Biography
Who is Daniel Kaluuya?
Early life and education
Daniel Kaluuya was born on February 24, 1989, in Camden Town, United Kingdom. His mother raised him on a council estate alongside an older sister while his father lived in Malawi. Daniel attended Torriano Primary School and St Aloysius' College in Highgate. He later took A-level History, Drama and Biology at The Camden School for Girls.
Daniel began writing his first play at the age of nine before moving into improvisational theatre. He received early acting training at the Anna Scher Theatre and WAC Arts as a child.
Early television and stage career
Daniel Kaluuya appeared in his first credited television role in the BBC drama Shoot the Messenger in 2006. He then joined the original cast of the teen television series Skins as Posh Kenneth. He also contributed as a writer on the first two seasons of the show and served as head writer for specific episodes.
Following his time on Skins, Daniel appeared as a guest star in multiple television programmes including Silent Witness and Doctor Who. In 2010, he played the lead role in Sucker Punch at the Royal Court Theatre in London. His stage performance earned him both the Evening Standard Award and the Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer. Between 2009 and 2011, he portrayed a character in the dark BBC comedy series Psychoville.
Breakthrough with Get Out and major film roles
In 2011, Daniel Kaluuya appeared in the science fiction anthology series Black Mirror in an episode titled Fifteen Million Merits. This performance attracted the attention of filmmaker Jordan Peele, who subsequently cast him in the lead role of the 2017 horror film Get Out. The film became a major box office and critical success, earning Daniel a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
After his breakthrough, Daniel starred in Ryan Coogler's superhero film Black Panther and Steve McQueen's crime drama Widows in 2018. He also starred in the road trip movie Queen and Slim and Jordan Peele's horror film Nope. In 2021, he portrayed Fred Hampton in the biographical drama Judas and the Black Messiah.
Awards and recent projects
For his performance in Judas and the Black Messiah, Daniel Kaluuya won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, alongside a BAFTA Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He became the only performer that year to win all five major film awards in that category.
In addition to acting, Daniel co-wrote and produced the dystopian drama film The Kitchen, which premiered in 2023. He also voiced Hobart Brown, also known as Spider-Punk, in the animated feature film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. In 2021, Time magazine named him among the 100 most influential people in the world.
Birthday and age
Daniel Kaluuya was born on February 24, 1989, which makes Daniel 37 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Daniel shares the date with 21 other famous people.
Explore more
