Ato Essandoh
{{Short description|American actor (born 1972)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Ato Essandoh
| image = File:Ato Essandoh (40194937141) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Essandoh in February 2018
| birth_name = Ato Essilfi Bracato Essandoh
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|7|29}}
| birth_place = Schenectady, New York, U.S.
| years_active = 2001–present
| occupation = Actor
| education = Cornell University
}}
Ato Essilfi Bracato Essandoh (born July 29, 1972) is an American television and film actor. He has appeared in numerous films and TV series, including a major role in the 2023 Netflix political drama series The Diplomat.
Early life and education
Ato Essilfi Bracato Essandoh was born in Schenectady, New York,{{cite web |title=Biography |url=http://www.atoessandoh.com/#about |publisher=Ato Essandoh |access-date=2018-10-31 |archive-date=2018-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018120714/http://www.atoessandoh.com/#about |url-status=live }} on July 29, 1972,{{Cite web |date=2014-07-29 |title=Happy Birthday To New Rochelle's Ato Essandoh |url=https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/newrochelle/neighbors/happy-birthday-to-new-rochelles-ato-essandoh/485665/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=New Rochelle Daily Voice |language=en}} the eldest child of Ebow and Monica Essandoh, from Ghana.
He graduated from New Rochelle High School in 1990. He received a B.S. in chemical engineering from Cornell University. He first joined theater when he was dared to do so by a girlfriend.{{cite web|url=https://www.cedidollar.com/meet-the-affable-ghanaian-hollywood-star-ato-essandoh/|title=Meet the affable Ghanaian Hollywood star Ato Essandoh|date=June 9, 2020 |access-date=2023-06-13 |archive-date=2023-09-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907172247/https://www.cedidollar.com/meet-the-affable-ghanaian-hollywood-star-ato-essandoh/|url-status=live}}
He studied acting under James Price at The Acting Studio - New York in New York City.{{cite web |title=New York Acting School Alumni, Acting Classes & Courses. |website=The Acting Studio |url=https://www.actingstudio.com/studio-alumni/ |access-date=4 November 2024}}
Career
In 2020 Essandoh launched a podcast, Unrelated, together with childhood friend Chris Cecot, in which they discuss how race and color shaped their experiences growing up.{{Cite web|last=Rubel|first=Abigail|date=2020-09-03|title="Away" actor's complex Schenectady upbringing |url=https://www.timesunion.com/entertainment/article/Away-actor-s-complex-Schenectady-upbringing-15539984.php|access-date=2020-09-22|website=Times Union|language=en-US}} in the same year, he played an African-British-Jewish astronaut in the 2020 Netflix scifi drama series Away.{{Cite web |date=2020-09-10 |title=In Netflix's 'Away,' Ato Essandoh is an African-British-Jewish astronaut. It's not his first Jewish starring role. |url=https://www.jta.org/2020/09/10/culture/in-netflixs-away-ato-essandoh-is-an-african-british-jewish-astronaut-its-not-his-first-jewish-starring-role |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-08-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816122506/https://www.jta.org/2020/09/10/culture/in-netflixs-away-ato-essandoh-is-an-african-british-jewish-astronaut-its-not-his-first-jewish-starring-role |url-status=live }}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |
| rowspan=2|2001
| The Experience Box | Daniel | |
| The Accident
| Cassius | Short |
| 2002
| Bouncer | |
| rowspan=3|2004
| Titembay | |
| Salome
| King Herod | Short |
| Saving Face
| Jay, The Neighbor | |
| rowspan=3|2005
| Hitch | Tanis | |
| Prime
| Damien | |
| Dawn's Early Light
| James | Short |
| rowspan=3|2006
| Jamal | |
| Brother's Shadow
| Soy | |
| Blood Diamond
| Commander 'Rambo' | |
| 2007
| Millennium Crisis | Harkness | |
| rowspan=2|2008
| Baklava (voice) | |
| Nights in Rodanthe
| Jean's Lover | |
| rowspan=2|2010
| Smiling African Drummer | |
| Camp Hell
| Young Priest | |
| rowspan=2|2011
| Tu & Eu | Dr. Champagne | Short |
| Art & Sex
| Daniel | |
| rowspan=2|2012
| Winston | |
| Django Unchained
| D'Artagnan | |
| 2013
| A Life for a Life | Boyle | Short |
| 2014
| Audition Actor #3 | |
| rowspan=2|2016
| Craig Jeffers | |
| The Vampire Leland
| The Monsignor | rowspan=2|Short |
| 2017
| Frank Embree | Charles Embree (voice) |
| 2018
| O.G. | - | |
| 2019
| Jones | |
| 2023
| Reptile |Dan Cleary | |
| 2024
|Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths |Mr. Terrific, Anti-Monitor (voice) |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |
| 2001
| Bike Messenger | Episode: "Duty" |
| rowspan=3|2003
| Extra | Episode: "Mad Real World & Ask A Gay Dude" |
| Law & Order
| Jason Hendri | Episode: "Suicide Box" |
| Line of Fire
| Archibald 'Crazy Jazz' Lincoln | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2005
| Manute Obama | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2006
| Byron 'B-Fly' Williams | Episode: "Indebted" |
| 2007
| Andre Blair | Episode: "Bling" |
| 2009
| Antoine | Episode: "If I Were a Sick Man" |
| 2010
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Hassan | Episode: "Loyalty: Part 1 & 2" |
| rowspan=2|2011
| Frederik Bilal | Episode: "Burke's Seven" |
| Damages
| Bomb Tech | Recurring role (season 4) |
| 2011–2012
| Treme | - | 2 episodes |
| 2011–2016
| Recurring role (seasons 2–7) |
| 2012–2013
| Copper | Matthew Freeman | Main role |
| 2012–2018
| Alfredo Llamosa | Recurring role (seasons 1, 3); Guest role (seasons 2, 4, 6) |
| rowspan=2|2014
| Believe | FBI Agent Gardner | Recurring role |
| Madam Secretary
| King Nungunde | Episode: "Pilot" |
| rowspan=2|2015
| Girls | D. August | Recurring role (season 4) |
| Person of Interest
| Ray Pratt | Episode: "Skip" |
| 2016
| Vinyl | Lester Grimes | Main role |
| 2016–2021
| Dr. Isidore Latham | Recurring role (seasons 2–5); Guest role (season 6) |
| 2018
| Agent Tad Marshall | Main role (Podcast series; season 1) |
| 2018–2020
| Vernon Elliot | Main role (season 1); Guest role (season 2) |
| 2019
| The Code | Major Trey Ferry | Main role |
| rowspan=2|2020
| Gaddis | Recurring role |
| Away
| Kwesi Weisberg Annan | Main role |
| 2021
| Evil | Nathan Katsaris | Episode: "D Is for Doll" |
| 2021–2024
| Agent Stoker | EnGAGE | Recurring role (Podcast series) |
| 2022
| Frank | 3 episodes |
| 2023
| Marco | Episode: "2046: Whale Fall" |
| 2023–present
| Stuart Heyford | Main role |
=Video games=
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |
| 2011
| Radio Voices (voice) | |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=1017951|name=Ato Essandoh}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130915035031/http://moniqueblog.net/2013/07/moniqueblog-interviews-ato-essandoh-essandohs-views-on-the-zimmerman-verdict/ Interview with Ato Essandoh] at Moniqueblog.net
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Essandoh, Ato}}
Category:American people of Ghanaian descent
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:Cornell University College of Engineering alumni
Category:20th-century African-American male actors
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:New Rochelle High School alumni
Category:Male actors from New Rochelle, New York
Category:Actors from Schenectady, New York