Toheeb Jimoh

Toheeb Gbolabo O. Jimoh is an English actor.^[1] He earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance as Sam Obisanya in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso (2020–2023). He is also known for his roles in the BBC One biographical film Anthony (2020) and the Amazon Prime series The Power (2023).^[2][3][1]

Toheeb Jimoh
Jimoh in 2023
Born	Brixton, London, England
Alma mater	Guildhall School of Music and Drama (BA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2015–present
Notable work	Ted Lasso The Power

Early life and education

Toheeb Gbolabo O. Jimoh^{[citation needed]} was born in Brixton, London,^[4] South London,^[5] to parents of Nigerian descent.^[6] He moved to Nigeria as a toddler and returned to London when he was seven.^[6]

He attended The Norwood School^[7] before going on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2018.^[8]

Career

Jimoh was a relative newcomer to acting when he was cast to play Anthony Walker, the victim of a 2005 racist attack, in BBC One's Anthony,^[9] which imagines Walker's life if he had not been killed.^[10][11] His portrayal was called "utterly magnetic".^[12] He then portrayed Marcus in the Amazon series The Feed.^[13]

Jimoh was in a stage production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Sheffield Crucible^[12] and in 2020, was one of six performers in the Almeida Theatre's Christmas Play Nine Lessons and Carols, the theatre's first production post London's COVID-19 lockdown.^[14]

When Jimoh auditioned for Ted Lasso, the character of Sam Obisanya was written as Ghanaian, but his background was changed to Nigerian to match Jimoh's own.^[15][16] His performance has received praise, with his character called the "heartbeat" of the show.^[1]

Jimoh portrays another Nigerian character, journalist Tunde, in the Amazon thriller series The Power, based on Naomi Alderman's novel of the same name.^[17] He also has a small part in the Wes Anderson film The French Dispatch.^[11]

Jimoh played Romeo in a summer 2023 production of Romeo and Juliet at the Almeida Theatre in London.^[18]

In 2024, Jimoh played Hal in Player Kings, an adaption of Shakespeare's Henry IV part 1 and 2 by Robert Icke which also co-stars Ian McKellen and Richard Coyle.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2021	The French Dispatch	Cadet 1

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2019	London Kills	Leshae Hobbs	Episode: "The Dark"
	The Feed	Marcus	Recurring role, 7 episodes
2020	Anthony	Anthony Walker	BBC TV movie
2020–2023	Ted Lasso[19]	Sam Obisanya	Recurring (S1 & 2), Main (S3)
2023	The Power	Tunde Ojo	Main role

Theatre

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2023	Romeo and Juliet	Romeo	Almeida Theatre, West End
2024	Player Kings	Hal	Manchester Opera House, Manchester.

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Project	Result	Ref.
2021	Critics' Choice Television Awards	Breakthrough Award	Ted Lasso	Won	[20]
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Nominated	[21]
2022	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series		Nominated	[22]
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Won	[23]
2023	Black Reel Awards	Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series		Nominated	[24]
	Hollywood Music in Media Awards	Song – Onscreen Performance (TV Show/Limited Series)	"So Long, Farewell" (from Ted Lasso)	Nominated	[25]
2024	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series	Ted Lasso	Nominated	[26]