Daniel Kaluuya: A journey shaped by inspiration and overcoming industry bias

Reflecting on the early days

Daniel Kaluuya opened up about his early career during a conversation with his close friend and fellow actor, Ashley Walters. This discussion took place on the opening day of the BFI London Film Festival, offering an intimate look into the actor’s inspiring journey.

A pivotal moment at the supermarket

Kaluuya recounted how, during the mid-2000s, he found profound inspiration in an unexpected place: a supermarket. He vividly described the moment he saw Walters’ face on a magazine cover. “That was the moment I believed it could happen,” Kaluuya said. “I was like, ‘Oh, he looks like me.’” This revelation instilled in him a belief that a career as an actor was truly possible.

Celebrating Walters’ influence

Kaluuya, now one of the most recognized British actors, recently honored with a statue in central London, reflected on Walters’ considerable impact on his career. “It was Walters’ work that really gave me the belief that I could pursue acting,” he acknowledged. Despite Walters’ run-ins with the law between 2013 and 2016, Kaluuya stressed that his friend had been unfairly sidelined by the industry.

The challenge of being defined by mistakes

“Society has not really appreciated your craft and the immense effort required,” Kaluuya commented, addressing Walters directly. He emphasized the harsh reality that, particularly for Black actors, mistakes often define them more than their achievements. “You never get defined by your work if you’ve made a mistake,” Kaluuya noted, shedding light on the broader issue of systemic biases within the entertainment industry.

Learning from the greats

A lesson from Benicio Del Toro

Years later, another pivotal figure influenced Kaluuya’s approach to acting: Benicio Del Toro. On the set of Sicario, Del Toro’s technique of cutting lines to favor physical expression left a significant impression on Kaluuya. “He was just cutting, cutting, cutting, and was like, ‘I can show you,’” Kaluuya recalled. He applied this approach himself, earning enthusiastic approval from director Denis Villeneuve. “Seeing it back on screen, I was really in awe of what Del Toro did,” Kaluuya said, highlighting the profound impact of this experience on his acting style.

Guidance from Chadwick Boseman

Another mentor in Kaluuya’s life was the late Chadwick Boseman. During the filming of Black Panther, Boseman took Kaluuya aside as he was on the brink of major stardom with Get Out. Recognizing Kaluuya’s imminent rise, Boseman offered invaluable advice on navigating the public eye. “He guided me on what to say, what not to say, and really helped me out,” Kaluuya shared, acknowledging the crucial role Boseman played during a transformative period in his life.

Exploring new horizons

Directorial debut with The Kitchen

Kaluuya explored a new dimension of his creativity with his directorial debut, The Kitchen. Premiered as the closing night gala of the London Film Festival, the sci-fi drama, co-directed with Kibwe Tavares and co-written with Joe Murtagh, received generally positive reviews and was subsequently released on Netflix.

Continued success in various roles

Following his breakthrough in Jordan Peele’s Get Out in 2017, Kaluuya’s career soared. His roles in Black Panther, Judas and the Black Messiah (earning him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor), and Peele’s recent film Nope cemented his status in the industry. More recently, he voiced Spider-Punk in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and is set to reprise the role in the forthcoming Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Producing Barney & Friends

Since 2019, Kaluuya has also been attached to produce a feature film based on the children’s show Barney & Friends. The film is still in development, with plans to lean into the millennial angst of the property. Described as similar to an A24 movie with a surrealistic twist, the project is set to focus on the trials and tribulations of adulthood for those who grew up with Barney.

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Daniel Kaluuya’s journey from discovering inspiration in everyday moments to overcoming industry biases and achieving stellar success highlights a remarkable career.

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