Daniel Ezra

Daniel Ezra (born 15 December 1991)[1] is a British actor best known for his role as Spencer James on All American.[2][3][4]

Daniel Ezra
Daniel Ezra
Born (1991-12-15) 15 December 1991
Birmingham, West Midlands, England
OccupationActor
Years active2014-present

Early life

Ezra 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.

Career

Ezra wasn't 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.[9][10][11] 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.[10][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.[11][12][13][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][14] His favorite rapper, Nipsey Hussle, was from Crenshaw, where the show takes place, so Ezra also studied every song and interview of Nipsey Hussle as a way of practicing his American accent.[5][15] He did not have an accent coach.[15] 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.[16] To prepare for the show, Ezra also watched the NFL Network constantly to learn about the rules of American football.[14] Ezra first realized the show was successful when he attempted to walk in Times Square and was recognized by many fans running up to his chest.[17][18]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2014 Murdered by My Boyfriend Joseph Television film
2014 The Village Ghana Jones Episode: "2.1"
2014 Precipice Hours Tim
2014 Blood Cells Thom
2015 Vera Cameron Thorne Episode: "Shadows in the Sky"
2015 No Offence Ajamu Episode: "1.6"
2016 Prey Alan Gill 2 episodes
2016 Undercover Dan Johnson 6 episodes
2016 The Missing Daniel Reed 5 episodes
2017 Prime Suspect 1973 DC Ashton 6 episodes
2017 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 Spencer James Episode: "We Need a Resolution"
2022 The Smeds and the Smoos Bill Television film

References
  1. "Happy Birthday, Daniel Ezra!". Archived from the original on 26 December 2021.
  2. "Daniel Ezra on Individualised Lifestyle in Beverly Hills". News 18. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  3. Stockly, Ed (17 February 2020). "What's on TV Monday, Feb. 17: 'All American' on The CW". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  4. Roeper, Richard (28 March 2020). "Best sports TV shows". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  5. 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.
  6. "Daniel Ezra Practiced His American Accent On & Off Set". E! News. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  7. "BRITISH ACTOR DANIEL EZRA LEADS THE CW'S NEW FOOTBALL SERIES 'ALL AMERICAN'". The British Blacklist. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  8. 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.
  9. Hewis, Ben (16 April 2018). "Sope Dirisu and Tamara Lawrance among nominees for Ian Charleson Award". What's On Stage. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  10. Peters, Fletcher (20 March 2020). "'All American' Cast Guide: Who's Who In The Hit Football Drama". Decider. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  11. 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.
  12. Miller, Bruce (20 October 2018). "All-Brit Daniel Ezra becomes 'All American' football star". Sioux City Journal.
  13. Bentley, Rick (30 October 2018). "Small Screen: All American star Daniel Ezra actually British". Times Colonist.
  14. 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.
  15. "'All American' Star Daniel Ezra Addresses the CW Show's Future". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  16. 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.
  17. "Taye Diggs & Daniel Ezra Didn't Realize "All American" Is So Popular". E! News. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  18. Piester, Lauren (7 October 2019). "How the All American Fandom Has Grown Since Season 1". E! News. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
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