Small Axe star Malachi Kirby has revealed, following his TV BAFTA win at the weekend, that he had "no idea" of what a strong impact the anthology series would have on audiences.
Kirby picked up the BAFTA award for Supporting Actor for his role as Darcus Howe in Small Axe film Mangrove, which focused on the police targeting of London restaurant The Mangrove and the trial of the Mangrove Nine, a group of Black activists who were tried for inciting a riot at a protest against The Mangrove's treatment.
Speaking to Digital Spy and other press at the TV BAFTAs on Sunday (June 6), the actor said that he was aware that he was taking part in something special when he joined Steve McQueen's project.
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"Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, as soon as I read the script I knew it was something special and something I wanted to be a part of," he recalled.
"I had no idea the effect it would have on the audience and this was before 2020 and everything that happened. But I knew this was an important project for sure."
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Kirby added that working with acclaimed director Steve McQueen, who is behind movies such as 12 Years a Slave and Shame, was an "incredible" experience.
"I probably should have thanked him properly in the speech because I wouldn't have had the performance that I did without him," he said. "What he brought out of all of us was just incredible. He's a beautiful person to work with, so yeah, it was amazing."
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The actor, who has also appeared in Black Mirror and Roots, added that he is keen for more people to seek out Small Axe and watch it, saying that he feels the stories the series tells are "really important".
"It's not every project I do that I shout about and say 'everyone watch it', but this one was one of those projects," he said. "Not for my sake, but it's definitely something that I'm proud to be a part of and I think everyone should see. I think these stories being told is really important."
The anthology series, consisting of five episodes, also starred Black Panther's Letitia Wright, Star Wars actor John Boyega and It's a Sin star Steve Toussaint.
Small Axe is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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Reporter & Sub-Editor, Digital Spy Susannah is a freelance writer and sub-editor, specialising in the entertainment industry. She graduated in 2014, with a BA in English and American Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Producing. She’s been writing for Digital Spy ever since, after first getting involved through work experience, and has written hundreds of stories for the site on a range of topics, from The Sims to Doctor Who. Susannah has also written for Reveal Magazine. Her special interests are soaps (her Mastermind subject would be 2000s Coronation Street), Marvel and Star Wars. She can also quote far too many lines from Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Freelance film & TV writer, Digital Spy
Critic and writer Jo Berry has been writing about TV and movies since she began her career at Time Out aged 18. A regular on BBC Radio, Jo has written for titles including Empire, Maxim, Radio Times, OK!, The Guardian and Grazia, is the author of books including Chick Flicks and The Parents’ Guide to Kids’ Movies.
She is also the editor of website Movies4Kids. In her career, Jo has interviewed well-known names including Beyonce, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Kiefer Sutherland, Tom Cruise and all the Avengers, spent many an hour crushed in the press areas of award show red carpets. Jo is also a self-proclaimed expert on Outlander and Brassic, and completely agrees that Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
