Paapa Essiedu

Paapa Essiedu © Dan Wooller

Paapa Essiedu is an acclaimed British actor with a career spanning television, film, and theatre. The London born actor has garnered many award nominations including Emmy and BAFTA TV nominations for his breakout performance in Michaela Coel’s era defining show, I May Destroy You and The Lazarus Project.

Recent projects include the National Theatre production of The Effect, written by Lucy Prebble and directed by Jamie Lloyd, which transferred to The Shed, New York. Paapa also starred in season 6 of the cult anthology series, Black Mirror, Demon 79, Season 1 & 2 of Sky thriller, The Lazarus Project, and Working Title/Universal Christmas movie THE GENIE, directed by Sam Boyd and written by Richard Curtis.

Next up Paapa will star opposite Saoirse Ronan in The Outrun, directed by Nora Fingscheidt and based on Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir. The film has screened at this year’s Sundance and Berlinale and will open the Edinburgh Film Festival.

Paapa is currently filming The Scurry, a comedy horror directed Craig Roberts and written by Tim Telling.

Further screen credits include The Capture (BBC1), Alex Garland’s Men (A24), Gangs Of London (HBO/Sky Atlantic), Anne Boleyn (Channel 5), Unsaid Stories (ITV), Press (Masterpiece/BBC One), Black Earth Rising(BBC Two), Kiri (Channel 4), The Miniaturist (BBC), short film Femme, which was nominated in the Best British Short category in the 2022 BAFTAs and won the BIFA Award for Best Short Film.

Further theatre credits include: A Number (Old Vic Theatre, directed by Lynsey Posner), Simon Godwin’s lauded production Hamlet at the RSC, The Merry Wives Of Windsor (RSC, directed by Philip Breen), King Lear(National Theatre, directed by Sam Mendes), Pass Over (Kiln Theatre, directed by Indhu Rubasingham).