# David Ajala

David Ajala (born 21 May 1986) 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).

## Early life

David Ajala was born in Hackney, London. He is of Nigerian Yoruba origin. 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".

## Career

On stage, Ajala has performed in Nation, A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Hamlet, and as Jim Brown in the European premiere of One Night in Miami by Kemp Powers.
In film, his first part was in Kidulthood, and he also appears in the sequels, Adulthood and Brotherhood; he has also appeared in The Dark Knight and in major roles in Starred Up and the 2016 Seekers. On TV he has appeared in many series including Doctor Who and in major roles in Black Box, Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, Nightflyers, and Falling Water.
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) and Felix in The Price of Oil: Someone's Making A Killing In Nigeria both by Rex Obano.
In 2018 and 2019, Ajala played Manchester Black in seven episodes of the fourth season of Supergirl.
From 2020 to 2024, Ajala played the series regular role of Cleveland "Book" Booker in the third through fifth seasons of Star Trek: Discovery.

## Personal life

Ajala is married to presenter and travel agent Terri Martin. They have two sons.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Kidulthood | Desmond | Uncredited |
| 2008 | Adulthood | Desmond | |
| 2008 | The Dark Knight | Bounty Hunter #2 | |
| 2010 | Winter Sun | Guy | Short film |
| 2010 | Following Footsteps | Christopher Knight | |
| 2011 | One Day | Floor Manager | |
| 2011 | Spirit | Terror | Short film |
| 2012 | Payback Season | Baron | |
| 2012 | Illegal Activity | Edward | Short film |
| 2012 | Offender | Kelvin | |
| 2012 | Sentenced Served | Marvin | Short film |
| 2013 | Fast & Furious 6 | Ivory | |
| 2013 | Starred Up | Tyrone | |
| 2013 | Breakthrough | Henry | Short film |
| 2014 | Queen of Diamonds | Bench Guy | Short film |
| 2014 | Emulsion | Jeff | |
| 2015 | Jupiter Ascending | Ibis | |
| 2015 | He Works the Long Nights | | Short film |
| 2015 | Spirit | Terror | Short film |
| 2016 | Seekers | Amadu | Short film |
| 2016 | Kill Command | Drifter | |
| 2016 | Brotherhood | Detective Desmond 'BUDS' Lynch | |
| 2017 | The Art of Love | Anthony | Short film |
| 2017 | Support | Chris | Short film |
| 2017 | Without Disguise | Leo | Short film |
| 2021 | Italian Studies | Ade | |
| 2023 | Daylight Rules | Frank | Short film |
| TBA | The Woman in Cabin 10 | | Filming |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2007 | Dream Team | Sean Campbell | 18 episodes |
| 2008 | The Revenge Files of Alistair Fury | Steve | Episode: "Technology Bytes" |
| 2008 | The Bill | Lenny Jones | Episode: "Beth Undercover" |
| 2008 | Trexx and Flipside | Flipside | 6 episodes |
| 2009 | Hamlet | Reynaldo / Dumbshow Poisoner | TV film |
| 2010 | Doctor Who | Peter | Episode: "The Beast Below" |
| 2011 | Silent Witness | Mark Blakefield | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Coming Up | Malachi | Episode: "Micah" |
| 2011 | Misfits | Private Investigator | Episode #3.6 |
| 2012 | Monroe | Max Portas | Episode #2.4 |
| 2013 | Death in Paradise | Louis Nelson | Episode: "Murder on the Plantation" |
| 2013 | Black Mirror | Jeff Carter | Episode: "The Waldo Moment" |
| 2013 | Law & Order: UK | Gavin Dale | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Black Box | Will Van Renseller | 13 episodes |
| 2016 | Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands | Rate | 6 episodes |
| 2016 | Hooten & the Lady | Dawit | Episode: "Ethiopia" |
| 2016 | The Break | Xavier | Episode: "System Cycle" |
| 2016–2018 | Falling Water | Burton | 20 episodes |
| 2018 | Nightflyers | Roy Eris | 10 episodes |
| 2018–2019 | Supergirl | Manchester Black | 7 episodes |
| 2019 | Urban Myths | The Burglar | Episode: "Grace Under Pressure" |
| 2020–2024 | Star Trek: Discovery | Cleveland "Book" Booker | 33 episodes |
| 2020–2024 | The Ready Room | Himself | 4 episodes |
| 2024 | The Jetty | Casey | 4 episodes |
| TBA | Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue | Zack | In production |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2017 | Mass Effect: Andromeda | Additional voices |
| 2017 | Need for Speed: Payback | Sean 'Mac' McAlister |

## Theatre credits

| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
| 2006 | You Are Right If You Say So | Lamberto Laudisi | Courtyard Theatre, London |
| 2006 | How to Steal a Diamond | YM | Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh |
| 2007 | The Swing of Things | Claude Kabinda | Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough |
| 2008 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Lysander (Understudy) | Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon |
| 2008 | Love's Labour's Lost | Lord Dumaine (Understudy) | Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon |
| 2009 | Death and the King's Horseman | HRH The Prince | Royal National Theatre, London |
| 2009 | Nation | Milo | Royal National Theatre, London |
| 2010 | Ruined | Fortune | Almeida Theatre, London |
| 2012 | The Witness | Simon | Royal Court Theatre, London |
| 2016 | One Night in Miami | Jim Brown | Donmar Warehouse, London |