Archie Madekwe

Archie Madekwe was born in South London in 1995. His path into the professional scene did not follow the usual script for graduates of British drama schools. He left the prestigious LAMDA early to take the stage in the West End alongside Damian Lewis in the play The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?.

The bet paid off.

In 2014 he had already popped up in the series Casualty, but his role in Legacy in 2015 is what started to put his name on the radar of London casting offices. His height of nearly two meters and deep voice gave him a presence that cinematographers appreciated. On screen, Madekwe fills a space that other actors of his generation struggle to fill.

His Move to the US Market

In 2019, he took part in Midsommar. Ari Aster's film served as a global showcase (even though his character meets a violent end in the story). That same year he signed on for Apple TV+'s series See, where he played Kofun over three grueling seasons of filming. Working with Jason Momoa required him to train intensely in the natural landscapes of Canada.

But the actor was looking for projects that demanded a different kind of physical effort.

In 2023, he starred in Gran Turismo directed by Neill Blomkamp. For this shoot, he spent weeks inside real race car cockpits, enduring G-forces and extreme heat on the circuits. The crew used special cameras mounted on drones to capture his face under intense pressure. The film's production cost 60 million dollars and earned more than double that at international box offices.

The Look of Emerald Fennell

That same 2023, he joined the cast of Saltburn. In Emerald Fennell, he played Farleigh Start, a character full of venom that allowed him to step away from pure action. Critics praised his ability to hold his own against Barry Keoghan in the family dinner scenes.

And the industry took notice.

In 2024, he worked on the production of Jackpot!, sharing the bill with Awkwafina and John Cena. He also voiced a character in the animated series Invincible across several episodes aired between 2023 and 2024. His contract for this project included strict confidentiality clauses covering the development of the storyline.

For the shoot of his action sequences in 2023, the production hired stunt performers who choreographed close-quarters fights with 35mm anamorphic lenses.