Daniel Ezra

Ezra was born in Birmingham, England.[5][6][7] Both his paternal and maternal grandparents were from Jamaica.[6] Growing up, he was a fan of Harry Potter, Phillip Pullman books, and The Lord of the Rings.[8] He grew up playing basketball, but stopped sports when he began acting.[8]

Ezra wasn't interested in acting until he turned 18. On stage, Ezra appeared as Sebastian in Twelfth Night and was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award.[9][10][11] After making his screen debut in the 2014 television film Murdered by My Boyfriend, Ezra began appearing in BBC dramas, including Undercover and The Missing.[10][7] In 2018, Ezra had a recurring role in the British fantasy drama A Discovery of Witches.[8]

In March 2018, Ezra was cast in a leading role in the American sports drama series All American, which marked his U.S. acting debut and required him to use an American accent.[11][12][13][6] Once he learned that he had received the role, he spent as much time as he could in South Central Los Angeles and carried a football with him everywhere so that he could practice his accent and learn about the local culture.[6][5][14] His favorite rapper, Nipsey Hussle, was from Crenshaw, where the show takes place, so Ezra also studied every song and interview of Nipsey Hussle as a way of practicing his American accent.[5][15] He did not have an accent coach.[15] In addition, Spencer Paysinger, the real-life football player on whom Ezra's character is based, drove Ezra and his costar Taye Diggs around his local neighborhood so that they could understand the neighborhood dynamics.[16] To prepare for the show, Ezra also watched the NFL network constantly to learn about the rules of American football.[14] Ezra first realized the show was successful when he attempted to walk in Times Square and was recognized by many fans.[17][18]

• Daniel Ezra at IMDb
• Daniel Ezra at TV Guide