Fisayo Akinade
Fisayo Akinade | |
|---|---|
| Born | 28 December 1987 Liverpool, England |
| Education | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2011–present |
Fisayo Akinade (/fɪˈsaɪoʊ ˌækiˈædeɪ/)[1] is an English actor, best known for his roles as Dean Monroe in Cucumber and Banana on Channel 4 and Mr. Ajayi in the Netflix series Heartstopper. Akinade has also done work in theatre, notably portraying Reverend Hale in The Crucible at the National Theatre and Gielgud Theatre in London[2][3].
Early life and education
Akinade was born in Liverpool. He spent four years of his childhood in Nigeria before returning to the UK where he grew up in the Fallowfield and Moss Side areas of Manchester.[4][5]
He wanted to be a gymnast growing up. However, after suffering injury, and the closure of the place where he practiced, Akinade began attending drop-in drama classes at the Contact Theatre, later joining the Contact Young Actors Company, and workshops at the Royal Exchange Theatre.[6][7] He went on to train at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.[8][9]
Career
Akinade has performed in a number of productions on both stage and screen. On stage, he played Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Eros in Antony and Cleopatra.[10] and several National Theatre productions.[11]
His television breakthrough came in 2015, when he starred as Dean Monroe in Russell T Davies' drama Cucumber and its offshoots Banana and Tofu.[12] In 2016, Akinade starred alongside Glenn Close, Gemma Arterton, and Paddy Considine in The Girl with All the Gifts.[13]
He appeared in the 2019 feature film The Personal History of David Copperfield.[11]
In 2020 he appeared in the National Theatre musical production, Barber Shop Chronicles,[10] written by Inua Ellams. The show was presented live on stage and streamed on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.[14]
In 2021 he played Mercutio in the National Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet, made for television. It premiered on 4 April 2021 on Sky Arts in the UK.[10]
In February 2022, Akinade starred in Alistair McDowall's play The Glow.[15] The play was performed at Royal Court Theatre Downstairs.[16][17] Akinade featured in the Netflix series Heartstopper, which was released in April 2022. In the series, he plays Nathan Ajayi.[18] In November 2022, Akinade starred as Chevalier de Saint-Jacques in Starz drama Dangerous Liaisons, alongside Alice Englert, Nicholas Denton and Lesley Manville. Dangerous Liaisons was picked up for a second series.[19]
In December 2025, Akinade appeared as Nurse Angel in Kate Winslet's directorial-debut film Goodbye June; the film aired on Netflix.[20]
Akinade was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award for young British actors in 2014 for his role as Silvius and William in the UK tour production of As You Like It [21]. He went on to win third prize of the same award in 2016 for his role as The Dauphin in the Donmar Warehouse production of Saint Joan, losing out to Paapa Essiedu and Jessica Brown Findlay for the first and second prizes, respectively [22]. In 2025, Akinade became one of the judges of the Ian Charleson Award [23].
Personal life
Akinade is openly gay. He cites Heartstopper as the kind of programme which would have helped him to come out of the closet much sooner. He also said the show has helped him become more joyful, bold, and brave about his own queerness.[24]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Lifesaver | Ben | Short film |
| 2016 | The Works | Iago | Short film |
| The Girl with All the Gifts | Private Kieran Gallagher | ||
| 2018 | The Isle | Cailean Ferris | |
| 2019 | The Personal History of David Copperfield | Markham | |
| 2025 | Goodbye June | Nurse Angel |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Fresh Meat | Vlad Supporter 1 | Series 3 Episode 8 |
| 2015 | Cucumber | Dean Monroe | 7 episodes |
| Banana | Dean Monroe | 6 episodes | |
| Ordinary Lies | Ziggy | 5 episodes | |
| The Vote | Jonathan Clarke | Television film | |
| 2016 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Flute | Television film |
| 2017 | In the Dark | Theo | Miniseries |
| 2018 | A Very English Scandal | Clive Otunde | Series 1 Episode 3 |
| 2019 | Silent Witness | Andrew Dewey | Episodes: "To Brighton, To Brighton" (Parts 1&2) |
| Martin's Close | William | Television film | |
| 2021 | Romeo & Juliet | Mercutio | Television film produced by National Theatre at Home |
| The Complaints Department | Narrator | 2 episodes | |
| 2022 | Atlanta | Khalil | Episode: White Fashion |
| 2022–present | Heartstopper | Nathan Ajayi | 10 episodes |
| 2022 | Dangerous Liaisons | Chevalier de Saint-Jacques | 8 episodes |
| 2025 | Foundation | Eely Karvis | 3 episodes |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes and references |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | As You Like It | Adam/Silvius/William | Multiple venues on UK tour [25] | Nominated for an Ian Charleson Award [21] |
| 2015 | The Vote | Jonathan Clarke | Donmar Warehouse | [26] |
| 2015 | Barbarians | Company | Young Vic | UK revival of the trilogy of plays originally written by Barrie Keeffe in 1977 [27] |
| 2016 | The Tempest | Caliban | Sam Wanamaker Playhouse | [28] |
| 2016 | Three Migrants | John | Royal Court Theatre, London | Written by Fausto Paravidino [29] |
| 2016 | Pigs and Dogs | Company | Royal Court Theatre, London | Written by Caryl Churchill [30] |
| 2016 | Saint Joan | The Dauphin | Donmar Warehouse [31] | Third Prize in the Ian Charleson Award [22] |
| 2019 | The Antipodes | Adam | Dorfman Theatre | [32] |
| 2022 | The Crucible | Reverend Hale | Olivier Theatre | [2] |
| 2023 | Gielgud Theatre | West End transfer of the National Theatre production. [3] | ||
| 2024 | Slave Play | Gary | Noël Coward Theatre | Written by Jeremy O. Harris |
Web
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Tofu | Self | Web series; 5 episodes |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Blood & Truth |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Ian Charleson Awards | As You Like It | Nominated | [21] | |
| 2016 | Saint Joan | Third Prize | [22] | ||
References
- ^ "Banana | Episode 1: Fisayo Akinade". OUTtv. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ^ a b "The Crucible (2022)". www.nationaltheatre.org.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ a b "The Crucible at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End". www.gielgudtheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ Robert Gershinson (27 February 2019). "23: Fisayo Akinade". Shoot First Talk Later (Podcast). Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ "11 questions with the cast of Barbarians – Fisayo Akinade". Young Vic. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ Bowie-Sell, Daisy (26 December 2016). "Fisayo Akinade: 'Judi Dench made me feel her palms'". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ "Q&A with Fisayo Akinade". Black History Month Magazine 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ "Fisayo Akinade". National Theatre. November 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ "Fisayo Akinade". Orange Tree Theatre. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Shury-Smith, Hannah (21 April 2021). "TBB talks to … Fisayo Akinade star of the National Theatre's 'Romeo and Juliet'". The British Blacklist. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Fisayo Akinade". National Theatre. April 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "Interview with Cucumber and Banana's Freddie Fox and Fisayo Akinade". Channel 4. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ "FAULT meets rising star Fisayo Akinade". Fault. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ Akbar, Arifa (13 May 2020). "Inua Ellams: 'Barber shops are a safe, sacred place for British black men'". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ Hemming, Sarah (3 February 2022). "Caryl Churchill's A Number returns to the London stage, asking huge questions". Financial Times. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Marlowe, Sam (28 January 2022). "The Glow, Royal Court Theatre Downstairs, review: Ria Zmitrowicz dazzles in a stunning time-travelling tale". iNews. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Clapp, Susannah (6 February 2022). "The week in theatre: A Number; The Glow – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Fisayo Akinade". IMDb. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (1 November 2022). "'Dangerous Liaisons' Renewed For Second Season Ahead Of November Premiere on Starz". Deadline. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
- ^ Bamigboye, Baz (24 December 2025). "Breaking Baz: Why Kate Winslet Decided Fisayo Akinade Needed A Bigger Role In 'Goodbye June'". Deadline. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ a b c "Jessie Buckley, Jack Lowden and Olivia Vinall among Ian Charleson shortlist". 24 March 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ a b c WestEndTheatre. "Ian Charleson Awards 2016 | West End Theatre". www.westendtheatre.com. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "2025 Ian Charleson Award winners revealed". 1 June 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ James, Alastair (6 September 2023). "Heartstopper's Nima Taleghani and Fisayo Akinade say the show 'helps people connect'". Attitude. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ Web, UK Theatre. "Tour archive for As You Like It (Play). 9th October 2013-22nd November 2013 [PLAY]". UK Theatre Web. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "THE VOTE — A REAL-TIME PLAY FOR THEATRE AND TELEVISION BY JAMES GRAHAM". www.donmarwarehouse.com. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "Barbarians". Young Vic website. 27 November 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "The Tempest (2016): Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse | BBA Shakespeare". bbashakespeare.warwick.ac.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "Three Migrants". Royal Court - Living Archive. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "Pigs and Dogs". Royal Court - Living Archive. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "SAINT JOAN — BY GEORGE BERNARD SHAW". www.donmarwarehouse.com. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "The Antipodes (2019)". catalogue.nationaltheatre.org.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2026.