Kobna Kuttah Holdbrook-Smith (born 23 August 1977) is a Ghanaian-British actor known for his film, television, theatre and voice work.

Early life

Holdbrook-Smith was born in Accra, Ghana. He grew up in

Frimley Frimley is a town in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England, approximately southwest of central London. The town is of Saxon origin, although it is not listed in Domesday Book of 1086. Train services to Frimley (on the line between ...

, Surrey, England, where he lived with his mother, Tenu; his father, Henry; and his brother, Kofi. He was initially frightened of taking up acting due to his family's disapproval. "I was about 15, I thought, 'I wonder if I could ecome an actor. I hadn't really suggested it to anyone. It just didn't seem allowed. So there was a slow exploration of ctingand by the time I was 18, I was resolute." He attended

Guildford School of Acting Guildford School of Acting (GSA) is a drama school in Guildford, Surrey, England. It is an academic school in the University of Surrey. It is a member of the Federation of Drama Schools The Federation of Drama Schools functions to facilitate ...

to study acting, graduating in 2000.

Career

Holdbrook-Smith began his acting career on television in 2002 when he played Orlando Figes in the ''

Judge John Deed ''Judge John Deed'' is a British legal drama television series produced by the BBC in association with One-Eyed Dog for BBC One. It was created by G.F. Newman and stars Martin Shaw as Mr Justice Deed, a High Court judge who tries to seek real j ...

'' episode "Everyone's Child". Since then, he has had roles in TV series such as '' Little Britain'', ''

Star Stories ''Star Stories'' is a British television comedy programme that took a satirical look at celebrities and their lives. It was first shown on Channel 4 on 15 September 2006. ''Star Stories'' is made by Objective Productions commissioned for Channe ...

'' (from 2006 until 2008), ''

Taking the Flak ''Taking the Flak'' is a comedy drama which aired on BBC Two in summer 2009. It is set in a fictional Central African country that is the middle of a civil war. A team of BBC journalists arrive from London, to the annoyance of the local BBC s ...

'', ''

Sirens Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology Places * Siren (town), Wisconsin * Siren, Wisco ...

'', '' Holby City'', ''

Silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...

'', ''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective who is featured in 53 short stories published between 1910 and 1936 written by English author G. K. Chesterton. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intui ...

'', ''

The Last Panthers ''The Last Panthers'' is a Franco-British crime drama television series created by Jack Thorne and directed by Johan Renck. It is a fictional story inspired by the notorious Balkan jewel thieves the Pink Panthers. The six-part series premiered o ...

'', '' Class'', '' Dark Heart'', '' The Split'' and ''

Red Election ''Red Election'' is an international spy drama television series. The story follows a British intelligence agent ( Lydia Leonard) and a Danish secret service agent (Victoria Carmen Sonne) who team up to stop a Russian terrorist attack in Britain ...

''. His first major theatre lead came in 2005, when he played Ken in Mustapha Matura's ''

Playboy of the West Indies ''Playboy of the West Indies'' (1984) is a play by Trinidadian playwright Mustapha Matura, a Caribbean version of Synge's ''The Playboy of the Western World''. Production history ''Playboy of the West Indies'' opened in 1984 at the Oxford Play ...

'' at the

Tricycle Theatre The Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre) is a theatre located in Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent, England. Since 1980, the theatre has presented a wide range of plays reflecting the cultural diversity of the area, as well as ...

. He later starred in their critically acclaimed African-American Season, performing in the European premieres of ''Walk Hard'' by

Abram Hill Abram Hill, also known as Ab Hill, (January 20, 1910 – October 13, 1986) was an American playwright, author of ''On Strivers Row'', ''Walk Hard, Talk Loud'' and several other plays; and a principal figure in the development of black theatre from ...

, ''

Fabulation In literary criticism, the term fabulation was popularized by Robert Scholes, in his work ''The Fabulators'', to describe the large and growing class of mostly 20th century novels that are in a style similar to magical realism, and do not fit in ...

'' by Lynn Nottage and ''

Gem of the Ocean ''Gem of the Ocean'' (2003) is a play by American playwright August Wilson. Although the ninth play produced, chronologically it is the first installment of his decade-by-decade, ten-play chronicle, ''The Pittsburgh Cycle'', dramatizing the Afri ...

'' by

August Wilson August Wilson ( Frederick August Kittel Jr.; April 27, 1945 – October 2, 2005) was an American playwright. He has been referred to as the "theater's poet of Black America". He is best known for a series of ten plays, collectively called ' (or ...

. In interviews he has cited August Wilson's plays as personal favourites. In 2006 he played Levee In ''

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom ''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' is a 1982 play – one of the ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle by August Wilson, and the only one not set in Pittsburgh – that chronicles the 20th-century African-American experience. The play is set in a recording stu ...

'' by August Wilson at the Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre, then four years later he appeared as Herald Loomis in ''

Joe Turner's Come and Gone ''Joe Turner's Come and Gone'' is a play by American playwright August Wilson. It is the second installment of his decade-by-decade chronicle of the African-American experience, ''The Pittsburgh Cycle''. The play was first staged 1984 at the Eu ...

'' by August Wilson at the Young Vic Theatre. He first appeared at the

Globe A globe is a spherical model of Earth, of some other celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but unlike maps, they do not distort the surface that they portray except to scale it down. A model glo ...

in 2007 in ''

Love's Labours Lost ''Love's Labour's Lost'' is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as ...

,'' which he also performed later the same year at the National Theatre of Korea, in Seoul. Holdbrook-Smith had his debut at the National Theatre in 2009 and has since starred in four productions there (most notably appearing as Mortimer in '' Edward II)''. In 2015 he played

Laertes In Greek mythology, Laertes (; grc, Λαέρτης, Laértēs ; also spelled Laërtes) was the king of the Cephallenians, an ethnic group who lived both on the Ionian islands and on the mainland, which he presumably inherited from his father A ...

alongside

Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. Known for his work on screen and stage, he has received various accolades, including a British Academy Television Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurence Oli ...

in ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' at the

Barbican Theatre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhib ...

. This play was also broadcast live in cinemas worldwide as part of

National Theatre Live National Theatre Live is an initiative operated by the Royal National Theatre in London, which broadcasts live via satellite, performances of their productions (and from other theatres) to cinemas and arts centres around the world. About I grew ...

. In 2016 Holdbrook-Smith performed with Benedict Cumberbatch again, this time in

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics * ...

’s '' Dr Strange''. A year later he played the part of Det. Crispus Allen in

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

'' and also starred as Warden Walker in '' Paddington 2'', and as Father Emery in ''

Ghost Stories A ghost story is any piece of fiction, or drama, that includes a ghost, or simply takes as a premise the possibility of ghosts or characters' belief in them."Ghost Stories" in Margaret Drabble (ed.), ''Oxford Companion to English Literature''. ...

''. In 2018, he played the role of Oliver in '' The Commuter'' and Frye/Weasel in

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

’s ''

Mary Poppins Returns ''Mary Poppins Returns'' is a 2018 American musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall, with a screenplay written by David Magee and a story by Magee, Marshall, and John DeLuca. Loosely based on the book series ''Mary Poppins'' by P. L. Tr ...

''. Holdbrook-Smith has also performed in

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...

dramas, including ''Judas'' and ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service''. He has narrated a number of audiobooks, most notably the ''

Rivers of London Rivers of London may refer to * Blue Ribbon Network, a policy element of the London Plan relating to the navigable waterways of London * ''Rivers of London'' (novel), a 2011 urban fantasy novel by Ben Aaronovitch :* Peter Grant (book series) - t ...

'' series by

Ben Aaronovitch Ben Dylan Aaronovitch (born 22 February 1964) is an English author and screenwriter. He is the author of the ''Rivers of London'' series of novels. He also wrote two ''Doctor Who'' serials in the late 1980s and spin-off novels from ''Doctor Who' ...

. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is currently starring in the musical '' Tina'' as

Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...

at the

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...

. He was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) in the

2020 Birthday Honours The Queen's Birthday Honours for 2020 are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded ...

for services to drama, and was recognised as one of the United Kingdom's most influential people of African or African Caribbean heritage when Holdbrook-Smith was included in the

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

edition of the annual ''

Powerlist The ''Powerlist'' is a list of the 100 most influential people of African or African Caribbean heritage in the United Kingdom. The list is updated annually and has been published in book format by Powerful Media since 2007. The ''Powerlist'' is ...

''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Stage

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Holdbrook-Smith, Kobna Alumni of the Guildford School of Acting English male film actors English male television actors English male voice actors English male stage actors Audiobook narrators Living people 1977 births Members of the Order of the British Empire People from Accra People from Frimley Ghanaian emigrants to England Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom