Tosin Cole
Tosin Cole (/ˈtoʊsɪn/;[1] born 23 July 1992) is an American-born British actor. He is known for various roles in British television series and films. He began his on-screen career starring in The Cut and EastEnders: E20, later securing a regular role as Neil Cooper in the soap opera Hollyoaks. After leaving the show Cole appeared in a range of television series and commercial films for guest appearances and participated in many short films. From October 2018 to January 2021, Cole starred as Ryan Sinclair in Doctor Who.
Tosin Cole | |
|---|---|
 Cole at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | 23 July 1992 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Notable work | The Cut EastEnders: E20 Hollyoaks Doctor Who |
Early life
Cole moved from New York to London at age 8, with his father and uncle, following his parents' separation. He attended Abbey Wood Secondary School in Greenwich, London. He left school before his A-levels to pursue a career in acting.[2]
Career
In 2009, Cole was part of a theatre production titled Wasted!, a modern reproduction of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, produced by Intermission Theatre, a company which helps teenagers stay away from crime.[3] In 2010, Cole joined the cast of BBC teen drama The Cut, in which he played the role of Noah Achebe, who was introduced in the third series.[4] In 2011, he filmed parts in two short films titled Me and My Dad and Jasmine.[5]
Cole later secured the role of Sol Levi in EastEnders: E20, a spin-off of the British soap opera EastEnders.[6] The role required Cole to learn to dance and perform his routine in front of professional dance group Flawless in the series finale. He was quoted as saying the experience was "very, very, very stressful."[7] Cole said it was a privilege to work on E20 and said the cast were fantastic.[8] Cole then agreed to reprise the role for the third series.[9] He was then cast as a regular character in soap opera Hollyoaks as Neil Cooper. Neil was one of six new characters the programme introduced,[10] playing the role from 2011 until the character's death in a bus explosion in 2012. He also filmed a television advert as part of the serial's promotional push for the new characters.[11]
The actor went on to star in a 2013 episode of the BBC medical drama Holby City as Keith Potts.[5] He also played his first cinematic film role in Gone Too Far!, portraying Razer.[12] This was followed by another film role in Second Coming.[13] In 2014, came the role of Anthony in the miniseries The Secrets.[5] In 2015, Cole played the characters of Djimon Adomakoh in ITV drama Lewis and Kobina in an episode of historical series Versailles.[5] That year Cole also had a brief appearance in the film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as the X-Wing pilot Lt. Bastian.[14]
On 4 October 2017, Cole starred in the short film Father of Man.[15] He then played Amjad in the film Unlocked.[16] On 22 October 2017, it was announced that Cole had been cast in the eleventh series of Doctor Who, playing Ryan Sinclair, a companion to The Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker, starting in 2018.[17] Cole departed the role in 2021 making his last appearance in the New Year's Day special "Revolution of the Daleks".[18]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Jasmine | Tyler | Short film |
| 2013 | Gone Too Far! | Razer | |
| 2014 | Second Coming | Troy | |
| Honeytrap | Andre | ||
| 2015 | The Enchanted Rose | Jude | Short film |
| Shelter | Ash | Short film | |
| Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Lt. Bastian | ||
| 2016 | Roadkill | Den (Younger) | Short film |
| 2017 | Burning Sands | Frank | |
| Father of Man | Alex Jacobs | Short film | |
| Unlocked | Amjad | ||
| 2019 | The Souvenir | Phil | |
| 2020 | Certified Black Genius | Kaye | Short film |
| 2021 | The Souvenir Part II | Phil | |
| Pirates | Clips | ||
| Ear for Eye | US Young Adult | ||
| 2022 | Homeless Talent | Chris | Short film |
| Till | Medgar Evers | ||
| 2023 | House Party | Damon |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Cut | Noah Achebe | Series regular |
| 2010–2011 | EastEnders: E20 | Sol Levi | Series regular |
| 2011–2012 | Hollyoaks | Neil Cooper | Series regular |
| 2012 | Hollyoaks Later | Series regular | |
| 2013 | Holby City | Keith Potts | Episode: "The Cost of Loving" |
| 2014 | The Secrets | Anthony | Episode: "The Return" |
| 2015 | Lewis | Djimon Adomakoh | 2 episodes |
| Versailles | Kobina | Episode: "Mirror for Princes" | |
| 2018–2021 | Doctor Who | Ryan Sinclair | Main role; 22 episodes (Series 11–12) |
| 2022 | 61st Street | Moses Johnson | Main role; 8 episodes |
| TBA | Supacell | Michael | Series; post-production |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sixteen | Tyrone | The Gate / SPID Theatre |
| Blainabe | Michael | Intermission Youth Theatre | |
| Wasted | Casca | ||
| 2010 | Verona Road | Romeo | |
| 2011 | Pandora's Box | Tope | Oval House Theatre |
| Mad About the Boy | The Boy | West Yorkshire Playhouse | |
| 2013 | HMP Macbeth | Malcolm | Intermission Youth Theatre |
| 2015 | Stop | Kriston | Trafalgar Theatre |
| 2016 | They Drink It in the Congo | William / Samo / Oliver / Kevin | Almeida Theatre |
| 2018 | Ear for Eye | Young Adult | Royal Court Theatre |
References
- "The Cast of 'Doctor Who' Recap the Show in 16 Minutes". Vanity Fair. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- Fishwick, Samuel (23 October 2018). "Tosin Cole on Doctor Who, keeping secrets and the first play he saw". Evening Standard. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
- Fishwick, Samuel (23 October 2018). "Doctor Who's Tosin Cole: 'Seeing people who look like me on stage made me think I could do that'". Evening Standard.
- "The Cut". BBC Online. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- Fullerton, Huw (23 October 2017). "New Doctor Who star Tosin Cole has already appeared in Star Wars". Radio Times. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- Kilkelly, Daniel (29 July 2010). "'EastEnders' announces new 'E20' cast". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- Press Association (9 October 2010). "E20's Tosin 'nervous' about dancing". MSN. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
- Kilkelly, Daniel (29 July 2010). "More on the new 'EastEnders: E20' cast!". Digital Spy. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
- Kilkelly, Daniel (23 June 2011). "'EastEnders: E20': Ricky Norwood introduces the cast". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
- Kilkelly, Daniel (26 August 2011). "'Hollyoaks' new sixth form students – In Pictures". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- Smith, Chris (5 September 2011). "Meet the sexy sixth-form". E4. Channel 4 Television Corporation. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
- Baughan, Nikki (6 October 2014). "Gone Too Far!". The List. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- "Second Coming, Film Review. Picturehouse@F.A.C.T., Liverpool". Liverpool Sound and Vision. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- "New Doctor Who star Tosin Cole has already appeared in Star Wars". Radio Times. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- "Father Of Man [Short Film] Directed by Cornelius Walker & Starring Tosin Cole! – Your Cinema". yourcinemafilms.com. 15 September 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- Halligan, Fionnuala (25 April 2017). "'Unlocked': Review". Screen. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- "Doctor Who: Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill and Sharon D Clarke join Jodie Whittaker as regular cast members". Radio Times. 22 October 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
- ""Revolution of the Daleks" Preview Confirms Major Cast Exits, A Series 11 Character Return & More". Doctor Who TV. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
External links
- Tosin Cole at IMDb