Emmanuel Imani’s Background
- Name: Emmanuel Imani
- Born: Camberwell, South London, England, United Kingdom
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Gender: Male
- Birthday: 1992 (32 years as of 2024)
- Education: The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts
- Known For: Acting
- Movies: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014), Beautiful Relics (2014), Invisible Men (2015), Criminal (2016), Black Earth Rising (2018), Hold the Dark (2018), Cobra (2020), One Shot (2021), Danny Boy (2021), The Wheel Of Time (2021-2023) Riches (2022), Geek Girl (2024), and many others.
Emmanuel Imani’s Social Media
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- X (Twitter): NA
- Instagram: NA
- YouTube: NA
Emmanuel Imani is a Nigerian-British actor of Nigerian descent with specialisation in stage, film and television. He was born in Camberwell, South London, England, United Kingdom to Nigerian parents.
His nationality is Nigeria, and the actor chose his parent country over his country of birth, England.
Emmanuel Imani studied acting at The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts.
The actor, writer and producer is popularly known for his movie role as Ihvon in the TV Series The Wheel Of Time.
Imani has appeared in other movies including Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014, as
Omar (uncredited)), Beautiful Relics (2014, as Clive), Invisible Men (2015, as Abbey), Criminal (2016, as CIA Agent #2), Black Earth Rising (2018, as Florence Karamera), Hold the Dark (2018, as Medic), Cobra (2020, as James Odubajo), One Shot (2021, as Brandon Whitaker), Danny Boy (2021, as Spud Tatawaqa), Riches (2022, as Simon Richards), Geek Girl (2024, as Wilbur Evans), and many others.
Who Is Emmanuel Imani
I’m a 31-year-old (11 Feb 2023 – 3 Oct 2023) actor and writer born and raised in South London. I have Nigerian heritage and I was raised (still being raised) by a single mother. I had a very happy childhood because my mother shielded me from a lot of the truth of ‘life’. Things weren’t easy for my mother, she left everything she knew and moved to a country, which didn’t care to know her. She worked in a fast food restaurant as well as working two cleaning jobs – whilst raising a baby all on her own. She did an incredible job of hiding just how tough things were for her. She paid for me to attend Saturday schooling and a few drama workshops – which seems to have paid off, as I now get to do fun and weird things, such as fire arrows at evil scary men in fantasy Amazon shows. Thanks, Mum. Once my mother graduated from university and got her degree, things changed. Around the same time, I got my first agent – a commercial agent. I began starring in commercials for DFS and Dr Pepper. I also began visiting the motherland that is Nigeria. It’s always been important for my mother that she and I stay connected to where we came from.
Going to Nigeria I was able to notice a few things. Firstly, they all have this luscious glowy skin that I envied. Secondly, there is a lot of wealth in places, poverty in other places and finally that there also seem to be a different set of rules in Nigeria. A major rule being that living as a gay man is illegal. You do not have the right to love whomever you want. When I first started to visit, I hadn’t yet begun to fully explore my queerness, but I was somewhat aware that I was different. Upon gaining a scholarship to attend drama school, I met a bunch of queer people and a few not-so-queer people, one of which is still one of my best friends to date and a fellow African man – Byron McNally (cough cough – my amazing producer). Despite the similarities with the drama school queers and the McNallys, they still seemed so different to me. So I began to make yearly trips to Nigeria and found some wonderful queer and non-queer friends out there. Whilst I was there I became informed about just how different life was for them, and I felt my own privilege at being able to be a queer, black man living in London, in comparison to some of my friends in Nigeria.
I was recently sent an article detailing the experiences of some young men in Lagos, who had fallen victim to Grindr attacks. As recently as two weeks ago, a young man told me of a homophobic attack via Grindr. This film then is not just topical but necessary. I have a privilege and a responsibility as a British-born Nigerian queer man to try to shed light on how the LBGTQIA + community are treated in my motherland. I have access and I have a duty to ensure other men and women like me, who look no different to me, can safely explore their sexuality, in the same way that I did.
I’m partnering up with Happiest Ones Initiative, a Non-Governmental psychosocial affirmative Organization founded in 2020 aimed at addressing the ongoing psychological and social needs of sexual minorities. With their help, I want to raise both awareness and funds for their causes because I am dedicated to empowering sexual minorities through social and psychological change.
My aim isn’t to speak for anyone, I just want to bring attention to the quiet or unheard voices and hand over the mic whenever those voices feel safe and ready for a bigger platform. Sometimes it’s hard to have to always be brave but I just want other queer people to love and be loved – safely.
In an interview with Amy Bell of Revamp Magazine in 2023, Emmanuel Imani said he was working on his next movie, RICHES, co-produced by ITV/Amazon. Written and created by Abby Ajayi (How To Get Away With Murder, Four Weddings And A Funeral, Inventing Anna), the story focuses upon the exploits of the brash super-successful and wealthy Richards family; Imani will play Simon second born child, first son of Stephen Richards. Abby Ajayi describes the series as a love letter to Black London celebrating the opulence, ambition and immigrant grit of the Black diaspora. It stars Deborah Ayorinde, Hugh Quarshie, Sarah Niles, Brendan Coyle, and Hermione Norris.
Read the full interview below:
Hi Emmanuel. How did you get into the acting world, and who inspired you to want to become an actor?
Hey! Thanks for having me! I’ve been doing plays at school since I was 7/8, thanks to my primary school teacher Miss Cassidy. I didn’t take acting seriously until I was 17 though, drama classes were the only thing that I 100% found joy in – shout out to Miss Haylock! I would wake up smiling when I knew I had her drama class that day. Who or what inspired me? Easy! I was inspired by the best in the game – by the true giants of the industry – The Nollywood alum baby. HA! Honestly, I used to watch Nollywood movies with my mum and I loved seeing Ramsey Nouah, Stella Damasus, Jide Kosoko, Patience Ozokwo, Funke Akindele etc. I felt their hearts on screen and I wanted to do that “thing” they did. Make people feel.
Which of your past acting experiences, would you say was the toughest one, and that really tested your abilities?
Simon aside – Florence Karamera!!! Hugo Blick’s Black Earth Rising! Ohhh Chile! Portraying an ex-child soldier – that level of baggage, it was tough but I’m so proud of my performance and that of my co-stars. It was a difficult but important story, a real labour of love. I’m truly grateful to Hugo for giving me a chance to bring Florence to life and to tell a story that is often overlooked.
You are playing the role of Simon in the ITV/Amazon drama, what attracted you to this role and can you tell us a bit about Simon?
Wasn’t just the role I was attracted to but the world of the show. Yes, it’s aspirational but it’s also reality. There are rich Asians, rich Africans, rich Brazilians and so on, but Western media brainwashed me into thinking people who look like me, don’t have wealth or power. That simply isn’t true. No race is monolithic. Black people are everything and more. That’s why I loved Simon when I first read about him. He’s got his own successful business, thriving relationship, fashion oozing from his pores, an unbreakable bond with his family etc. He’s the gay Neo! He’s The One – Matrix! Simon has been through therapy and worked through his daddy issues, which makes him a man to look up to. He is both strong and vulnerable. A pleasure to depict.
You are working alongside Deborah Ayorinde, how has this been for you?
Debs! She’s beautiful inside and out. She constantly championed me and led that set like a true leading lady! I am so grateful to Abby Ajayi for bringing the Emmy-nominated Sarah Niles, Adeyinka Akinrinade and Nneka Okoye into my life. These are my new sisters and just like family – they cannot get rid of me! We’re bonded for life baby! HA!
How is this different from any of the roles that you have recently acted in?
This is the first gay character I’ve ever portrayed. As a queer man, I felt seen and empowered when I was given the chance to not only breathe my essence into Simon Richards but I was constantly consulted on his portrayal. Truth was of the utmost importance to our producers. Hollywood doesn’t always want queer people involved in queer conversations, so I’m grateful to Riches for placing truth above all else.
Any funny stories from the set, and what a day on set looks like for you?
Funny stories? Far too many to recount! OH! My favourite day was a day we had all the family on set. CJ brought his mega speakers and began to play bashment music. Now listen – I grew up on bashment, so my waist automatically began to gyrate. But here comes Emmy-nominated Sarah Niles with a quick two-step! And right behind her? Deborah, Nneka, Adeyinka, Ola and CJ with a meannnnnn shuffle. It was glorious! I’ve never laughed so hard on a set before. Pure joy! Every day on set working with these people as well as Brendan Coyle, Hermione Norris and Jourdan Dunn was the epitome of professionalism, but the Riches set also always had a sprinkling of laughter.
How will you be gearing up for the release of ‘Riches’?
Riches is out in the world and doing its thing. The one thing that’s truly made me smile has been how people have received Simon and the rest of the show. I have to admit I wasn’t sure if my people were ready to see an openly gay black character with all the cultural elements on display, but I’m proud to say my people are loving him and the show. People are literally hounding Amazon Prime for a second season! Take the hint Amazon, this is the representation we’ve all been yearning for! In the words of Britney – Gimme gimmie more!
Are you working on any projects for 2023?
Of course! I have 2 projects I’m penning currently, but firstly: Demons! My Afro-Queer subversive revenge thriller! I directed, produced, wrote and starred in a short film about homophobic attacks in Nigeria. I’m tired of people not letting love be and I’m afraid for my loved ones in Nigeria and other parts of the world where people won’t give them peace, simply because they were born loving differently. I created this film as a piece of disruptive art and activism. Praying to God it sparks some important conversation and ends some atrocious acts. Still editing the film, but I’ve finally finished the website and I’m especially proud of the trailer, hoping it resonates with the world and we hear the true message encapsulated in this film: Let love be.
This is all we know of Emmanuel Imani.
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