Nonso Anozie (; born 17 November 1978) is an English actor. On television, he is known for his roles as Xaro Xhoan Daxos in the HBO series Game of Thrones (2012), R.M. Renfield on the Sky series Dracula (2013), Abraham Kenyatta on the CBS series Zoo (2015–2017), and Tommy Jepperd on the Netflix series Sweet Tooth (2021–2024). For the latter, he won a Children's and Family Emmy Award and was nominated for a BAFTA award.
He led the film Cass (2008). His films since include RocknRolla (2008), The Grey (2011), Ender's Game (2013), Cinderella (2015), and Guava Island (2019).
Early life and education Anozie was born on 17 November 1978 in north London to Nigerian Igbo parents. Anozie attended St Aloysius College, Highgate. He graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama in 2002, and in the summer of the same year he played the title role in William Shakespeare's King Lear, and won the Ian Charleson Award in 2004 for his performance in Othello.
Career Anozie was hired in 2006 to provide the voice for the armoured bear Iorek Byrnison in the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's Northern Lights. Anozie was replaced by Ian McKellen two months before the film was set to be released. The film's director, Chris Weitz, told Empire: "It was a studio decision ... You can understand why you would cast Ian McKellen for anything. But letting go of Nonso was one of the most painful experiences on this movie for me. I need to say about Nonso that he is one of the most promising and soulful young actors I have encountered in England and I've worked here for quite a bit now and he's actually in the next Mike Leigh [film] ... But it was, uh, that was kind of a dark day for me. I kinda wanna go out of my way to point out how much I love Nonso's work. And that's that."
Anozie played small roles as Think Tank in Guy Ritchie's film RocknRolla and Frank Mace in Joe Wright's Atonement. He played the lead in Cass, a 2008 British crime drama film recreating the life of Cass Pennant. In 2009, he appeared in the supporting cast of the BBC TV three-part 2003 Iraq War drama, Occupation, where he played a US Marine turned private military contractor. In 2011, he played Artus, a Zamoran pirate and close friend of Conan, in Conan the Barbarian. That year, he was also cast to play the role of Xaro Xhoan Daxos in the HBO series Game of Thrones and was cast as Jackson Burke in The Grey. He also plays the role of Samson in the History Channel's television miniseries The Bible. In 2013, Anozie appeared in the film Ender's Game as Sergeant Dap, and from 2013 to 2014 he played the role of Renfield on the NBC series Dracula.
In November 2014, Anozie was cast in the CBS summer drama Zoo, based on the novel by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. Zoo premiered on 30 June 2015.
Anozie's radio work includes the role of Joe in the 2011 BBC Radio 4 Classic Serial production of Edna Ferber's Show Boat.
In 2019, Anozie portrayed the antagonist, Red, in the Amazon Prime Video film Guava Island, starring Donald Glover and Rihanna.
Personal life Anozie has a son with a former partner. He is a practising Christian.
Filmography Films Year Title Role Notes2007 The Last Legion Batiatus Atonement Frank Mace2008 Happy-Go-Lucky Ezra Cass Cass Pennant RocknRolla Tank2010 Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang Sergeant Jeffreys Brighton Rock Dallow I Am Slave2011 Conan the Barbarian Artus The Grey Jackson Burke 2013 Ender's Game Sergeant Dap2014 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Embee Deng Get Santa Knuckles2015 Cinderella Captain of the Guards Pan Bishop2018 7 Days in Entebbe Idi Amin All Is True Actor Playing Aaron2019Guava Island Red The Laundromat Charles2020 Artemis Fowl Domovoi Butler Dragon Rider Mighty Djinn (voice) 2026 The Magic Faraway Tree Moonface TBA Filming
Television Year Title Role Notes 2007Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act Robert Episode: Part 1 2009 Occupation Erik Lester 3 episodes2011 Outcasts Elijah 1 episode Stolen Thomas Ekoku TV movie 2012 Game of Thrones Xaro Xhoan Daxos 5 episodes2013 The Bible Samson Episode: "Homeland" Playhouse Presents Chris Episode: "The Pavement Psychologist" 2013–2014 Dracula R.M. Renfield Main cast; 10 episodes2015 Tut General Horemheb Miniseries; 3 episodes Doctor Who Hydroflax (voice) Episode: "The Husbands of River Song" 2015–2017 Zoo Abraham Kenyatta Main cast 2016 A Midsummer Night's Dream Oberon TV film 2021–2024 Sweet Tooth Tommy Jepperd Main role 2021–2023 Ted Lasso Ola Obisanya 3 episodes 2022 The Sandman Wyvern (voice) Episode: "Dream of a Thousand Cats" Hey Duggee Animal Narrator (voice) Episode: "The Mountain Badge" 2023 The Mandalorian Gorian Shard (voice) 2 episodes
Video games Year Title Role 2007 The Golden Compass Iorek 2011 Brink Captain Clinton Mokoena 2013Remember Me 2015 Dirty Bomb Rhino, Sawbonez
Awards Award Year Category Nominated work Result Ian Charleson Awards 2004 Best classical stage performances in Britain by actors under age 30 Othello, Cheek by Jowl Children's and Family Emmy Awards 2022 Outstanding Supporting Performance Sweet Tooth 2022 British Academy Television Awards 2022 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor Children's and Family Emmy Awards 2023 Outstanding Supporting Performance 2025
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