The star of Get Out grew up on a council estate.
Now his intense portrayal of the black activist Fred Hampton is up for an OscarDaniel Kaluuya was just nine years old when he wrote a play put on by Hampstead Theatre.
It was the story of two guys working in McDonald’s, based on the goofy Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel.
He wrote it in response to a teacher who told him he needed an outlet for his energy because his brain was “too busy”.Kaluuya was never sure if it was a compliment or a complaint, but that busy brain paid off: at 32, he has won best supporting actor at the Baftas, Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice awards for his portrayal of Chairman Fred Hampton, the leader of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther party, who was assassinated in 1969.
Next week, Kaluuya is up for the Oscar.
Read full article