From Malcolm X to Bob Marley, Ben-Adir’s career has been a whirlwind of portraying iconic men
When Kingsley Ben-Adir signed on to play Bob Marley in the biopic One Love, he quickly discovered how much he had yet to learn about the legendary musician. “I grew up with Bob. I thought I knew Bob,” he says. “But understanding the genius of him was completely new for me.” Nevertheless, he was up for the challenge. At 38, the British actor, who currently stars opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones in the London production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, has moved seamlessly from the stage to prestige television with roles on Peaky Blinders and The OA, on which he played detective Karim Washington in season 2. In 2020, Regina King tapped him to play Malcolm X in her directorial debut, One Night in Miami… And last year, he stood out among a sea of Kens in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Here, the multifaceted star discusses embodying some of the world’s most famous men….