Toheeb Jimoh

Toheeb Gbolabo O. Jimoh (born 15 April 1997) is an English actor.[1] He earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance as Sam Obisanya in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso (2020–2023). He is also known for his roles in the BBC One biographical film Anthony (2020) and the Amazon Prime series The Power (2023).[2][3][1]

Toheeb Jimoh
Jimoh in 2023
Born (1997-04-15) 15 April 1997
Brixton, London, England
Alma materGuildhall School of Music and Drama
OccupationActor
Years active2019–present
Notable workTed Lasso
The Power

Early life

Jimoh was born on 15 April 1997[4] in Brixton,[5] South London[6] to parents of Nigerian descent.[7] He moved to Nigeria as a toddler and returned to London when he was seven.[7] He attended The Norwood School[8] before going on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2018.[9]

Career

Jimoh was a relative newcomer to acting when he was cast to play Anthony Walker, the victim of a 2005 racist attack, in BBC One's Anthony,[10] which imagines Walker's life if he had not been killed.[11][12] His portrayal was called "utterly magnetic".[13] He then portrayed Marcus in the Amazon series The Feed.[14]

Jimoh was in a stage production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Sheffield Crucible[13] and in 2020, was one of six performers in the Almeida Theatre's Christmas Play Nine Lessons and Carols, the theatre's first production post London's COVID-19 lockdown.[15]

When Jimoh auditioned for Ted Lasso, the character of Sam Obisanya was written as Ghanaian, but his background was changed to Nigerian to match Jimoh's own.[16][17] His performance has received praise, with his character called the "heartbeat" of the show.[1]

Jimoh portrays another Nigerian character, journalist Tunde, in the upcoming Amazon thriller series The Power, based on Naomi Alderman's novel of the same name.[18] He also has a small part in the Wes Anderson film The French Dispatch.[12]

Jimoh will play Romeo in an upcoming summer 2023 production of Romeo and Juliet at the Almeida Theatre in London.[19]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2021 The French Dispatch Cadet 1

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2019 London Kills Leshae Hobbs Episode: "The Dark"
2019 The Feed Marcus Recurring role, 7 episodes
2020 Anthony Anthony Walker BBC TV movie
2020–2023 Ted Lasso Sam Obisanya Recurring (S1 & 2), Main (S3)
2023 The Power Tunde Ojo Main role

Theatre
Year Title Role Notes
2023Romeo and JulietRomeoAlmeida Theatre, West End

Awards and nominations

Jimoh was nominated for an I Talk Telly Best Breakthrough Award in 2020.[12] He was nominated alongside his Ted Lasso castmates for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast in a Comedy Series at the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards,[20] and for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2022 (alongside castmates Brett Goldstein and Nick Mohammed).

In December 2021, Jimoh received the Breakthrough Award at the Critics Choice Awards Celebration of Black Cinema and Television.[21]

References
  1. Murray, Cori (8 June 2021). "Meet Toheeb Jimoh, The Heartbeat of 'Ted Lasso'". Essence. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  2. Lawler, Kelly. "Review: Believe in the power of Jason Sudeikis and 'Ted Lasso' Season 2". USA TODAY. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  3. Orr, Christopher (6 August 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: Youth in Revolt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. Jimoh, Toheeb [@Toheeb_Jimoh] (15 April 2021). "t.co/W8KLkRtfRC" (Tweet). Retrieved 5 November 2021 – via Twitter.
  5. Alemoru, Kemi (26 April 2022). "Toheeb Jimoh". Port Magazine. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  6. Ordona, Michael (3 August 2022), How Toheeb Jimoh of 'Ted Lasso' found his character's home--and his own, Los Angeles Times{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. Breznican, Anthony (6 August 2021). "Ted Lasso: A Willingness to Lose Everything Provides a Needed Win". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  8. "Starring Toheeb!". The Norwood School.
  9. "Toheeb Jimoh". Guildhall School. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  10. Youngs, Ian (23 July 2020). "Anthony Walker: How a life lost in racist killing has been imagined for TV". BBC. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  11. "Anthony Walker: TV drama imagines future life of victim of racist murder". BBC. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  12. Shury-Smith, Hannah (9 December 2020). "TBB Talks To ... actor Toheeb Jimoh About Almeida Theatre Production 'Nine Lessons and Carols'". The British Black List. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  13. Onanuga, Tola (27 July 2020). "Toheeb Jimoh: "My job was to give Anthony the best life possible"". The Face. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  14. Stevenson, Rick (28 August 2021). "Who Plays Sam In Ted Lasso? Where You Know The Actor From". Screen Rant. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  15. Dickson, Andrew (8 December 2020). "'Holding their nerve': Almeida reopens with play devised during lockdown". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  16. Meredith, Karenna (28 August 2021). "Toheeb Jimoh Says Ted Lasso's Most Unexpected Romance Has Been in the Works Since Season 1". Pop Sugar. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  17. Aguilar, Carlos (14 June 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Casting Process Changed the International Team's Composition". Indie Wire. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  18. "The Power - John Leguizamo, Toheeb Jimoh, Ria Zmitrowicz And 4 Others Join Amazon Thriller". spoilertv.com. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  19. Bamigboye, Baz (16 March 2023). "Breaking Baz: 'Ted Lasso' Star To Lead Hot London Production Of 'Romeo And Juliet' Alongside 'Red Rose' Actress Isis Hainsworth". Deadline. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  20. Lane, Carly (4 April 2021). "2021 SAG Awards Winners: See the Full List". Collider. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  21. "Critics Choice Awards Celebration of Black Cinema & Television to Honor Will Smith, Ruth Negga and More on December 6th | Festivals & Awards | Roger Ebert".
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