Most of us know the tough handsome W’Kabi in Black Panther who indulged in the huge fight sequence. But just in case, you are yet to see the great work, Daniel Kaluuya played the role. The star who showed his extreme talent in the movie is not just an actor but also a writer. He has stayed loyal to his career just the way he did to the throne in the blockbuster movie Black Panther and has now become an iconic figure in the movie industry. We’ve gathered all the information you need to know about the journey of the great warrior to stardom. Check out below…
Daniel Kaluuya Bio
Daniel Kaluuya was born on 24 February 1989 in London to Ugandan immigrants, Damalie Namusoke and Stephen Kaluuya. As a child, his parents separated for some unknown reason. His mother then inherited the job of nursing him along with an older sister. All three of them lived on a council estate in Kentish Town while his father Stephen Kaluuya lived in Uganda and hardly came to see them in the UK due to visa laws. Growing up, Kaluuya enrolled at St Aloysius College, London.
Career Beginning
In spite of the tough time his family faced, Daniel Kaluuya developed an interest in writing quite early, penning his first play at age nine. He began acting at his local Anna Scher Theatre School and WAC Arts as a young boy. In the 2000s when he was still a teen, the actor made his career debut in improvisational theatre. Among his early movie credit is BBC’s controversial drama Shoot the Messenger playing as Reece.
He then co-wrote some of the episodes of British television series Skins including episodes titled Jal and Thomas. He also featured in the film’s first two seasons as Posh Kenneth. Numerous famous television series such as the Doctor Who Christmas Special, Planet of the Dead and Lewis and Silent Witness also followed. He also played in the sketch show That Mitchell and Webb Look Twice. The handsome actor also voiced a character in the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Sneakiepeeks.
In 2009, he started his project in BBC comedy Psychoville, portraying Michael Fry. As he became more successful, he was selected as the UK Star of Tomorrow by the Screen International Magazine. The same year, he became a regular cast member in the ITV comedy FM. He also played the lead role in Roy Williams’ Sucker Punch at the Royal Court Theatre in London.
For his outstanding performance in the show, the London-born star prevailed in rave reviews. Similarly, he bagged both the Evening Standard Award and Critics Circle Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer.
In 2011, Kaluuya starred in a handful of short movies such as Agent Tucker, Kick-Ass (a superhero film), Reborn (a sequel to the 2003 film Johnny English). He also appeared in BBC3’s supernatural drama series The Fades as Mac Armstrong. He continued in short movies up until 2013 with his most remarkable role being in Daniel Mulloy’s Baby – a movie which got rewards for its excellence winning the Best Short Film Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. It also won the Best Short Film Award at the British Independent Film Awards. The feat strengthened his career potential for success and in 2015, he starred in thriller film Sicario by Denis Villeneuve as an FBI agent.
He was also given a lead role in Fifteen Million Merits, an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror. Fortunately, his role in the film was well commended, with really favorable responses from critics flooding the internet. The episode initially premiered on Channel 4 in 2011, but it didn’t make so many waves until it was released on Netflix in the United States. The same role caused Jordan Peele, (a producer, director, actor, writer, and comedian) to notice the English actor’s outstanding talent. His major breakthrough came when Jordan later cast him in the movie Get Out. After it was released in cinemas in 2017, the movie did not only fascinate many, it also got them expressing admirations for the actor. With that major success, the brilliant British actor had multiple nominations and recognitions including an Academy Award for Best Actor, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, BAFTA Award as well as a Critic Choice Award. Besides being a nominee for several times, he won BAFTA Rising Star Award.
He was again lauded for his performance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther which was released on 16 February 2018, in the United States.
Is He Married? Wife, Girlfriend
Daniel Kaluuya won hearts after his masterpiece role in the movie Get Out but he got mammoth fans crushing on him after his role in Black Panther. Therefore, many are wondering whether or not there is a woman behind his success. Well, if you’re one of those people, Kaluuya is dating someone although we are not sure about the extent of their commitment to each other. Her name is Amandla and they both live in West London. This is the much that is known about his girlfriend. Nobody seems to know when they started whether they’re engaged, or not. But from all indications, they’re not yet married. Kaluuya seems to be a private person as he is yet to speak up about his relationship.
Read Also: 10 Popular Hollywood Actors Who Are Actually Africans
Quick Facts –Â Height, Zodiac Sign
1. Kaluuya is a huge fan of Arsenal FC in the Premier League. His love for the football club has made people call him a die-hard fan.
2. He keeps his private life private and doesn’t share much about stuff that has nothing to do with his career.
3. Daniel Kaluuya does not smoke but it is unknown if he takes alcohol.
4. His birth name was Joseph but after his parents separated, he picked Daniel as his stage name while Joseph became his middle name.
5. His biggest dream was to learn acting, but he couldn’t attend the classes as result of fund problems.
6. His favorite music is 21 Gun Salute, Stormzy feat. Wretch 32 while his favorite brand (of soft drink) is Coca-Cola.
7. His zodiac sign/sun sign is Pisces.
8. Daniel may look relatively short on set, but the star has a reasonable height. The Londoner is 5ft 9in tall (174 cm). His body weight is 75kg or 165 lbs.
