Thomas Antony Olajide, sometimes also credited as Thomas Olajide, is a Canadian actor from

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

."Thomas Olajide"
''Northern Stars''. He is most noted for his performance in the 2021 film '' Learn to Swim'', for which he received a

Canadian Screen Award The Canadian Screen Awards (french: link=no, Les prix Écrans canadiens) are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series ...

nomination for Best Actor at the

10th Canadian Screen Awards The 10th Canadian Screen Awards were held on April 10, 2022, to honour achievements in Canadian film, television and digital media production in 2021.Etan Vlessing"Maitreyi Ramakrishnan to Receive Canadian Screen Awards Special Honor" ''The Hollyw ...

in 2022, and as co-creator with Tawiah M'carthy and Stephen Jackman-Torkoff of ''Black Boys'', a theatrical show about Black Canadian LGBTQ+ identities which was staged by

Buddies in Bad Times Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is a Canadian professional theatre company. Based in Toronto, Ontario and founded in 1978 by Matt Walsh, Jerry Ciccoritti, and Sky Gilbert, ''Buddies in Bad Times'' is dedicated to "the promotion of queer theatrical e ...

in 2016. Olajide, M'carthy, and Jackman-Torkoff were collectively nominated for Outstanding Ensemble Performance at the

Dora Mavor Moore Awards The Dora Mavor Moore Award (also known as the Dora Award) is an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped es ...

in 2017. His other stage roles have included productions of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some crit ...

'' for The Dream in High Park; ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

'', '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' and '' Love's Labour's Lost'' for the Stratford Festival; Lynn Nottage's ''

Ruined Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

'' for

Canadian Stage Canadian Stage is a non-profit contemporary performance arts company based in Toronto, Ontario, ''Canada''. About Canadian Stage Canadian Stage is one of Canada's largest not-for-profit contemporary theatre companies, based in Toronto, Ontari ...

; and Michel Nadeau's ''And Slowly Beauty'' for the

Belfry Theatre The Belfry Theatre is a theatre and associated theatre company in the Fernwood neighbourhood of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The company produces contemporary theatre, with a focus on Canadian work. The theatre building is a converted ...

and the

National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre (NAC) (french: Centre national des Arts) is a performing arts organisation in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre building. History The NAC was one of a number of ...

. In film he also starred in the short film ''

Mariner A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the ...

'' and the feature film ''

White Lie A lie is an assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving or misleading someone. The practice of communicating lies is called lying. A person who communicates a lie may be termed a liar. Lies can be int ...

''. In television he had regular roles in the web series ''

Inhuman Condition ''Inhuman Condition'' is an EP by the American death metal band Massacre. It was released in 1992 by Earache Records. Track listing # "Inhuman Condition" – 5:41 # "Plains of Insanity" – 4:48 # "Warhead" – 5:16 (Venom cover) # "Provoke ...

'' and ''Nomades'', and received a

Prix Gémeaux The Prix Gémeaux () or Gémeaux Awards honour achievements in Canadian television and digital media that is broadcast in French. It has been sponsored by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television since 1987. Introduced as a French-language equ ...

nomination for Best Actor in a Youth Digital Series in 2020 for ''Nomades''. In 2023, he played a regular supporting role in the television series ''

The Spencer Sisters ''The Spencer Sisters'' is a Canadian drama series that premiered January 29, 2023 on CTV.Matthew Almeida"Solving Cases by the Book. CTV Original Series THE SPENCER SISTERS Premieres Feb. 10 on CTV" ''Bell Media'', January 13, 2023. The series st ...

'' as police officer Zane Graham.Greg David
"CTV ORIGINAL SERIES THE SPENCER SISTERS PREMIERES FEB. 10 ON CTV"
''TV, eh?'', January 13, 2023. He is a graduate of the

National Theatre School of Canada The National Theatre School of Canada (NTS, french: École nationale de théâtre du Canada) is a private institution of professional theatre studies in Montreal, Quebec. Established in 1960, the NTS receives its principal funding from grants ...

, and of the Actors Conservatory at the

Canadian Film Centre The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable organization founded by filmmaker Norman Jewison in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1988. Originally launched as film school, today it provides training, development and advancement opportunities for pr ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Olajide, Thomas 21st-century Canadian male actors 21st-century Canadian dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Canadian male writers Canadian male film actors Canadian male stage actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male Shakespearean actors Canadian male dramatists and playwrights Black Canadian male actors Male actors from Vancouver Canadian Film Centre alumni National Theatre School of Canada alumni LGBT male actors Canadian LGBT actors Canadian LGBT dramatists and playwrights Writers from Vancouver Black Canadian LGBT people Living people Queer actors Queer dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Canadian LGBT people Year of birth missing (living people)