Thomas Antony Olajide

Last updated
Thomas Antony Olajide
Born
Thomas Antony Olajide

Occupation(s)Actor, writer
Years active2010s–present

Thomas Antony Olajide, sometimes also credited as Thomas Olajide, is a Canadian actor and writer from Vancouver, British Columbia. [1] He is most noted for his performance in the 2021 film Learn to Swim , for which he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actor at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022, [2] and as co-creator with Tawiah M'carthy and Stephen Jackman-Torkoff of Black Boys, a theatrical show about Black Canadian LGBTQ+ identities which was staged by Buddies in Bad Times in 2016. [3] Olajide, M'carthy, and Jackman-Torkoff were collectively nominated for Outstanding Ensemble Performance at the Dora Mavor Moore Awards in 2017. [4]

His other stage roles have included productions of William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale for The Dream in High Park; [5] King Lear , [6] A Midsummer Night's Dream [7] and Love's Labour's Lost [8] for the Stratford Festival; Lynn Nottage's Ruined for Canadian Stage; [9] and Michel Nadeau's And Slowly Beauty for the Belfry Theatre and the National Arts Centre. [10]

Olajide has also starred in the short film Mariner and the feature film White Lie . [11] [12] [13] He had regular roles in the web series Inhuman Condition and Nomades, and received a Prix Gémeaux nomination for Best Actor in a Youth Digital Series in 2020 for the latter. [1] [14]

In 2023, he played a regular supporting role in the television series The Spencer Sisters as police officer Zane Graham. [15] That year, he also starred in the Canadian sports film Backspot , [16] which premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. [17]

He is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, and of the Actors Conservatory at the Canadian Film Centre. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Thomas Olajide". Northern Stars.
  2. Brent Furdyk, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, ‘Sort Of’ & ‘Scarborough’ Lead The Pack". ET Canada , February 15, 2022.
  3. J. Kelly Nestruck, "Black Boys is a timely mix of monologues, sketches and dance that resists cohesion". The Globe and Mail , December 6, 2016.
  4. "Nomination Announcements: 38th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards". Intermission, May 30, 2017.
  5. Martin Morrow, "The Winter's Tale: A rewarding way to pass a summer's night". The Globe and Mail , July 7, 2011.
  6. "Character is key in stripped-down Lear". Stratford Gazette, May 28, 2014.
  7. Bruce Urquhart, "Dream come true; Midsummer Night imbued with playful irreverence". London Free Press , June 2, 2014.
  8. J. Kelly Nestruck, "Stratford Festival updates Shakespeare classic with modern casting". The Globe and Mail , August 19, 2015.
  9. Ashante Infantry, "Ruined's soundtrack offers gentle respite: Play tells dark tale of ethnic cleansing, rape set in Congo Republic". Toronto Star , February 3, 2011.
  10. Vivian Moreau, "Belfry's Beauty: story somehow lost in translation". Victoria News , October 5, 2011.
  11. Norman Wilner, "TIFF shorts 2016: what to check out at this year’s fest". Now , September 9, 2016.
  12. Stephen Dalton, "‘White Lie’: Film Review | TIFF 2019". The Hollywood Reporter , September 9, 2019.
  13. Norman Wilner, "10 Canadian films we’re excited to see at TIFF 2021". Now , September 3, 2021.
  14. Jordan Pinto, "Shaftesbury/Smokebomb launches Inhuman Condition". Playback , July 6, 2016.
  15. Greg David, "CTV ORIGINAL SERIES THE SPENCER SISTERS PREMIERES FEB. 10 ON CTV". TV, eh?, January 13, 2023.
  16. "Here's Everything We Know About The Queer Cheer Drama Backspot". www.pride.com. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  17. Valerie Complex, "TIFF Unveils Cinematic First Looks With Discovery And Midnight Madness Program; World Premieres Include ‘Hell Of A Summer,’ ‘Gonzo Girl,’ ‘Widow Clicquot,’ And ‘Boy Kills World’". Deadline Hollywood , August 3, 2023.