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Divian Ladwa is an English actor best known for appearing in the Oscar-nominated Lion, the BAFTA-winning comedy series Detectorists, and the Marvel Studios film Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Career

TV and film

Divian Ladwa's film debut came in a micro-budget feature Saxon, in which he played a hot-headed Rahim Begum alongside Sean Harris. The film won Best European Drama at the ECU European Independent Film Festival and was nominated for the Michael Powell Award for Best Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

His next role was shy and awkward Dev King in the British feature film 8 Minutes Idle. The twisted rom-com was nominated for Best Film at the Royal Television Society Awards and features Tom Hughes, Ophelia Lovibond, Antonia Thomas, Montserrat Lombard and Jack Ashton.

Ladwa is known for playing the sweet and innocent Hugh in the BAFTA-winning comedy series Detectorists written and directed by Mackenzie Crook. Originally aired on BBC Four, the show won critical praise and won two BAFTAs.

In 2017, Ladwa received attention for playing a psychologically traumatised character in the Oscar-nominated Lion. The film starred Nicole Kidman and David Wenham as his adoptive parents and Dev Patel as his adoptive brother. The double BAFTA-winning film, which also starred Rooney Mara, was nominated for four Golden Globes and six Academy Awards including Best Picture. Critics praised Ladwa's performance, with Cinapse writing "Lion is aided greatly by the likes of Divian Ladwa who is positively heartbreaking". Stuff wrote "Ladwa is excellent as the wayward brother" and Entertainment.ie said "Ladwa gives a fascinating portrayal of the adopted brother." Along with Dev Patel and David Wenham, Ladwa was included in the film's submission to the Screen Actors Guild Awards for their Best Supporting Actor category.

In 2018, he appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp as Uzman, the right-hand man of antagonist Sonny Burch.

Later that year ITV announced Ladwa's involvement as a series regular in their upcoming police drama Wild Bill, playing opposite Rob Lowe, Rachel Stirling, Angela Griffin and Bronwyn James.

In 2019, Ladwa appeared in the British dark comedy series The End of the F***ing World as Sid, a talkative cop. He made a special guest appearance in episode 7 of the second series. The series premiered on Channel 4 in the UK and internationally the following day on Netflix. Netflix submitted Ladwa for consideration for the Primetime Emmy Awards as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category for his portrayal of Sid.

2019 saw the online release of period drama Mr Malcolm's List on the Refinery29 website, with Ladwa playing Gemma Chan and Frieda Pinto's footman John in a highly comical role. The film is part of Refinery29's Shatterbox series aiding and encouraging more female filmmakers. Following the success of the short, Mr Malcolm's List was made into a feature with Ladwa reprising his role as John. The film was released in 2022 to positive reviews and received a nomination for Best Independent Motion Picture by the NAACP Image Awards. The Hollywood Reporter and the Associated Press highlighted Ladwa's "amusing" performance with one review stating "Divian Ladwa from Lion steals any scene he's in".

In 2020, Ladwa played Dr Chillip in Armando Iannucci's adaptation of Charles Dickens The Personal History of David Copperfield, which also stars Hugh Laurie and Tilda Swinton and reunites Ladwa onscreen with Dev Patel.

Stage

Away from TV and film, Ladwa has an extensive theatre background, working with a wide range of companies including Theatre Royal Stratford East, Tamasha Theatre Company and Fluxx Improvised Theatre, early in his career.

Radio

Ladwa has worked in numerous radio plays, mostly for BBC Radio 4, many of which have been recognised by various accolades. Six-part BBC drama The System, in which Ladwa plays Coyote, won the PRIX EUROPA for Best Fiction Series. Audible's Radioman, a ten-part audio drama series in which Ladwa appears as Manny, received a Rose D'or Award nomination for best drama. Ladwa has also played secondary-school student Charlie in School Drama and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet opposite Tom Hollander. He also played Vince the Mushroom Man in a continuation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere series, How The Marquis Got His Coat Back.

Filmography

References

1. "Saxon". Elise Valmorbida. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
2. "Awards". Saxon the Film. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
3. "8 Minutes Idle". British Films Directory. 13 March 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
4. "8 Minutes Idle Cast Gallery". BBC Films. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
5. "RTS West of England Awards 2013". 8 April 2016.
6. Lloyd, Kenji (14 February 2014). "Exclusive Clip from 8 Minutes Idle with Tom Hughes, Ophelia Lovibond & Antonia Thomas". Hey U Guys. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
7. "Television: Scripted Comedy in 2015". BAFTA. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
8. "Detectorists Characters". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
9. "Writer - Comedy in 2015". BAFTA. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
10. "Best Picture Nominee: Lion". The Oscars. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
11. Saunders, Tristram Fane (12 February 2017). "Bafta winners 2017, full list". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
12. "Oscar Nominees 2017". The Oscars. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
13. "LION's Roar is Quietly Powerful". 10 January 2017.
14. "Movie review: Lion is a tale of raw emotion". 14 January 2017.
15. "Lion - Cinema, Movie, Film Review". 7 December 2016.
16. "SAG-AFTRA - Fall 2016".
17. "Divian Ladwa In Ant-Man And The Wasp". Hatch Talent. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
18. "Internationally renowned actor, Rob Lowe, has commenced filming in the UK on new ITV drama Wild Bill". ITV. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
19. "Emmys 2020 exclusive: Netflix categories for 'The Crown,' 'Ozark,' Stranger Things' and more". July 2020.
20. "Netflix Awards FYC - Series".
21. "Mr Malcolm's List". Refinery29. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
22. "Emma Holly Jones – "Mr. Malcolm's List"". Free the Bid. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
23. "2023 NAACP Image Awards nominations show love for 'Wakanda Forever,' 'Abbott,' Beyoncé". Los Angeles Times. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
24. Gyarkye, Lovia (22 June 2022). "'Mr. Malcolm's List': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
25. "Review: Austen-era schemes, dreams fill 'Mr. Malcolm's List'". AP NEWS. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
26. Potter, Alexis. "Here's why fans of period rom-com movies should put 'Mr. Malcolm's List' on their list". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
27. "The Personal History of David Copperfield: Full Cast and Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
28. Williams, Karla (5 June 2009). "ATN Interview with Divan Ladwa". Afridiziak Theatre News. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
29. "Prix Europa Award". Prix Europa. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
30. "Rose D'or Award". Rosedor. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
31. "School Drama". BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
32. "School Drama 18th-21st May 2016, BBC Radio 4". Goldhawk Productions. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
33. "Romeo And Juliet". BBC Radio 4. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
34. "How The Marquis Got His Coat Back". BBC Radio 4. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
35. "How the Marquis Got His Coat Back". Radio Times. Retrieved 13 August 2019.

Sources

• "My Dad (Marcus Armitage, 2014)". CinemaEtc. 16 January 2015.
• Russell, Rachel (2 February 2017). "Rising British Asian actor Divian Ladwa stars alongside Rayners Lane star Dev Patel in new Hollywood blockbuster". This Is Local London.
• Paskett, Zoe (9 February 2017). "Lion star talks of working with Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel in Oscars contender". Ham & High.
• "British Academy Film Awards Nespresso Nominees' Party, Inside, London". Shutterstock. 11 February 2017.
• Davies, Luke (12 February 2017). "Lion - Winners' acceptance speech, Adapted Screenplay, EE British Academy Film Awards in 2017". BAFTA.
• "EE BAFTA Film Awards 2017 - Red Carpet". entertainment.ie.
• Talarico, Maria Mercedes Lara Brittany (12 February 2017). "See All the Glamorous Looks from the BAFTA Awards Red Carpet". People.
• Melville, Toby. "Divian Ladwa arrives for the British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) at the Royal Albert Hall in London". Alamy.
• "Divian Ladwa en la alfombra roja de los Premios Bafta 2017". Bekia (in Spanish). 12 February 2017.
• "Divian Ladwa". Getty Images.
• "BAFTAs 2017: Red Carpet Fashion". RTÉ. 13 February 2017.
• Byrne, John (7 March 2017). "My First Audition: Divian Ladwa – 'it felt like it was all a silly boy's dream'". The Stage.

External links

• Divian Ladwa website
• Divian Ladwa at IMDb

• Living people
• English people of Indian descent
• English male film actors
• English male television actors
• 21st-century English male actors