Sope Dirisu (Yoruba: Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù, Yoruba pronunciation: ; born 9 January 1991) is a British actor. He made his film debut in 2016 with Sand Castle, Criminal, and The Huntsman: Winter's War. Since 2020, he has starred as Elliot Finch in the Sky Atlantic series Gangs of London.
Early life
Dirisu was born in 1991 in Edgware, London, to Nigerian parents. He was educated at Bedford Modern School, where he excelled at drama, and joined the National Youth Theatre in 2006. He later studied Economics at the University of Birmingham. While studying there he played quarterback for the University of Birmingham Lions American Football team.
Career
In 2012, Dirisu successfully auditioned for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Open Stages Programme. His first stage role was as Pericles in Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre. After the Royal Shakespeare Company, Dirisu returned to the National Youth Theatre where he trained in the REP company programme for eight months. He has subsequently acted in a number of television series including The Mill, Utopia, Humans, The Casual Vacancy, Siblings and Undercover.
Dirisu appeared in three 2016 films, Criminal, The...More about Sope Dirisu...