Paapa Essiedu returns to our screens in Gangs of London series 2, but it’s like he’s never been away!
2022 has been THE year for the up-and-coming actor.
Paapa has a bulging CV of credible roles in some of the top dramas of recent years – including I May Destroy You, The Capture, and The Lazarus Project.
Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about the actor and his career.
How to pronounce the name Paapa Essiedu…
Lots of fans have been wondering how to pronounce Paapa Essiedu’s name.
The name has Ghanaian origins.
Paapa is pronounced how it looks – pa pa.
In an interview, Paapa pronounced his last name as “essay-a-do”.
So there’s your guide on how to pronounce the star’s name!
What has Paapa Essiedu been in before?
Paapa Essiedu’s first role was back in 2013 when he starred in the Channel 4 series Utopia.
He played a small character, Roy, in the brilliant British thriller.
Paapa joined The Royal Shakespeare Company in 2012.
He played the role of Hamlet in 2016 to much critical acclaim.
He also played Edmund in King Lear in director Sam Mendes’ production of the show.
In 2017, Paapa had a small part in the Kenneth Branagh film Murder on the Orient Express.
Paapa also played Otto in the mini-series The Miniaturist, and Nate Akindele in the Sarah Lancashire series Kiri.
In 2018, he joined the cast of BBC drama Press as Ed Washburn – one of his most significant roles at the time.
After that, he went from strength to strength, playing Kwama in I May Destroy You.
Unsurprisingly, Paapa was nominated for an Emmy and a BAFTA for his role in the critically acclaimed BBC series.
He also joined the cast of Gangs of London as Alexander Dumani, a member of the Wallace Organisation.
Just this year, he’s played George in the recent Sky sci-fi The Lazarus Project, and MP Isaac Turner in BBC’s The Capture.
He also portrayed James in the horror film Men opposite Rory Kinnear, and Jessie Buckley.
He will soon star alongside Saoirse Ronan in the movie The Outrun, based on the book of the same name.
Paapa is also one of several big names confirmed for the upcoming sixth series of Black Mirror.
How old is Paapa Essiedu and where is he from?
Paapa Essiedu was born on June 11 1990.
He is currently 32 years old.
He was born in Southwark, London, and grew up in the Walthamstow area of the city.
His parentage is from Ghana, and he was raised by his single mother in the UK.
Paapa’s father, Tony, a lawyer, returned to Ghana when he was a baby and died when Paapa was 14.
His mother, Selina, who taught fashion and design at adult education colleges, raised Paapa, who was a single child.
Sadly, she passed away from cancer when he was just 20.
Essiedu won a scholarship to a private school as a child.
Paapa Essiedu later joined the prestigious Guildhall School of Acting at age 18, where he met friend and I May Destroy You co-star Michaela Coel.
The drama school made a formal apology to the actors earlier this year after Paapa Essiedu revealed he was called a racist slur by one of his teachers.
Is Gangs of London star Paapa Essiedu married?
Paapa Essiedu isn’t married, but he is in a long-term relationship with actress Rosa Robson.
She’s probably best known for starring in the Iain Stirling series Buffering.
The pair have been together for six years, and currently live together.
The couple has kept their relationship pretty private, and Paapa hasn’t shared an Instagram photo of them together since 2018.
Paapa said this to GQ about having children in the future: “When I think about having children, there’s a realisation that your kids will have a very, very different life to you.
“But the thing I realised is: the adult I’ve become has only been able to become that adult because of the childhood I had.
“So I have made peace with it, in a way.”
Read more: The Capture on BBC One: Will there be a series 3 of the cyber-crime thriller?
Gangs of London Actor Paapa Essiedu – What height is he?
There’s quite a bit of speculation online about Paapa Essiedu’s height!
The general consensus is that he’s around 5″11.
But we’ll have to wait for Paapa to confirm his height himself.
Gangs of London series two begins on Thursday October 20 2022 at 9pm on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
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