Toheeb Jimoh
{{short description|British actor }}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Toheeb Jimoh
| image = Toheeb Jimoh on March 20, 2023 in the Oval Office of the White House - P20230320AS-2576 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Jimoh in 2023
| image_size =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Brixton, London, England
| alma_mater = Guildhall School of Music and Drama
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 2015–present
| known_for =
| notable_works = Ted Lasso
The Power
| spouse =
}}
Toheeb Gbolabo O. Jimoh is an English actor.{{Cite web|last=Murray|first=Cori|date=8 June 2021|title=Meet Toheeb Jimoh, The Heartbeat of 'Ted Lasso' |url=https://www.essence.com/entertainment/meet-toheeb-jimoh-the-heartbeat-of-ted-lasso/|access-date=9 August 2021|website=Essence|language=en-US}} He earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance as Sam Obisanya in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso (2020–2023). He is also known for his roles in the BBC One biographical film Anthony (2020) and the Amazon Prime series The Power (2023).{{Cite web|last=Lawler|first=Kelly|title=Review: Believe in the power of Jason Sudeikis and 'Ted Lasso' Season 2 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/07/12/ted-lasso-season-2-review-believe-jason-sudeikis-apple/7824913002/|access-date=6 August 2021|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|last=Orr|first=Christopher|date=6 August 2021|title='Ted Lasso' Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: Youth in Revolt|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/06/arts/television/ted-lasso-recap.html|access-date=6 August 2021|issn=0362-4331}}
Early life and education
Toheeb Gbolabo O. Jimoh{{cn|date=May 2025}} was born in Brixton, London,{{Cite journal |url=https://www.port-magazine.com/issue-30/toheeb-jimoh/|title=Toheeb Jimoh|journal=Port Magazine|first=Kemi|last=Alemoru|date=26 April 2022|access-date=18 April 2023}} South London{{citation |title=How Toheeb Jimoh of 'Ted Lasso' found his character's home--and his own |first=Michael |last=Ordona |location=Los Angeles Times |date=3 August 2022 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2022-08-03/how-toheeb-jimoh-of-ted-lasso-found-his-characters-home-and-his-own}} to parents of Nigerian descent.{{Cite magazine|last=Breznican|first=Anthony|date=6 August 2021|title=Ted Lasso: A Willingness to Lose Everything Provides a Needed Win|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/08/ted-lasso-dubai-air-toheeb-jimoh-sam-obisanya|access-date=9 August 2021|magazine=Vanity Fair|language=en-US}} He moved to Nigeria as a toddler and returned to London when he was seven.
He attended The Norwood School{{cite web |url=https://www.thenorwoodschool.org/news/?pid=3&nid=1&storyid=382|title=Starring Toheeb!|publisher=The Norwood School}} before going on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/drama/final_year_actors/graduates_2017_18/toheeb_jimoh/|title=Toheeb Jimoh|publisher=Guildhall School|access-date=10 September 2021|archive-date=19 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319155240/https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/drama/final_year_actors/graduates_2017_18/toheeb_jimoh/|url-status=dead}}
Career
Jimoh was a relative newcomer to acting when he was cast to play Anthony Walker, the victim of a 2005 racist attack, in BBC One's Anthony,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53470369|title=Anthony Walker: How a life lost in racist killing has been imagined for TV|date=23 July 2020|access-date=10 September 2021|first=Ian|last=Youngs|publisher=BBC}} which imagines Walker's life if he had not been killed.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53052678|publisher=BBC|title=Anthony Walker: TV drama imagines future life of victim of racist murder|date=15 June 2020|access-date=10 September 2021}}{{cite web|url=http://thebritishblacklist.co.uk/tbb-talks-to-actor-toheeb-jimoh-about-almeida-theatre-production-nine-lessons-and-carols/|work=The British Black List|title=TBB Talks To ... actor Toheeb Jimoh About Almeida Theatre Production 'Nine Lessons and Carols'|date=9 December 2020|access-date=10 September 2021|first=Hannah|last=Shury-Smith}} His portrayal was called "utterly magnetic". He then portrayed Marcus in the Amazon series The Feed.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/ted-lasso-sam-actor-toheeb-jimoh-tv-shows-movies-roles/|work=Screen Rant|title=Who Plays Sam In Ted Lasso? Where You Know The Actor From|date=28 August 2021|access-date=10 September 2021|first=Rick|last=Stevenson}}
Jimoh was in a stage production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Sheffield Crucible{{cite web|url=https://theface.com/culture/toheeb-jimoh-interview-anthony-walker-bbc-tv-series|work=The Face|title=Toheeb Jimoh: "My job was to give Anthony the best life possible"|first=Tola|last=Onanuga|date=27 July 2020|access-date=10 September 2021}} and in 2020, was one of six performers in the Almeida Theatre's Christmas Play Nine Lessons and Carols, the theatre's first production post London's COVID-19 lockdown.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/dec/07/nine-lessons-and-carols-almeida-theatre-london-christmas-play|work=The Guardian|title='Holding their nerve': Almeida reopens with play devised during lockdown|date=8 December 2020|access-date=10 September 2021|first=Andrew|last=Dickson}}
When Jimoh auditioned for Ted Lasso, the character of Sam Obisanya was written as Ghanaian, but his background was changed to Nigerian to match Jimoh's own.{{cite web|url=https://www.popsugar.com.au/entertainment/toheeb-jimoh-ted-lasso-season-two-interview-48478503|title=Toheeb Jimoh Says Ted Lasso's Most Unexpected Romance Has Been in the Works Since Season 1|date=28 August 2021|access-date=10 September 2021|work=Pop Sugar|first=Karenna|last=Meredith}}{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/06/ted-lasso-casting-international-team-1234644283/|publisher=Indie Wire|title='Ted Lasso' Casting Process Changed the International Team's Composition|first=Carlos|last=Aguilar|date=14 June 2021|access-date=10 September 2021}} His performance has received praise, with his character called the "heartbeat" of the show.
Jimoh portrays another Nigerian character, journalist Tunde, in the Amazon thriller series The Power, based on Naomi Alderman's novel of the same name.{{cite web|url=https://www.spoilertv.com/2020/01/the-power-john-leguizamo-toheeb-jimoh.html|website=spoilertv.com|title=The Power - John Leguizamo, Toheeb Jimoh, Ria Zmitrowicz And 4 Others Join Amazon Thriller|date=14 January 2020|access-date=10 September 2021}} He also has a small part in the Wes Anderson film The French Dispatch.
Jimoh played Romeo in a summer 2023 production of Romeo and Juliet at the Almeida Theatre in London.{{Cite web |last=Bamigboye |first=Baz |date=16 March 2023 |title=Breaking Baz: 'Ted Lasso' Star To Lead Hot London Production Of 'Romeo And Juliet' Alongside 'Red Rose' Actress Isis Hainsworth |url=https://deadline.com/2023/03/ted-lasso-toheeb-jimoh-romeo-and-juliet-isis-hainsworth-london-1235301049/ |access-date=17 May 2023 |website=Deadline}}
In 2024, Jimoh played Hal in Player Kings, an adaption of Shakespeare's Henry IV part 1 and 2 by Robert Icke which also co-stars Ian McKellen and Richard Coyle.
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
| 2021
| Cadet 1 | |
= Television =
= Theatre =
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes | |||
| 2023 | Romeo and Juliet | Romeo | Almeida Theatre, West End |
| 2024 | Player Kings | Hal | Manchester Opera House, Manchester. |
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commonscat|Toheeb Jimoh}}
- {{IMDb name|8504865}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jimoh, Toheeb}}
Category:Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Category:Black British male actors
Category:British male film actors
Category:British male television actors
Category:English people of Nigerian descent
Category:21st-century English male actors
Category:Male actors from London