David Jonsson says he will be a Black man first in every role

David Jonsson, a Bafta-winning actor, talks about starring in the prison drama Wasteman, his East London background and the responsibility he feels as a Black British actor.

David Jonsson is the Bafta-winning actor now fronting the British prison drama Wasteman and speaking about the pressures that come with higher visibility. He grew up in east London, was expelled from school as a youth, and found acting through the National Youth Theatre and drama training. Wasteman is described as a personal role for Jonsson; he prepared by working with reintegration charities and studying footage from inside prisons. He says he approaches every character as a Black man first and reflects on how that shapes both casting and audience expectations. What we know: - Jonsson won a Bafta rising star award and gained wider visibility after appearing in Alien: Romulus, which is noted in the article as having a strong box office performance. - He stars as Taylor in Wasteman, a film that drew festival acclaim and Bifa nominations; Jonsson lost around 1.8 stone to play the role and says it was his first film audition. - His background is working-class east London; his mother worked as a police officer and his upbringing influenced his connection to the material. - He previously left the TV series Industry after two seasons and has played varied roles from a banker to a robot. - Upcoming and recent projects mentioned include The Long Walk, The Chaperones, Colman Domingo’s Scandalous and an as-yet-undetailed film with Frank Ocean. Summary: Jonsson’s growing profile is framed by a mixture of personal history, demanding physical preparation and attention to racial representation on screen. Wasteman opens this month and he is continuing to take a range of film and television roles, with several projects in production or development.