Jonathan Ajayi

Jonathan Ajayi
EducationLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts
OccupationActor
Years active2014 –present

Jonathan Ajayi is an English stage, television and film actor from London. He was recognized as a 2021 Screen International Star of Tomorrow. He trained at ArtsEd and LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art).

Early life

From West London, London, Ajayi is of Nigerian heritage .[1] He was mentored by Royal Shakespeare Company actor Joseph Marcell, whose wife worked at his sixth form. Ajayi attended ArtsEd and graduated in 2018 from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.[2]

Career

Leaving drama school early, Ajayi made his theatre debut at the Young Vic starring in The Brothers Size and played Lieutenant Lekan Baako in 2020 in the BBC One television series Noughts + Crosses. He appeared in the Patty Jenkins film Wonder Woman 1984 and was included on the 2020 longlist for Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards.[2] He had a lead role in British romantic drama film The Drifters.[3] He was named by Screen International as one of their 2021 Stars of Tomorrow.[4]

In 2022, Ajayi was commended at the Ian Charleson Awards for his performance as Laertes in Hamlet at the Young Vic.[5] He had a recurring role as Wes Harper in the second series of British thriller series Vigil.[6] In 2024, he appeared in experimental production Talking People at the Bush Theatre in London.[7]

Ajayi portrays Smee in the science-fiction series Alien: Earth.[8][9]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes projects that have not yet been released

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2017 Hallelujah Obi Short film [10]
2018 Gone (After Lysistrata) Marlon Short film [11]
2020 Wonder Woman 1984 Emerson [12]
2021 The Drifters Koffee [3]
Play It Safe Jonathan Short film [13]
2024 5lbs of Pressure Lucky [14]
i and i T Short film [15]
Chief of Station Desmond Jackson [16]
2025 The Man in My Basement Ricky [17]
TBA Alone at Dawn † TBA Post-production [18]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2020–2022 Noughts + Crosses Lieutenant Lekan Baako Series regular; 7 episodes [19]
2023 Vigil Wes Harper Series regular; 6 episodes [20]
2025 Alien: Earth Smee Series regular; 8 episodes [21]

Theatre credits

Year Title Role Venue Notes Ref.
2015 A Midsummer Night's Dream In New Orleans Lysander Above the Arts, London [22]
2018 The Brothers Size Oshoosi Size Young Vic, London [23]
2019 Strange Fruit Errol Marshal Bush Theatre, London [24]
2019–2020 Three Sisters Igwe Royal National Theatre, London [25]
2021 Hamlet Laertes Young Vic, London [26]
2024 Talking People: Volume 2 Tolu Bush Theatre, London [27]

References

  1. ^ "Jonathan Ajayi". Anthea Represents. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b Woode, David (24 March 2021). "Jonathan Ajayi on 'The Drifters', insecurities, and fame: 'I had to fight to be allowed to act'". inews. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b Le, Phuong (22 March 2021). "The Drifters review – grating post-Brexit romantic drama". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  4. ^ "Stars of Tomorrow Jonathan Ajayi". Screen Daily. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  5. ^ Snow, Georgia (28 March 2022). "Shortlist revealed for Ian Charleson Awards". The Stage. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Vigil season 2 cast - Meet the characters in BBC thriller". Radio Times. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  7. ^ Ruggiano, Harriet (14 November 2024). "Review: Talking People: Volume 2, Bush Theatre". Everythingtheatre. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  8. ^ Cordero, Rosy (September 3, 2024). "FX's 'Alien' Earthbound Series From Noah Hawley Drops Logline & Teaser". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  9. ^ Otterson, Joe (Nov 29, 2023). "Noah Hawley's 'Alien' Series at FX Rounds Out Main Cast (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  10. ^ Nunn, James G. "Hallelujah". James G Nunn. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  11. ^ Hughes, Nathan (30 March 2021). "TBB Talks To … Jonathan Ajayi STar Of Romantic Drama The Drifters". The British Blacklist. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Jonathan Ajayi in Wonder Woman 1984". Markham, Froggatt & Irwin. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  13. ^ "Play It Safe". COMPULSORY. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  14. ^ "Jonathan Ajayi as "Smee"". FX. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Fighting talk: two new directors take us behind the scenes on their powerful shorts". Canon Inc. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  16. ^ DeVore, Britta (1 May 2024). "'Chief of Station' Sneak Peek — Aaron Eckhart Is Hiding Something". Collider. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  17. ^ "See Jonathan Ajayi in 'The Man in My Basement', a new psychological thriller starring Willem Dafoe, which is released on Disney+ tomorrow". Anthea Represents. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  18. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (21 November 2025). "Ron Howard's Anne Hathaway-Adam Driver Amazon MGM Movie 'Alone at Dawn' Adds 7 to Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  19. ^ Craig, David (26 April 2022). "Meet the cast of BBC One's Noughts and Crosses". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  20. ^ "BBC Drama Vigil reveals series two casting and story details". BBC. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  21. ^ Francisco, Eric (18 September 2025). "How Jonathan Ajayi Grew Young for Alien: Earth". Esquire. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  22. ^ Hochstrasser, Tim (28 August 2015). "REVIEW: A Midsummer Night's Dream In New Orleans, Above The Arts". British Theatre. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  23. ^ Minamore, Bridget (28 January 2018). "The Brothers Size review – magical and bracing portrait of southern masculinity". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  24. ^ Billington, Michael (18 June 2019). "Strange Fruit review – Caryl Phillips' immigrant family feel the heat". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  25. ^ Wong Davies, Ava (17 December 2019). "Review: Three Sisters at National Theatre". Exeunt. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  26. ^ Wiegand, Chris (16 August 2021). "Adrian Dunbar cast alongside Cush Jumbo in Hamlet at Young Vic". The Guardian]. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  27. ^ Ruggiano, Harriet (14 November 2024). "Review: Talking People: Volume 2, Bush Theatre". Everything Theatre. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
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