Thomas Antony Olajide

Thomas Antony Olajide
Born
Thomas Antony Olajide

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation(s)Actor, writer
Years active2010s–present

Thomas Antony Olajide, sometimes also credited as Thomas Olajide, is a Canadian actor and writer from Vancouver, British Columbia.[1] He is most noted for his performance in the 2021 film Learn to Swim, for which he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actor at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022,[2] 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 in 2016.[3] Olajide, M'carthy, and Jackman-Torkoff were collectively nominated for Outstanding Ensemble Performance at the Dora Mavor Moore Awards in 2017.[4]

His other stage roles have included productions of William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale for The Dream in High Park;[5] King Lear,[6] A Midsummer Night's Dream[7] and Love's Labour's Lost[8] for the Stratford Festival; Lynn Nottage's Ruined for Canadian Stage;[9] and Michel Nadeau's And Slowly Beauty for the Belfry Theatre and the National Arts Centre.[10]

Olajide has also starred in the short film Mariner and the feature film White Lie.[11][12][13] He had regular roles in the web series Inhuman Condition and Nomades, and received a Prix Gémeaux nomination for Best Actor in a Youth Digital Series in 2020 for the latter.[1][14]

In 2023, he played a regular supporting role in the television series The Spencer Sisters as police officer Zane Graham.[15] That year, he also starred in the Canadian sports film Backspot,[16] which premiered in the Discovery program at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.[17]

He is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, and of the Actors Conservatory at the Canadian Film Centre.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "Thomas Olajide". Northern Stars.
  2. ^ Brent Furdyk, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, ‘Sort Of’ & ‘Scarborough’ Lead The Pack". ET Canada, February 15, 2022.
  3. ^ J. Kelly Nestruck, "Black Boys is a timely mix of monologues, sketches and dance that resists cohesion". The Globe and Mail, December 6, 2016.
  4. ^ "Nomination Announcements: 38th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards". Intermission, May 30, 2017.
  5. ^ Martin Morrow, "The Winter's Tale: A rewarding way to pass a summer's night". The Globe and Mail, July 7, 2011.
  6. ^ "Character is key in stripped-down Lear". Stratford Gazette, May 28, 2014.
  7. ^ Bruce Urquhart, "Dream come true; Midsummer Night imbued with playful irreverence". London Free Press, June 2, 2014.
  8. ^ J. Kelly Nestruck, "Stratford Festival updates Shakespeare classic with modern casting". The Globe and Mail, August 19, 2015.
  9. ^ Ashante Infantry, "Ruined's soundtrack offers gentle respite: Play tells dark tale of ethnic cleansing, rape set in Congo Republic". Toronto Star, February 3, 2011.
  10. ^ Vivian Moreau, "Belfry's Beauty: story somehow lost in translation". Victoria News, October 5, 2011.
  11. ^ Norman Wilner, "TIFF shorts 2016: what to check out at this year’s fest". Now, September 9, 2016.
  12. ^ Stephen Dalton, "‘White Lie’: Film Review | TIFF 2019". The Hollywood Reporter, September 9, 2019.
  13. ^ Norman Wilner, "10 Canadian films we’re excited to see at TIFF 2021". Now, September 3, 2021.
  14. ^ Jordan Pinto, "Shaftesbury/Smokebomb launches Inhuman Condition". Playback, July 6, 2016.
  15. ^ Greg David, "CTV ORIGINAL SERIES THE SPENCER SISTERS PREMIERES FEB. 10 ON CTV". TV, eh?, January 13, 2023.
  16. ^ "Here's Everything We Know About The Queer Cheer Drama Backspot". www.pride.com. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  17. ^ Valerie Complex, "TIFF Unveils Cinematic First Looks With Discovery And Midnight Madness Program; World Premieres Include ‘Hell Of A Summer,’ ‘Gonzo Girl,’ ‘Widow Clicquot,’ And ‘Boy Kills World’". Deadline Hollywood, August 3, 2023.