Hammed Animashaun

Hammed Animashaun
Animashaun at the 2026 BAFTA TV Awards
Born (1991-05-06) 6 May 1991
Whitechapel, London, England
OccupationsActor, writer
Years active2011–present
Known forBlack Ops
The Wheel of Time
SNL UK
Animashaun at The Wheel of Time London Premiere 2021

Hammed Animashaun (born 6 May 1991) is a British actor and writer. He is best known for his roles as Kay in the BBC One comedy Black Ops (2023–present), Loial in Prime Video's fantasy series The Wheel of Time (2021–2025), and as one of the main cast members in the Sky One sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live UK (2026–present). For Black Ops, he won Best Male Comedy Performance at the 2024 Royal Television Society Programme Awards.

Early life

Animashaun was born to Nigerian parents of Yoruba origin in Whitechapel, London. His father was a bus driver and his mother a voluntary worker.[1] Hammed Animashaun is 1m 91 cm (6 ft 3 in). He had a growth spurt in college and one summer grew five inches. His younger brother is 2m 6 cm (6 ft 9 in).[2] He was encouraged by his school drama teacher to join the Half Moon Children's Theatre in London's Limehouse.[3] He studied philosophy with drama at university but dropped out when offered theatre roles.[4]

Career

Stage

He received second prize in the 2021 Ian Charleson Awards which recognise actors under the age of 30 in classical roles, for his role as Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Bridge Theatre.[5] He also won Best Supporting Actor at the WhatsOnStage Awards for the same production.[6][7] Other stage roles have included "Master Harold"...and the Boys, Athol Fugard's drama set in apartheid South Africa, one of the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella at the Lyric Hammersmith, The Producers at the Manchester Royal Exchange, the original production of the Barber Shop Chronicles, Rufus Norris's staging of The Threepenny Opera at the National and Michael Longhurst's revival of Amadeus.[8][9]

During 2024, Animashaun played a Gangster in a revival of Kiss Me, Kate, directed by Bartlett Sher at the Barbican Theatre, performing "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" alongside fellow Gangster Nigel Lindsay. Their performances were hailed as "hilarious Runyonesque theatre-enthusiast gangsters".[10]

Animashaun was nominated for an Olivier Award for his performance in the 2025 revival of Dealer's Choice at the Donmar Warehouse.[11][12]

Television

Animashaun appeared as Loial in the Amazon Prime Video series The Wheel of Time beginning in 2021. He stars in the 2023 BBC One comedy television series Black Ops, alongside Gbemisola Ikumelo and Akemnji Ndifornyen, playing an undercover policeman woefully out of his depth. His character, Kay, has been described as a "glass-half-full, God-fearing gentle giant and the opposite of street-smart." He described the role on the show as a "dream come true" and that he kept expecting to be replaced for a bigger named actor in the role.[13] He has been praised for his chemistry with Ikumelo.[14]

He won Best Male Comedy Performance at the 2024 Royal Television Society Programme Awards.[15][16] In March 2024, Animashaun was nominated in the Male performance in a comedy programme category at the 2024 British Academy Television Awards.[17]

In February 2026, Animashaun was announced as part of the Saturday Night Live UK cast.[18]

Writing

In 2023, he was awarded one of two scripted creators in residence for BBC Studios TalentWorks to work with producers on scripted comedy and drama.[19][20]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Affected Affected Youth 3 Short film
2011 God View Jalal Short film
2011 Drift Short film
2012 Twenty8k Wayne Feature film
2012 Borrowed Time Leon Feature film
2013 The Ellington Kid Beefy Short film
2016 Flowers Ryan 3 episodes
2016 National Theatre Live: The Threepenny Opera Jimmy 'Retail' Filmed stage production
2017 National Theatre Live: Amadeus Venticello Filmed stage production
2017 Comedy Blaps Prince Episode: "Furious Andrew"
2017 Black Mirror Pizza Guy Episode: USS Callister
2018 National Theatre at Home: Barber Shop Chronicles Wallace / Timothy / Mohammed / Tinashe Filmed stage production
2017 The Festival Shane Feature film
2017–2018 Pls Like Johnny Jackson 5 episodes
2019 How to Build a Girl Ed Edwards Feature film
2019 National Theatre Live: A Midsummer Night's Dream Bottom Filmed stage production
2019 National Theatre Live: "Master Harold"...and the Boys Willie Filmed stage production
2019 Cunk & Other Humans on 2019 Chiwetel Bacca 6 episodes
2020 Surge Durab Feature film
2020 Breeders Binman #2 Episode: "No Sleep:
2020 Fireworks B Short film
2021–2025 The Wheel of Time Loial 17 episodes
2022 The Loneliest Boy in the World Elliot Feature film
2023–present Black Ops Kay Lead role
2024 Ludwig Ross Barclay 1 episode
2024 Time Bandits Mansa Musa 3 episodes
2024 Susan Daniel of Mile End Short film
2024 Kiss Me, Kate Gangster Filmed stage production
2024 Celebrity Mastermind Himself–contestant Winner, episode 5
2026 Saturday Night Live UK Various Main cast
2026 Death Valley Warren Medwin Series 2: Episode 1
2026 The Baddies Troll (voice) Upcoming animated short story[21]

Accolades

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2026 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Dealer's Choice Nominated [22]

References

  1. ↑ Dowd, Vincent (11 October 2019). "Hammed Animashaun: 'I was the only clown in the family'". BBC.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Kennedy, Sarah (5 May 2023). "Hammed Animashaun on Black Ops: 'I never thought that being an actor was available to me'". Whynow.co.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  3. ↑ Gilbey, Ryan (1 October 2019). "'I love seeing jaws on the floor': Hammed Animashaun, megastar in training". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  4. ↑ Brooks, Sean. "An interview with Katherine Pearce and Hammed Animashaun". British Youth Music Theatre. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Bosanquet, Theo (29 March 2021). "Winners announced of 30th Ian Charleson awards". Whats On Stage. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Wood, Alex (26 May 2020). "Ian Charleson Awards 2020 nominees announced". Whats On Stage. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  7. ↑ Wood, Alex (20 March 2020). "20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards winners include Andrew Scott, Claire Foy, Come From Away and Six". Whatsondtage. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "Hammed Animashaun". Royal Court Theatre. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "Hammed Animashaun". Broadway World. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  10. ↑ Kiss Me Kate review in the Daily Telegraph, Marianka Swain, 18 July 2024, Accessed 30 July 2024
  11. ↑ "Olivier awards 2026: full list of winners". The Guardian. 12 April 2026. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  12. ↑ Gilbey, Ryan (29 April 2025). "Dealer's Choice review – Hammed Animashaun is the ace in a busted flush". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  13. ↑ Vassell, Nicole (8 May 2023). "Hammed Animashaun on his groundbreaking BBC comedy: 'Black Ops is a huge step forward for every creative of colour in the industry'". The Independent. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "Black Ops". Chortle. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  15. ↑ Szalai, Giorg (26 March 2024). "Hannah Waddingham, 'Happy Valley,' Bella Ramsey Among Winners of Royal Television Society Awards". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "RTS PROGRAMME AWARDS 2024". RTS.org.uk. 7 March 2024.
  17. ↑ Richardson, Hollie (20 March 2024). "Bafta TV awards 2024 nominations: full list". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  18. ↑ Grobar, Matt (4 February 2026). "'Saturday Night Live UK' Sets Inaugural Cast Of 11". Deadline. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  19. ↑ "I TALK TO Hammed Animashaun". I Talk Telly. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  20. ↑ Layton, Mark (27 March 2023). "BBC Studios TalentWorks recruits scripted creators in residence". Tbivision.com. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  21. ↑ "New animation The Baddies, based on the book by Dame Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, coming to the BBC with Rob Brydon, Sheridan Smith and Alison Steadman to star". BBC/mediacentre. 15 June 2026. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  22. ↑ "Olivier awards 2026: full list of winners". The Guardian. 12 April 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
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