The actor on his challenging new West End role, sweating profusely on stage, and why he almost became a doctor
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Paapa Essiedu is a 34-year-old British-Ghanaian actor who has made a name for himself in stage, TV, and film. Born in Walthamstow, north-east London, he trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before joining the RSC. At 25, he became the first black actor to play Hamlet for the company. Essiedu has also had notable roles in TV shows such as the 2020 BBC comedy drama I May Destroy You, created by his Guildhall classmate Michaela Coel. His latest project is Death of England: Delroy, a state-of-the-nation trilogy of plays, which premiered at the National Theatre and is now being performed in the West End. Essiedu lives in London with his wife, the actor and comedian Rosa Robson.
Delroy is a seriously demanding role in Death of England: Delroy. You’re the only character on stage, and it’s a 100-minute monologue that tracks the ups and downs of your life. Are you ready for it?
“It’s a different beast,” Essiedu says. “When you’re doing plays, there’s usually a moment where you’re feeling nervous or your concentration wavers… With this, you can have those moments before the play starts and then after the play finishes. I haven’t found a thing in my life where I’ve had to have that level of concentration for that period of time.”
In our conversation, Essiedu revealed some of his pre-show rituals, including putting on his character’s costume a minute before going on stage to “save its impact” and removing it immediately after the performance to prevent sweating. He also shared his co-starring experience in the upcoming film The Outrun opposite Saoirse Ronan, saying she’s “one of those actors where… I remember performing opposite her and being so enchanted by whatever this innate quality that she has.”
Essiedu also met Michaela Coel just before starting at Guildhall and notes that they were not standout stars in their class. “I was rubbish at drama school,” he admits. “I came to it late; I didn’t do any acting, really, until I was 17 or 18. So I knew nothing… I thought acting was essentially just shouting and pointing.”
When asked about any parallels between acting and being a doctor, Essiedu notes that both professions require an understanding of human emotion. “Actors need to understand the nuances of human emotion: what makes people laugh, what makes people cry, what provokes people… So in that way, it’s operating in a similar sphere, just maybe with fewer scalpels.”
Despite moving easily between theatre and screen, Essiedu says he never planned to have a career in acting. “Every time I get any job, I go: ‘Jesus, what? Really? Me?'” He expresses gratitude for the opportunities to work in both mediums, saying, “I didn’t grow up going to the theatre… Television and film have the capacity to reach… I went on holiday to Brazil, to this tiny island, and we had to get this little dinghy boat from the mainland. And someone was talking to me in Portuguese about having watched this series I did called Press, which was about eight years ago and no one watched it. But they were raving about it and I was like: ‘What the fuck!'”
Conclusion:
Paapa Essiedu is a talented and versatile actor who has made a name for himself in stage, TV, and film. His latest project, Death of England: Delroy, is a serious and demanding role that requires intense focus and concentration. Despite his success, Essiedu remains humble and grateful for the opportunities he’s had, and we’re excited to see what he does next.
FAQs:
* What is Death of England: Delroy about?
Death of England: Delroy is a state-of-the-nation trilogy of plays that premiered at the National Theatre and is now being performed in the West End. The play is a serious and demanding role that requires intense focus and concentration.
* What is Paapa Essiedu’s background?
Paapa Essiedu is a 34-year-old British-Ghanaian actor who was born in Walthamstow, north-east London. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before joining the RSC.
* Has Paapa Essiedu always wanted to be an actor?
No, Essiedu didn’t plan to have a career in acting. He admits that he was “rubbish at drama school” and that he didn’t do any acting, really, until he was 17 or 18.
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