Sope Dirisu

Sope Dirisu (Yoruba:Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, [ʃɔ̄k͡pɛ́dìɾísù]; born 1991) is a British actor. He made his film debut in 2016 with Sand Castle, Criminal, and The Huntsman: Winter's War. Since 2020, he has starred as Elliot Carter in the Sky Atlantic series Gangs of London, while in 2022, he starred as the titular character in the period drama film Mr. Malcolm's List.

Early life and education

Dirisu was born in 1991 in London to Nigerian parents. His father studied history and his mother law before becoming preachers.

He was educated at Bedford Modern School, where he excelled at drama, and joined the National Youth Theatre in 2006.

He later studied Economics at the University of Birmingham. While studying there he played quarterback for the University of Birmingham Lions American Football team.

Career

In 2012, Dirisu successfully auditioned for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Open Stages Programme. His first stage role was as Pericles in Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre. After the Royal Shakespeare Company, Dirisu returned to the National Youth Theatre where he trained in the REP company programme for eight months.

He has subsequently acted in a number of television series including The Mill, Utopia, Humans, The Casual Vacancy, Siblings, and Undercover.

Dirisu appeared in three 2016 films, Criminal, The Huntsman: Winter's War, and Sand Castle. In 2016, he also appeared in "Nosedive", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror.

Dirisu received a Commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards for his 2017 performance as Coriolanus in Coriolanus at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

He was nominated as Best Actor for the 2020 British Independent Film Awards for his role as Bol in the film His House.

In 2023, Dirisu played the role of Sean Donovan in the third season of the Apple TV series Slow Horses.

In 2025, Dirisu played the role of Wes in the Netflix series "Black Rabbit".

In the Full Cast audiobook recordings of Harry Potter, released by Audible, he voices the character of Sirius Black.

Dirisu will star alongside Nicole Beharie and John Douglas Thompson in the upcoming Netflix limited series adaptation All the Sinners Bleed, based on the S. A. Cosby novel of the same name.

Filmography

Film

Television

Audiobooks

Stage

From 6 October to 3 December 2016, Dirisu played Muhammad Ali in One Night in Miami by Kemp Powers, at Donmar Warehouse in London, alongside David Ajala as Jim Brown, Arinzé Kene as Sam Cooke, and Francois Battiste as Malcolm X.[citation needed]

Other theatre includes The Whipping Man, Tory Boyz, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Red Riding Hood, Our Days of Rage, Fallujah, and Pericles with the RSC.[citation needed]

Dirisu received a Commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards for his 2017 performance as Coriolanus in Coriolanus at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Awards and nominations

External links

• atIMDb