Jamael Westman
Born
Jamael Anwar Hermitt

1991 (age 32–33)
Lambeth, London, England
Alma materRADA (BA)
OccupationActor
Years active2013–present

Jamael Anwar Hermitt-Westman (born December 1991) is a British actor. He is best known for starring as the title role in the West End production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton, which earned him a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.[1][2]

Early life and education

Westman was born in Lambeth, London to football coach Wallace Hermitt and lecturer Susan Westman. He spent the first ten years of his life in Brixton before gentrification pushed his family out to Streatham and later Croydon.[3] His younger brother, Myles, is also an actor. Their parents separated when Westman was a teenager. He is the grandson of football coach Barry Hermitt; Westman's paternal grandparents immigrated to England from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation. His mother, from Gloucestershire, is of Irish descent.[4]

He attended St Joseph's College in Upper Norwood.[5] He later went on to graduate from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2016.[5][6]

Career

Theatre

Westman started out in pantomimes and community theatre projects.[7] Before Hamilton, he had only acted in two professional stage productions, The White Devil at Shakespeare's Globe and Torn at the Royal Court.[5]

In June 2017, it was announced Westman was cast as the lead in the West End production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre, a role he has since played both on the West End and on tour.[5][1] He was due to appear in a new production in Los Angeles of Hamilton from March 12 to November 22, 2020, at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, but the production was suspended on the date of its intended debut in response to the coronavirus pandemic.[8][9][10] The show eventually premiered in Los Angeles on August 17, 2021.[11][12]

Television and film

Westman made his onscreen debut with a guest role in a 2013 episode of Casualty. He appeared in the films Brand New-U (2015) and Animals (2019).[13] He has also been in several short films, such as Kebab (2014), Wilton (2016), A Poem for Every Autumn Day (2020), and Ice Cream & Doughnuts (2021).[14][15]

In 2021, he appeared in the Channel 5 miniseries Anne Boleyn as Jane Seymour's ambitious brother, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset.[16][17][18][19] He was next cast in the role of Dr George Spencer in the six-part drama The Essex Serpent on Apple TV+, starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston.[20]

Activism

Westman has been outspoken about racism. In 2019, he said Britain needed to confront its colonial past, and in 2020 he was one of the big names in theatre to sign a letter to industry leaders calling for “urgent reform” to tackle racism and the lack of diversity in the profession.[21][22]

In light of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Westman was one of over two thousand to sign an Artists for Palestine letter calling for a ceasefire and accusing western governments of "not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them."[23]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Kebab Anthony Short film
2015 Brand New-U Kemal
2016 Wilton Short film
2019 Animals Leo
2021 Ice Cream & Doughnuts Robbie Short film
2023 Good Grief Terrance
TBA Hedda TBA Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Casualty Dex Woods Episode: "Human Resources"
2020 On the Edge Michael Episode: "BBW"
2021 Anne Boleyn Edward Seymour
2022 The Essex Serpent Dr. George Spencer

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2016 Torn Brotha Royal Court Theatre, London
2017 The White Devil Marcello Globe Theatre, London
2017–2022 Hamilton Alexander Hamilton Victoria Palace Theatre, London; Hollywood Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles (Eliza Tour)
2022 Patriots Alexander Litvinenko Almeida Theatre

Awards and nominations

He was nominated for Best Actor at the Laurence Olivier Awards in 2018 for his performance in Hamilton.[24][25][26][27][28][29] That same year he was also nominated for the Emerging Talent Award at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards, the oldest theatrical awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, which he won.[30][5] He was a 2018 Screen International Stars of Tomorrow pick.[31][7]

References

  1. ^ a b Collins-Hughes, Laura (2017-12-13). "He Was a Snob About Musicals. Then He Tried Out to Play Hamilton. (Published 2017)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  2. ^ Gans, Andrew (March 12, 2020). "Jamael Westman, Taylor Iman Jones, Rory O'Malley, More Star in Los Angeles Run of Hamilton Beginning March 12". Playbill.
  3. ^ "In Conversation With: Jamael Westman". The Black Project. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  4. ^ Sawar, Patrick; Mendick, Robert (9 December 2017). "Leading man's proud grandfather hails Hamilton success as another step forward". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 May 2021.(subscription required)
  5. ^ a b c d e Nicol, Patricia (5 December 2018). "Watch this face: how Jamael Westman landed the leading role in Hamilton". Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  6. ^ Fabrique. "Jamael Westman — RADA". www.rada.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  7. ^ a b staff2018-10-04T07:57:00+01:00, Screen. "Stars of Tomorrow 2018: Jamael Westman (actor)". Screen. Retrieved 2021-02-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ "Coronavirus: Pantages Theatre Suspends 'Hamilton' Through End Of March". March 12, 2020.
  9. ^ Gans, Andrew (March 12, 2020). "Jamael Westman, Taylor Iman Jones, Rory O'Malley, More Star in Los Angeles Run of Hamilton Beginning March 12". Playbill.
  10. ^ "London's Jamael Westman to Lead Hamilton in Los Angeles | TheaterMania". www.theatermania.com. 19 February 2020.
  11. ^ Stephan, Katcy (2021-08-18). "'Hamilton' Marks Live Theater's Emotional Return to Los Angeles". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  12. ^ Kaan, Gil. "BWW Interview: HAMILTON's Jamael Westman – Giving His Best Shot On Two Continents". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  13. ^ "Jamael Westman | BFI". www2.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  14. ^ Marshall, Olivia (2020-11-16). "Hamilton actor supports fundraiser for film shot in Worthing". The Argus (Brighton).
  15. ^ "Ice Cream & Doughnuts - IMDb". IMDb.
  16. ^ "Anne Boleyn drama director says Jodie Turner-Smith is 'best person for the role'". Metro. 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  17. ^ "Jodie Turner-Smith's Anne Boleyn: Cast, Release Date & More". Marie Claire. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  18. ^ Ravindran, Manori (2021-02-11). "See First Photo of Jodie Turner-Smith as Anne Boleyn (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  19. ^ Kanter, Jake (2021-02-11). "First Look At Jodie Turner-Smith As Anne Boleyn In Channel 5 Series From Sony-Backed Fable Pics". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  20. ^ Otterson, Joe (2021-04-07). "'Essex Serpent' Series at Apple Adds Four to Star Opposite Claire Danes, Tom Hiddleton". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
  21. ^ Edmonds, Lizzie (2020-07-02). "Theatre stars pen 'urgent' call to industry leaders to tackle racism". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  22. ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (March 24, 2019). "Hamilton's young star says Britain must confront its colonial past". The Guardian.
  23. ^ "Tilda Swinton among 2000+ artists calling for Gaza ceasefire". Artists for Palestine. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  24. ^ Stage, Guardian (2018-03-06). "Olivier awards 2018: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  25. ^ Codrea-Rado, Anna (2018-04-09). "'Hamilton' Wins Big at Olivier Awards, Taking 7 Trophies (Published 2018)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  26. ^ "Olivier Awards 2018 Nominations". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  27. ^ Thompson, Jessie (2018-03-06). "Hamilton makes history with the most Olivier nominations ever". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  28. ^ "Hamilton receives record number of Olivier nominations". BBC News. 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  29. ^ "Hamilton dominates 2019 WhatsOnStage Awards nominations". Official London Theatre. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  30. ^ "Rosalie Craig and Jamael Westman win at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  31. ^ "Screen International Stars of Tomorrow 2018". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-02-20.

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