.[8] He also led the Western film Hell on the Border[9] and appeared in Cold Blood, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and Come Away. He had a recurring role as Ben Chambers in series 3 of The A Word.
Personal life
Gyasi began dating his wife Emma (née Llaudes) during sixth form at East Berkshire College. They had their first child, a daughter Elèna who now acts.[10] They married that year and later had their second child, a son Nathaniel.[6] The family settled in a Buckinghamshire village.[11] Gyasi is a practicing Anglican.[12]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | What a Girl Wants | Ian's Band Member | |
| 2005 | Shooting Dogs | François | |
| 2006 | Shoot the Messenger | Timothy | |
| 2012 | Red Tails | Corporal | |
| The Dark Knight Rises | Skinny Prisoner | ||
| Cloud Atlas | Autua / Lester Rey / Duophysite | ||
| 2014 | Interstellar | Romilly | |
| 2018 | Annihilation | Daniel | |
| Hunter Killer | The Chief of the Boat of USS Arkansas | ||
| 2019 | Cold Blood | Malcolm | |
| Maleficent: Mistress of Evil | Percival | ||
| Hell on the Border | Bass Reeves | ||
| 2020 | Come Away | Captain Hook | |
| 2021 | Ear for Eye | US Dad |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Goal | Joe Saunders | 1 episode |
| 2003–2004 | Casualty | Bryce | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Murder City | Reporter | 1 episode |
| William and Mary | Policeman | 1 episode | |
| 2005 | Sea of Souls | Lucas Hegarty | 2 episodes |
| Dream Team | Marlon | 1 episode | |
| No Angels | Leonard | 1 episode | |
| The Brief | DS Kitson | 1 episode | |
| Mike Bassett: Manager | Jeremy Hands | 5 episodes | |
| The Bill | Jason Fielding | 1 episode | |
| 2005–2007 | Doctors | Joe Fisher / Sean Foster | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Torchwood | Hospital Patient | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Coming Up | Marlon | 1 episode |
| Silent Witness | DS Ian Cross | 1 episode | |
| 2008 | Waking the Dead | Charlie Ayanike | 2 episodes |
| Apparitions | Father Daniel | 2 episodes | |
| 2009 | Demons | Physics Teacher | 1 episode |
| Law & Order: UK | Lennie Gaines | 1 episode | |
| Murderland | Will | 2 episodes | |
| 2010 | Holby City | Moses Abebe | 1 episode |
| 2012 | White Heat | Victor | Main role; 6 episodes |
| Doctor Who | Harvey | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | The Whale | Peterson | Television film |
| 2016 | Containment | Lex Carnahan | Lead role |
| 2017 | Man in an Orange Shirt | Steve | Episode 2 |
| 2018 | Troy: Fall of a City | Achilles | 8 episodes |
| 2019–2023 | Carnival Row | Agreus | Main role |
| 2020 | The A Word | Ben | 5 episodes |
| 2022 | The Sandman | The Grey Cat | 1 episode |
| The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself | Marcus Edge | 3 episodes |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Much Ado About Nothing | Claudio | Library Theatre, Manchester[13] |
| 2008–2009 | War Horse | Lieutenant Stewart / Rudi | Royal National Theatre, London |
References
- ^ "The Cast Of "Carnival Row" Tells Us About Their Firsts". BuzzFeed Celeb. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ Ngimbi, Emmanuella (2020). "Hell On The Border: Interview With David Gyasi". Pride. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ . 5 November 2014. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- ^ "david gyasi [carnival row]". A Book of Magazine. 12 September 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "College and Firestation Arts team-up to ignite new talent". Windsor Forest College.[dead link]
- ^ a b Hoggard, Liz (29 March 2012). "I never thought about what my father went through when he came here". Evening Standard. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ Dowell, Ben (30 August 2019). "The rise and rise of David Gyasi". Royal Television Society. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Petski, Denise (22 September 2017). "'Carnival Row': David Gyasi, Karla Crome, Indira Varma & Tamzin Merchant Join Amazon's Fantasy Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ Colurso, Mary. "Filming of "Hell on the Border" in Alabama". AL.com. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Rosky, Nicole (16 July 2021). "Photos: New Shots of the Queens of the SIX UK Tour!". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "ear for eye actor David Gyasi talks about how heart breaking having that "conversation" with 13 year old son was". Alt A Review. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Handley MacMath, Terence (1 February 2021). "Interview: David Gyasi, actor". Church Times. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ "David Gyasi". BBA Shakespeare. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
External links
- David Gyasi at IMDb