We love it when Black British actors find success in Hollywood! With limited opportunities in the UK, it’s heartwarming when these actors, often coming from humble beginnings, secure prominent roles. Their ‘American’ accents can be so convincing that we don’t even know they’re British until we hear them speak in interviews. With improved diversity in casting in recent years, we’d like to see more black leads in romance movies. Here are the 10 Black British actors we liked to see in these movies.
1. Alfred Enoch
Many will remember British-Brazilian actor Alfie Enoch for his role as Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter series. He is more recently known for playing Wes Gibbins in How to Get Away with Murder. His portrayal of the sweet Wes had our hearts melting, and hoping to see him have more love storylines in future projects. Enoch’s acting career looks pretty promising, fingers-crossed they’ll be a romance movie or three in there somewhere.
2. Damson Idris
Raised in Peckham, South London, British-Nigerian Damon Idris is most commonly known for his role as Franklin Saint in the hit TV Show Snowfall. Although he plays a drug kingpin, we know he has the charm to play a romantic lead whenever he smiles. Aspiring to have a career and legacy similar to Denzel Washington, Damson may not star in a simple romance movie. However, we can at least hope for an action movie with a romance storyline.
3. Daniel Ezra
Hailing from Birmingham, England, is Daniel Ezra, most noticeably known for playing rising football player Spencer James in the drama series All American. Ezra’s character has had a few love interests on the show, and one thing he has proven is that he can deliver a love confession well. So sign him up for the next romance drama.
4. Daniel Kaluuya
Next, we have British-Ugandan, Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya. Now one of the most famous Black British Actors, he first grabbed viewers’ attention playing Posh Kenneth in Skins but reached worldwide prominence with his breakout role in Jordan Peele’s Get Out. He went on to star in other critically acclaimed movies, most noticeably playing the Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah. Kaluuya starred as the romantic lead in the romance crime movie Queen and Slim, and his performance alongside Jodie Turner-Smith left audiences in tears. With his acting accolades being so renowned, it’s doubtful we’ll see Kaluuya in a movie that isn’t hard-hitting anytime soon. Perhaps Black Panther will explore the relationship between his character W’Kabu and Okoye, so we’ll get a chance to see him with a romance storyline.
5. Idris Elba
Idris Elba has graced our screens for many years now. Successfully playing Stringer Bell in The Wire for several seasons left many viewers shocked to discover Elba was actually British, his parents originating from Sierra-Leone and Ghana. It seems the love for Elba soared from them, mostly due to his extensive filmography, but his looks don’t hurt either. Apart from the 2007 Daddy’s Little Girls, it’s not often we see Elba in a romance movie. I think it’s time to give the ladies what they’ve been waiting for and take a romantic lead role.
6. John Boyega
Proud British-Nigerian John Boyega’s first noticeable role was in the 2011 film Attack the Block, but his career skyrocketed following his performance as Finn in the 2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Boyega’s charisma and commanding presence on and off-screen guarantee he has what it takes to capture hearts in a romance movie. In 2018, it was announced he would star in the sci-fi romance Hold Back The Stars alongside Letitia Wright. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait.
7. Malachi Kirby
In 2016, BAFTA Award-Winning writer and actor Malachi Kirby starred as Kunta Kinte in the Roots remake. Raised in Battersea, South London, Kirby has been in shows and movies where he’s had a love story, but it’s time for that romance to take centre stage. He’s played characters that have different personalities, so who knows what he could bring to the table in a romance movie.
8. Martins Imhangbe
It shocked us to see British-Nigerian actor Martins Imhangbe in the hugely popular Bridgerton series. He had hearts racing as supporting character Will Mondrich and gave viewers a glimpse of how great a romance with him as a leading man could be. Imhangbe is no stranger to period pieces, having performed in the production of Richard II in 2018, so perhaps a romance period drama would be a great fit. We hope to see more of him on our screens in the near future.
9. Ncuti Gatwa
Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa captured audiences playing Eric Effiong in the Netflix show Sex Education, earning himself a BAFTA Scotland award for Best Actor in Television in the process. We’ve seen him in a romantic relationship on the TV show, but we want to see this on the big screen exploring the depth and breadth of his acting chops.
10. Sope Dirisu
British-Nigerian Sope Dirisu has a strong background in theatre, having starred in several Shakespeare plays before acting in TV shows like Humans and then movies like The Huntsman: Winter’s War. However, the performance many of us romance lovers are waiting for is his leading role in the upcoming period drama Mr Malcolm’s List. We know he’s got the acting skills to deliver a stellar stage performance in a period play; let’s see if he can do the same on-screen. Mr Malcolm is set to be released on 1 July 2022 so stay tuned.
Which one of these 10 Black British actors would you like to see play a romantic lead? Is there an actor you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments below, and if you liked this article, please follow the Facebook and Pinterest page.
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