With his recent turn as the baddie Gravik in Marvel’s Secret Invasion, as well as one of the Kens in Barbie, Kingsley Ben-Adir has become an actor to watch. The British actor first got his start performing in critically acclaimed plays across London before he transitioned to booking mostly TV and film roles.
Ben-Adir’s filmography is relatively small, but full of hit shows like Peaky Blinders and High Fidelity. Thankfully, the future looks just as bright for the young actor, who will be starring in an upcoming Bob Marley biopic as the singer himself. To celebrate the finale of Secret Invasion, let’s take a look at Ben-Adir’s best movies and TV shows so far.
10. Secret Invasion (2023)
Secret Invasion follows Nick Fury and Talos as they discover a group of renegade Skrulls have infiltrated Earth with the intention of annihilating the human race and establishing Earth as the new Skrull planet. Ben-Adir plays the main antagonist Gravik, the leader of the conspirators and is able to give his character the right balance of contempt and charisma. It’s hard to lead a cult without that!
While Ben-Adir’s portrayal of the big bad is a delight, the show is going down as one of the MCU’s most disappointing yet after its underwhelming finale. Fans originally raved about Secret Invasion‘s darker tone, but the short final episode (clocking in at 37 minutes) as well as the continued trend of world-ending stakes in nearly all MCU projects, have made it a show most would like to forget. Still, Gravik proved a more effective villain than Kang and it feels wrong to not give the show a spot on this list.
9. Soulmates (2020)
From two writers behind Black Mirror and Ted Lasso, Soulmates is a science fiction anthology series set in a near future where a company called Soul Connex offers a test that can predict a person’s soul mate 100 percent accurately. Each episode follows a different self-contained story around people who have opted to find out who their soulmate is and the various scenarios that come from that concept. Though the show was cancelled after its first season, it’s similar to Black Mirror and a good short watch.
Ben-Adir stars in the first episode opposite Succession‘s Sarah Snook as her character’s husband, Franklin. While finding out who your soulmate is sounds like it would make life easier, the show’s characters discover that’s rarely the case.
8. Noelle (2019)
This Disney Plus Christmas movie is just as cheesy and predictable as you’d expect, but those aren’t necessarily bad things. Noelle follows a family of generational Santa Clauses after the late Santa’s son, Nick Kringle (Bill Hader), has gone missing right before his debut as the new Santa Clause. His enthusiastically holiday-spirited sister Noelle (Anna Kendrick) then sets off on an adventure to find her brother and save Christmas.
She enlists the help of a private investigator named Jake Hapman (Ben-Adir) and the two look for Noelle’s brother. Even though you can probably deduce the plot from that info alone, Noelle is a charming holiday film.
7. High Fidelity (2020)
This 2020 TV gender-swapped remake of the 2000 film of the same name was sadly cancelled after one season, but is definitely worth your attention. High Fidelity follows record store owner Robyn “Rob” Brooks (Zoë Kravitz) as she recalls a string of unsuccessful relationships. The show’s atmosphere is as expertly curated as Rob’s record store — though sometimes this is to its detriment — and Kravitz proves a compelling lead.
Throughout the show, she compiles top five lists to help her get over her most recent ex, including a top five worst heartbreaks list. Mac, played by Ben-Adir, is the ex who got away as well as her most recent addition to the list. It’s a fun romantic comedy with an amazing soundtrack, though it’s let down by only having one season.
6. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword has an atrocious Rotten Tomatoes score (31 percent as of writing) and lost Warner Bros. roughly $150 million, but don’t let the hate get to you; if you enjoy bizarre, over-the-top action films with a wonderful soundtrack, this film is for you.
The film is a retelling of the familiar myth and follows King Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) who returns to claim his birthright from the fiend Vortigern (Jude Law). Ben-Adir has a supporting role as one of Arthur’s childhood friends, Wet Stick.
5. Vera (2011-Present)
Vera is a popular British crime series based on the Vera Stanhope novels by Ann Cleeves. The show has been airing since 2011 and follows the eponymous detective who solves crimes in her straight-forward and brusque way. Despite her occasionally rough personality, Vera is kind-hearted and caring toward her team members.
Ben-Adir played Dr. Marcus Sumner, a recurring character in several seasons of the show. Vera has received praise for its crime plotlines as well as for the main character herself. Vera is an independent protagonist who happily lives alone and dresses comfortably while excelling in her field. Fans of the show find that Vera is extraordinary in her normalcy, and appreciate that she always stands up for what she believes in.
4. Peaky Blinders (2013-2022)
The popular BBC series Peaky Blinders revolves around a British street gang led by ruthless crime boss Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) following the first World War. Netflix acquired the rights and helped the show gain even more popularity by helping a worldwide audience to tune in. The show quickly gained widespread acclaim due to its riveting action sequences and excellent performances from its ensemble cast.
In the show, Ben-Adir plays a small role as colonel Ben Younger and makes his debut in the fifth season. While his time on Peaky Blinders is short as he only appears in five episodes, the actor gave a great performance as one of the many talented actors to star on the show.
3. The OA (2016-2019)
Out of the many popular Netflix shows that were cancelled too soon, The OA is one that particularly riled its fans up; not only was the show cancelled despite rave reviews, season two ended on a cliffhanger and fans were left with no satisfying conclusion. The science fiction mystery with fantasy elements followed Prairie Johnson, a young woman who reappears after going missing for seven years and can suddenly see, despite being blind before her disappearance.
In season two, Ben-Adir plays a private investigator who crosses paths with Prarie and the two assist each other with solving their respective problems. Tragically, the show was cancelled after its second season but fans continue to hope for an eventual third season, no matter how long it takes.
2. Barbie (2023)
In addition to his work in Secret Invasion, Ben-Adir is gaining recognition as one of the best Kens in the new Barbie movie. Alongside Ryan Gosling’s main Ken and Michael Cera’s Allen, Ben-Adir gives one of the most standout performances among the male dolls. The film’s more comedic tone helps demonstrate the actor’s impressive range and personally, I have to admit he was one of my favorite Kens in the film.
Barbie is proving to be a box office smash and isn’t doing too shabby among critics and general audiences alike. The film follows Barbie (Margot Robbie) as she travels from Barbieland to the real world after undergoing a series of unfortunate events.
1. One Night in Miami (2020)
One Night in Miami revolves around a real night in 1964 when Malcolm X, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, and Sam Cooke met to celebrate Ali’s title win over boxer Sonny Lisbon. The four discuss their achievements as well as the Civil Rights Movement and issues they and other Black people were facing in 1960s America. The film is filmmaker Regina King’s debut feature, and earned several Academy Award nominations in addition to widespread acclaim.
In a career-defining role, Ben-Adir plays Malcolm X, an intimidating task given the civil rights leader’s documented charisma. The actor excels in the role, both in his individual storyline and during the discussion with the four others. Without spoiling their discussions, the film is thought-provoking, complex, and bittersweet, and is well worth a watch.