Paapa Essiedu’s been pretty busy. In the last six months, the London-born actor has starred in The Effect at the National Theatre, made his Black Mirror debut in the latest series and reprised his role for the second season of sci-fi series The Lazarus Project. Before the year is out, Essiedu will also appear in a Richard Curtis-written Christmas film. It’s a body of work as diverse as it is long. Unsurprisingly, Essiedu is pretty happy with it.
“It’s been a good year for me, and a year of growth and progression,” he says over the phone from an unnamed set in South London. “I think sometimes projects just come along at the right time, and that happened with Black Mirror. I’ve always wanted to be in it, but I’ve always wanted to be in it in a significant way. So for that kind of opportunity to come at this point in my career felt like a vindication of many years of work. Also just to be in one of your favourite shows and for it to live up to all your expectations, it feels like taking steps forward.”
Despite the show’s dystopian subject, appearing in Black Mirror more than lived up to expectations for Essiedu, who calls in from Broadwick Soho: a brand new hotel in the capital that is big on detail and haute eccentricity. “It was actually incredibly chill, considering it was an episode that involved a mass murdering young lady and a demon,” he laughs. “It was incredibly relaxed and straightforward, obviously it’s been going on for such a long time so they’ve got a very efficient way of working that is also a really creatively free set to work on. It’s one of my favourite jobs I’ve ever done.”
With these jobs come the events, and with the events come the menswear. And that comes naturally for Essiedu. “I really love clothes. My mum worked in fashion, so I grew up with sewing machines in the kitchen and safety pins everywhere,” he says. “It's all fun. I try not to take it too seriously because it's like playing dressing; it's getting a chance to benefit from somebody else's creativity. For me, it's always something that feels interesting without trying too hard to look cool or whatever it is." Tonight, that translates to the neo-classic cuts of Louis Vuitton.
While Black Mirror is a landmark moment for Essiedu, his other appearances are equally important. Another highlight was working with playwright Lucy Prebble (“she’s top of the game, she’s elite”) on the latest run of The Effect, and there’s Genie, a Richard Curtis American remake of one of his earlier series. “There’s something about the way that Richard writes and creates that has a real warmth to it,” Essiedu says. “I’m really hopeful that we’re able to put a few smiles on people’s faces this Christmas.”
Essiedu’s rise through the acting profession began with a short, but headline-making, understudy appearance in King Lear. It was in 2020, though, that his career took off as he starred alongside his drama school friend Michaela Coel in I May Destroy You. In the dark days of lockdown, the show reached a whole new audience, took on a life of its own and promptly catapulted Coel and Essiedu to new heights.
“It was a big moment for me, obviously,” says Essiedu. “I was able to work with people that I knew and I was able to work on a story that felt close to home. And then it went and did what it did.” While I May Destroy You was a watershed moment for Essiedu, all of his parts – from early appearances as Hamlet to his newer film career – have been important to him. “On every single thing that I’ve done I’ve met people who have creatively inspired me and who have become lifelong friends,” he says. “There’s not a single one that stands out because they all stand out.”
As Essiedu’s “mad” six months comes to an end, he’s taking a moment to think about what he wants to do next. No doubt the offers are flooding in, but he’s keen to stop and reflect. “I’m trying to take my time, and think consciously and intentionally about what the next thing is. I’m not in too much of a hurry, because the last year was mad. I want to sit down and recollect my thoughts.”
Styled by Rose Forde
