Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
David Ajala
British actor (born 1986) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
David Ajala (born 21 May 1986[1]) is a British actor. He is known for his roles as Manchester Black in Supergirl (2018–2019), Captain Roy Eris in Nightflyers (2018), and Cleveland "Book" Booker in Star Trek: Discovery (2020–2024).[2] Since November 2025, he has been a regular cast member on Law & Order.[3][4]
Remove ads
Early life
Ajala was born on 21 May 1986 in Hackney, London.[5] He is of Nigerian Yoruba origin.[6] He trained at the Anna Scher Theatre. In an interview for Interview Magazine Ajala said: "When I went to secondary school, my maths teacher said I had way too much energy and was too mischievous. He tried to convince me that if I did acting, I'd be popular with the girls".[5]
Career
Summarize
Perspective
On stage, Ajala has performed in Nation, A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Hamlet,[7] and as Jim Brown in the European premiere of One Night in Miami by Kemp Powers.[8]
In film, his first part was in Kidulthood, and he also appears in the sequels, Adulthood[5] and Brotherhood;[9] he has also appeared in The Dark Knight[7] and in major roles in Starred Up[5] and the 2016 Seekers.[9] On TV he has appeared in many series including Doctor Who[7] and in major roles in Black Box, Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, Nightflyers, and Falling Water.[10]
Sean 'Mac' McAlister, a character from 2017 video game Need for Speed Payback, is voiced by and modeled after him.
Ajala has appeared as Keith in the BBC Radio 4 dramas Burned To Nothing (2011)[11] and Felix in The Price of Oil: Someone's Making A Killing In Nigeria both by Rex Obano.[12]
In 2018 and 2019, Ajala played Manchester Black in seven episodes of the fourth season of Supergirl.[13]
From 2020 to 2024, Ajala played the series regular role of Cleveland "Book" Booker in the third through fifth seasons of Star Trek: Discovery.[14]
On September 24, 2025, it was revealed that Ajala will play a regular NYPD detective character on Law & Order starting partway through the show's 25th season.[15][4] He would debut on Law & Order as Detective Theo Walker on the November 13, 2025 episode "Guardian".[3]
Remove ads
Personal life
Ajala is married to presenter and travel agent Terri Martin. They have two sons.[16]
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
Remove ads
Theatre credits
Remove ads
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads