Keiynan Lonsdale
Keiynan Lonsdale (/ˈkiːnən/;[3] born 19 December 1991) is an Australian actor, dancer, and singer-songwriter. He is known for roles such as Oliver Lloyd in the ABC series Dance Academy (2012–2013), Wally West/Kid Flash in the CW series The Flash (2015–2020) and Legends of Tomorrow (2017–2018), and Abraham "Bram" Greenfeld in the film Love, Simon (2018). His other films include The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015) and The Finest Hours (2016). Lonsdale has also worked as an MTV VJ and released original music recordings, including a studio album in 2020.
Early life
Lonsdale was born in Sydney to a Nigerian father of Edo descent and an Australian mother of Irish and Danish descent.[4][5] He has eleven siblings.[6][non-primary source needed]
Career
Lonsdale's first acting job was in 2007, with a dancing part in the film Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance. The following year, he appeared in an episode of the Australian television medical drama All Saints. Lonsdale became a recurring member of the cast of the Australian teen drama series Dance Academy in the 2012 second season as the character Oliver Lloyd, who became a regular in the third and final season.
Lonsdale was a VJ on MTV for two and a half years.[7] He released a single on iTunes titled "One and Only" in 2014. He then played a supporting role as Uriah Pedrad in The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015), the second film in the series,[8] later briefly reprising said role in The Divergent Series: Allegiant (2016). In 2016, his single "Higher" was included on Connor Franta's curated album Common Culture, volume 5.[9] Lonsdale next appeared in the historical drama The Finest Hours (2016) as Eldon Hanon, the youngest sailor involved in a rescue at sea.
In 2015, Lonsdale auditioned for the role of Jefferson Jackson, but the role was given to Franz Drameh.[10] Instead, he was cast as Wally West (the previously unknown son of Joe West) on CW's The Flash and became a regular supporting character in season two and as Kid Flash in season three.[11] In 2017, the character left The Flash and debuted on season three of Legends of Tomorrow.[12] That year, Lonsdale also appeared in an episode of Supergirl.[13]
In 2018, Lonsdale starred as Bram in the film Love, Simon, based on the novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli about a teenage boy who struggles to come out. Lonsdale later said the role helped in coming to terms with his own sexuality.[14] Upon release, the film received positive reviews from critics,[15] and was dubbed historically significant, as it is the first film ever released by a major studio to focus on a gay teenage romance.[16][17]
In 2019, Lonsdale starred in Camila Cabello's music video for "Liar".[18] He has also released musical recordings, including "Higher" in 2015, "Good Life" in 2017, "Kiss the Boy" in 2018, and "Preach" in 2018. Lonsdale also released a single "Rainbow Dragon" in 2019.[19]
Personal life
In 2017, Lonsdale came out on Instagram saying "I like girls, & I like guys".[20] Lonsdale previously did not self-identify with a specific sexuality label, but described himself as gay in a 2022 interview for BuzzFeed.[21][22]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Rainbow Boy |
|
Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Higher Vol. 1 |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "One and Only"[25] | 2014 | Non-album single |
| "Higher"[26] | 2015 | Higher Vol. 1 |
| "Good Life"[26] | 2017 | Non-album singles |
| "Kiss the Boy"[27] | 2018 | |
| "Preach"[28] | ||
| "Rainbow Dragon"[29] | 2019 | Rainbow Boy |
| "Gay Street Fighter"[30] | 2020 | |
| "See You There" (with Castelle)[31] | Non-album single | |
| "Rhythm & Music"[32] | 2021 | Rainbow Boy |
| "Gods of the Disco" | 2021 | Non-album single |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance | Miss Elizabeth's Dance Troupe | |
| 2015 | The Divergent Series: Insurgent | Uriah Pedrad | |
| 2016 | The Finest Hours | Eldon Hanon | |
| The Divergent Series: Allegiant | Uriah Pedrad | ||
| 2017 | Dance Academy: The Movie | Oliver Lloyd | |
| Like. Share. Follow. | Garrett | ||
| 2018 | Love, Simon | Bram Greenfeld | |
| 2020 | Work It | Julliard Pembroke | [33] |
| 2022 | My Fake Boyfriend | Drew | |
| TBA | Weetzie Bat | Duck |
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | All Saints | Corey | Seven Network | Episode: "Sons and Lovers" |
| 2012–2013 | Dance Academy | Oliver Lloyd | ABC1 | Recurring role (season 2); main role (season 3) |
| 2015–2018, 2020, 2023 | The Flash | Wally West / Kid Flash | The CW | Main role (seasons 2–4), special guest star (season 5–6, 9) |
| 2017–2018 | Legends of Tomorrow | Main role (season 3);[34][12] special guest star (2 episodes) | ||
| 2017 | Supergirl | Episode: "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 1" | ||
| 2018 | RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars 4 | Self | VH1 | Guest Judge; episode: "Snatch Game of Love"[35] |
| 2020 | Love, Victor | Bram Greenfeld | Hulu | Guest star[36] |
| Equal | Bayard Rustin | HBO Max | Docuseries | |
| 2021 | Eden | Cam | Stan | Main Role[37] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Kiss (shared with Nick Robinson) | Love, Simon | Won | [38] |
| Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Ship (shared with Nick Robinson) | Nominated | [39] | ||
| 2021 | GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist | Rainbow Boy | Pending | [40] |
References
- ^ "Keiynan Lonsdale's 'Kiss The Boy' is the sweet, queer love song we deserve". ProjectTV. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ^ "True Urban Culture Magazine, Under The Radar: Keiynan Lonsdale". tucmag.net. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Dylan Sprouse, Kieynan Lonsdale, And The Cast Of "My Fake Boyfriend" Play Never Have I Ever". BuzzFeed Video. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- ^ "Chatting with Keiynan Lonsdale, actor. I'm Uriah in INSURGENT. AMA! : IAmA". Reddit.com. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ Anderson, Tre'vell (20 March 2018). "'Love, Simon's' Keiynan Lonsdale on playing Kid Flash and LGBTQ representation in Hollywood". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
- ^ "Keiynan Lonsdale on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- ^ "From MTV VJ to Insurgent star in nine months". NewsComAu. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
- ^ "Divergent Sequel Insurgent Casts Keiynan Lonsdale As Uriah". 20 June 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ^ "Instagram". Instagram. 29 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ Garofalo, Alex (7 December 2015). "'The Flash' Star Keiynan Lonsdale Previews Wally West Debut, Sibling Rivalry With Barry, And Reveals He Auditioned For Firestorm". International Business Times. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ Goldman, Eric (5 August 2015). "The Flash: Wally West Cast for Season 2". IGN.com. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ^ a b "Keiynan Lonsdale Leaves The Flash for Legends of Tomorrow". TV Guide. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ "Keiynan Lonsdale On 'Love, Simon' and the Joy of Leaving the Closet". 13 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ "'Love, Simon' Star Keiynan Lonsdale Talks Coming Out on Set". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
- ^ "Love, Simon (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ . Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
- ^ Lang, Brent (9 March 2018). "'Love, Simon' Stars Say Gay Teen Romance Will Save Lives". Variety. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
- ^ Calvario, Liz (11 September 2019). "Camila Cabello Drops Theatrical 'Liar' Music Video – Watch". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Keiynan Lonsdale – Rainbow Dragon (Official Music Video), retrieved 6 October 2019
- ^ "Instagram".
- ^ "Keiynan Lonsdale Performs Hits From Rainbow Boy on Billboard Live at-Home". Billboard. 11 October 2020.
- ^ Keiynan Lonsdale Answers Juicy Dating Questions, retrieved 15 June 2022
- ^ Julia (15 May 2020). "Keiynan Lonsdale Releasing Debut Album May 29". Nerds and Beyond. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ Garofalo, Alex (28 September 2015). "'The Flash' Star Keiynan Lonsdale on His Music Career: Record Labels Said 'I Was Too Black For Pop And Not Black Enough For This'". International Business Times. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ Longhetti, Chloe-Lee (15 May 2014). "Keiynan Lonsdale headed for the US in hope to sign record label". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ a b Ellenbogen, Rachael (31 August 2017). "'The Flash' Star Keiynan Lonsdale Drops New Single 'Good Life'". International Business Times. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ Riddell, Rose (29 May 2018). "Interview: Keiynan Lonsdale on his single, 'Kiss The Boy'". Coup de Main. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ Moore, Matt (30 June 2018). "Keiynan Lonsdale releases music video for his latest single Preach". Gay Times. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ Radic, Randy (18 September 2019). "Keiynan Lonsdale Releases Fearless New Single "Rainbow Dragon"". Pop Dust. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ Duffy, Nick (14 April 2020). "Love, Simon star Keiynan Lonsdale declares himself the 'Gay Street Fighter' in defiant and proud new single". Pink News. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ "See You There (single)". Apple Music. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ "SINGLES TO RADIO ISSUE 1356". themusicnetwork.com. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (2 July 2019). "Jordan Fisher, Drew Ray Tanner, Michelle Buteau Join Sabrina Carpenter in Netflix Dance Comedy 'Work It'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- ^ Dino-Ray Ramos (5 June 2018). "Keiynan Lonsdale Not Returning as Series Regular on The Flash or Legends of Tomorrow". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" Snatch Game of Love (TV Episode 2018) – IMDb, retrieved 17 August 2019
- ^ Love, Simon TV Show Spinoff Trailer Confirms Another Movie Actor Returns, 26 May 2020, retrieved 27 May 2020
- ^ Eden (2021) Cast & Crew Production Details, retrieved 5 November 2021
- ^ Schulman, Alissa (18 June 2018). "2018 MTV Movie & TV Award Winners". MTV News. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
- ^ Evans, Greg (22 June 2018). "Teen Choice Awards: 'Black Panther', 'Solo', 'Riverdale' Lead Nominations – List". Deadline. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
- ^ "The Nominees for the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards". 28 January 2021.
External links
- Keiynan Lonsdale at IMDb