Daniel Ezra (born 15 December 1991)[1] is a British actor and director. He is best known for his role as Spencer James on the television series All American (2018–present).[2][3][4]
Daniel Ezra | |
|---|---|
 Ezra in 2018 | |
| Born | 15 December 1991 Birmingham, West Midlands, England |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director |
| Years active | 2014–present |
Early life
editEzra was born in Birmingham, England.[5][6][7] Both his paternal and maternal grandparents were from Jamaica.[6] Growing up, he was a fan of Harry Potter, Philip Pullman books, and The Lord of the Rings.[8] He grew up playing basketball, but stopped sports when he began acting.[8] Ezra attended Great Barr School, now known as Fortis Academy in Great Barr, Birmingham. He went on to train at East 15 Acting School.[9]
Career
editEzra was not interested in acting until he turned 16 when a teacher at school convinced him to take a role in a school production. On stage, Ezra appeared as Sebastian in Twelfth Night and was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award.[10][11][12] After making his screen debut in the 2014 television film Murdered by My Boyfriend, Ezra began appearing in BBC dramas, including Undercover and The Missing.[11][7] In 2018, Ezra had a recurring role in the British fantasy drama A Discovery of Witches.[8]
In March 2018, Ezra was cast in a leading role in the American sports drama series All American, which marked his U.S. acting debut and required him to use an American accent.[12][13][14][6] Once he learned that he had received the role, he spent as much time as he could in South Central Los Angeles and carried a football with him everywhere so that he could practice his accent and learn about the local culture.[6][5][15] His favorite rapper, Nipsey Hussle, was from Crenshaw, where the show takes place, so Ezra also studied every song and interview of Hussle as a way of practicing his American accent.[5][16] He did not have an accent coach.[16] In addition, Spencer Paysinger, the real-life football player on whom Ezra's character is based, drove Ezra and his costar Taye Diggs around his local neighborhood so that they could understand the neighborhood dynamics.[17] To prepare for the show, Ezra also watched the NFL Network constantly to learn about the rules of American football.[15] Ezra first realised the show was successful when he attempted to walk in Times Square and was recognised by fans who approached him.[18][19]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Murdered by My Boyfriend | Joseph | Television film |
| The Village | Ghana Jones | Episode: "2.1" | |
| Precipice Hours | Tim | ||
| Blood Cells | Thom | ||
| 2015 | Vera | Cameron Thorne | Episode: "Shadows in the Sky" |
| No Offence | Ajamu | Episode: "1.6" | |
| 2016 | Prey | Alan Gill | 2 episodes |
| Undercover | Dan Johnson | 6 episodes | |
| The Missing | Daniel Reed | 5 episodes | |
| 2017 | Prime Suspect 1973 | DC Ashton | 6 episodes |
| National Theatre Live: Twelfth Night | Sebastian | ||
| 2018–2022 | A Discovery of Witches | Nathaniel Wilson | 10 episodes |
| 2018–present | All American | Spencer James | Main cast |
| 2022 | All American: Homecoming | Episode: "We Need a Resolution" | |
| The Smeds and the Smoos | Bill | Television film | |
| 2025 | The Running Man | TBA | Filming |
References
edit- ^ "Happy Birthday, Daniel Ezra!". Archived from the original on 26 December 2021.
- ^ "Daniel Ezra on Individualised Lifestyle in Beverly Hills". News 18. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ Stockly, Ed (17 February 2020). "What's on TV Monday, Feb. 17: 'All American' on The CW". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ Roeper, Richard (28 March 2020). "Best sports TV shows". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ a b c Easter, Makeda (10 October 2018). "Ex-NFL player's life gets the Hollywood treatment in CW teen football drama 'All American'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Daniel Ezra Practiced His American Accent On & Off Set". E! News. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ a b "British Actor Daniel Ezra Leads the CW'S New Football Series 'All American'". The British Blacklist. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ a b c Radish, Christina (30 January 2019). "Daniel Ezra on 'All American' Finding Its Voice & His Role in 'A Discovery of Witches'". Collider. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ "2014 graduates of East 15 Acting School | University of Essex". www.east15.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ Hewis, Ben (16 April 2018). "Sope Dirisu and Tamara Lawrance among nominees for Ian Charleson Award". What's On Stage. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ a b Peters, Fletcher (20 March 2020). "'All American' Cast Guide: Who's Who In The Hit Football Drama". Decider. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (21 March 2018). "Daniel Ezra Lands the Lead In Spencer Paysinger CW Pilot From Greg Berlanti". Deadline. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ Miller, Bruce (20 October 2018). "All-Brit Daniel Ezra becomes 'All American' football star". Sioux City Journal.
- ^ Bentley, Rick (30 October 2018). "Small Screen: All American star Daniel Ezra actually British". Times Colonist.
- ^ a b Baumgartner, Scott (10 October 2018). "'All American' Star Daniel Ezra Talks Preparing For the Role and Relating To the Inspiring Story (Exclusive)". Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ a b "'All American' Star Daniel Ezra Addresses the CW Show's Future". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ Gonzalez, Alden (17 October 2018). "An NFL player had an idea. Now it's a TV show with Taye Diggs". ESPN. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ "Taye Diggs & Daniel Ezra Didn't Realize "All American" Is So Popular. It was announced he would leave after All American after season 6". E! News. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- ^ Piester, Lauren (7 October 2019). "How the All American Fandom Has Grown Since Season 1". E! News. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
External links
edit- Daniel Ezra at IMDb
- Daniel Ezra at TV Guide