David Harewood

David Harewood, who turned sixty this week, returns as Othello for the third time on stage. It’s a role he first took on in 1997, becoming the first black actor to play the part at London’s National Theatre.

Growing up in multicultural Birmingham in the sixties and seventies, he was born to immigrants from Barbados.

Described as gregarious by his teachers at school, Harewood showed an interest in entertaining from an early age and subsequently trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts.

In his early twenties, he had a psychotic breakdown, something he spoke about in a recent documentary.

A string of roles in TV and film followed. And then came his breakthrough role as CIA agent David Estes in the acclaimed hit US TV show Homeland.

Mark Coles looks back at his career.

Contributors Gary Turner – childhood friend Pete Mortiboys – school physical education teacher Jeremy Harrison – Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts (RADA) classmate and friend Afua Hirsch – broadcaster, journalist and author of the book Brit(ish): On Race, Identity and Belonging Tom Morris – Theatre director and colleague Toby Jones – Actor and colleague Production Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Ben Carter, Laura Cain Editor: Nick Holland and Justine Lang Sound: Gareth Jones Archive Audio of David Harewood as Othello, 2025, Theatre Royal Haymarket, clean from trailer David Harewood: Psychosis and Me documentary, 2019, for BBC, production company: Films Of Record Limited