Kingsley Ben-Adir (born 20 November 1986) is a British actor. He has performed in several plays in London theatres. His television roles include pathologist Marcus Summer in ITV's Vera (2014–2018), private detective Karim Washington on Netflix's The OA (2019),^[2][3] Colonel Ben Younger in the BBC drama Peaky Blinders (2017–2019), and the Skrull Gravik in the Marvel Cinematic Universe miniseries Secret Invasion (2023).

He starred as Malcolm X in the Amazon Studios film One Night in Miami... (2020), for which he won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer as Bob Marley in Bob Marley: One Love (2024).

Ben-Adir was born in Kentish Town, London, England.^[4] His maternal grandparents were from Trinidad and Tobago.^[5] His paternal grandparents were born in England. He attended Rhyl Street Primary School^[6] in Kentish Town, London, NW5.

He attended secondary school at William Ellis School in Gospel Oak, Northwest London.^[7] He graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2011.^[8]

In 2011, Ben-Adir performed in Gillian Slovo's play The riots at the Tricycle Theatre.^[9] In 2012, he played Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.^{[citation needed]} In 2013, he played Borachio in Mark Rylance's production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Old Vic in London and also played in God's Property at the Soho Theatre.^[10][11] In 2014, Ben-Adir performed in the play We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrika, Between the Years 1884–1915 at the Bush Theatre in London.^[12][13][14] The play received positive reviews.^[15] From 2017 to 2019, Ben-Adir appeared in series four and five of the BBC One television series Peaky Blinders, playing Colonel Ben Younger.^[16]

In 2020, Ben-Adir starred as Malcolm X in the Amazon Studios film One Night in Miami... directed by Regina King.^{[citation needed]} In February 2022, Ben-Adir was cast as Bob Marley in the biopic Bob Marley: One Love, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and to be released on 14 February 2024.^[17][18][19] In April 2022, he joined the ensemble cast of Barbie.^[20] In 2023, he appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Secret Invasion as Gravik, a Skrull rebel plotting to conquer Earth.^{[citation needed]}