Hulu's new miniseries Washington Black is a must-watch for anyone who loves period dramas but is looking for a new take on the genre. (Or if you need your Sterling K. Brown fix while waiting for Paradise season 2.) Adapted from Esi Edugyan's acclaimed novel, Washington Black follows the titular character, a brilliant Black boy born into slavery who dreams of becoming a genius inventor. The dual storylines follow Wash both as a boy on a globe-trotting journey from Barbados to Virginia to the North Pole, and as a young man falling in love while living free in 1837 Halifax, Nova Scotia.
"[It's about] a little Black boy who refused to have his circumstances dictate his possibility and all of the people who recognize that to have a dreamer in their presence is a rare and beautiful thing, and needs to be protected at all cost," star and executive producer Brown told Marie Claire at a London junket and activation. "It doesn't matter that he's inured in the circumstances of slavery. He is going to dream what he's going to dream, until it becomes his truth."
Titch (Tom Ellis) and Wash (Eddie Karanja) discuss their invention.
To bring the historical fiction novel to life, creator Selwyn Seyfu Hinds and Brown recruited a cast of talented up-and-coming stars and fan-favorite television veterans from shows like Lucifer and Game of Thrones. Below, read on to learn more about the all-star cast of Washington Black.
Eddie Karanja as Young Washington Black
George Washington Black, a.k.a. Wash, was born on a Barbados sugar plantation and raised by an enslaved woman named Big Kit. His life changes forever at age 11, when a member of the plantation-owning family recognizes his natural intellect.
Eddie Karanja is a young British actor who began with stage roles and made his onscreen debut in the 2020 Christmas movie Jack And The Beanstalk: After Ever After. Before Washington Black, he was best known for playing Jed Walker in the first season of Netflix's The Sandman.
Ernest Kingsley Jr. as Washington Black
As an adult, Wash (now going by the name Jack Crawford) lives as a free man and budding scientist in Nova Scotia, Canada, where he's part of a community that spans the African and Caribbean diaspora. However, his traumatic past still follows him.
Ernest Kingsley Jr. grew up in England and made his acting debut in 2015, on the sci-fi series The Sparticle Mystery. His other credits include the 2022 shows War of the Worlds and Grace, as well as an episode of The Sandman. He also wrote the upcoming short film A Love Story.
Tom Ellis as Titch Wilde
Christopher “Titch” Wilde is the younger brother of Wash's plantation owner, Erasmus Wilde (Julian Rhind-Tutt). In addition to being less cruel than his brother, Titch is an abolitionist and inventor who takes Wash under his wing to be an assistant and help build a flying machine.
Tom Ellis, 46, is a Welsh actor who's best known stateside for playing the titular character in the cult-favorite series Lucifer. His other credits include EastEnders, The Catherine Tate Show, Miranda, Merlin, and season 2 of Tell Me Lies. Next up, he's set to appear in the Netflix movie adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club.
Sterling K. Brown as Medwin Harris
Medwin Harris is a boarding-house owner and de facto leader of the Black community in Nova Scotia, who serves as Wash's mentor and father figure.
Sterling K. Brown, 49, is an Emmy-winning actor best known for starring in shows like American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson, This Is Us, and Paradise, as well as the films Black Panther, Waves, and Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. In 2024, he received an Oscar nomination for his role in the satirical comedy American Fiction. He also hosts the podcast "We Don't Always Agree" with his wife, Ryan Michelle Bathe.
Iola Evans as Tanna Goff
Tanna Goff is the British daughter of a scientist who helps him with his experiments. Her mother was a Black woman from the Solomon Islands, who died when Tanna was young. Though Tanna does not want to hide her racial heritage, her father encourages her to pass for white and marry a wealthy man.
Iola Evans grew up in Reading, England, and graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She made her acting debut in a 2018 production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's play An Octoroon, and went on to appear in small roles on Carnival Row and The 100. She also starred in the horror movies Out of Darkness and Netflix's Choose or Die.
Edward Bluemel as Billy McGee
William "Billy" McGee is a handsome young aristocrat who is hosting the Goffs in Halifax under the arrangement that he will marry Tanna, which Tanna discovers once they arrive. Like several people in this show, he's hiding a major secret.
Edward Bluemel, 32, is an English actor who made his West End debut in 2017 and appeared in shows and films including A Discovery of Witches, Sex Education, Killing Eve, and Netflix's Persuasion. He's best known for playing Lord Guildford Dudley in Prime Video's short-lived romantasy series My Lady Jane.
Rupert Graves as Mr. Goff
Tanna's father Mr. Goff is a member of the same royal scientific society that both Wash and Titch have always wanted to join. Goff is played by Rupert Graves, 62, a long-time actor who has appeared in dozens of shows and films, including A Room With a View, Maurice, V for Vendetta, Death at a Funeral (2007), Emma., and Surface. He's best known for playing D.I. Lestrade in the BBC's Sherlock.
Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Miss Angie
Miss Angie, another member of the Halifax community who has a will-they-won't-they flirtation with Medwin, is played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster, 49. The British actress is best known for starring in action blockbusters, including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Dune, and Ballerina. She has also appeared in dozens of British shows, including Bad Girls, EastEnders, Top Boy, and Sex Education, as well as in the 2023 indie film Earth Mama. Next up, she's set to reprise her role as Mira Troy (a.k.a. Moriarty) in the Netflix movie Enola Holmes 3.
Shaunette Renée Wilson as Big Kit
Big Kit, who raised Wash as a young boy, is played by Shaunette Renée Wilson, 35. Wilson was born in Guyana and grew up in N.Y.C. before graduating from the Yale School of Drama. She made her onscreen debut with a role in the Showtime series Billions, followed by roles in Black Panther (as a member of the Dora Milaje), Into the Dark, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and Karate Kids: Legends. She's also known for playing Dr. Mina Okafor in the medical drama The Resident.
Billy Boyd as Willard
Willard, a bounty hunter who's set on capturing Wash, is played by Billy Boyd, 56. The Scottish actor and musician is best known for playing Peregrin "Pippin" Took and appearing on the soundtrack for the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. He also voiced Chucky's child, Glen/Glenda, in the 2004 film Seed of Chucky, and he has appeared in the shows Moby Dick, Snowfall, Outlander, and The Legend of Vox Machina.
Sundra Oakley as Theodora
Theodora, a badass pirate who young Wash meets along his journey, is played by Sundra Oakley, 50. The Jamaican-American actress has appeared in shows and films including Sex and the City, Days of Our Lives, Big Hero 6, Legends, The Resident, and Bob Marley: One Love. She also competed on Survivor: Cook Islands in 2006, where she placed fourth.
Charles Dance as James Wilde
Charles Dance, a.k.a. Tywin Lannister himself, makes a special appearance as Titch's father. As a 19th-century nepo baby, Titch struggles to live up to his father's standards and reputation.
Dance, 78, is a renowned English actor who started his career as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company before transitioning to screen roles. In addition to Game of Thrones, he's best known for playing Lord Louis Mountbatten in The Crown seasons 3 and 4. He has also starred in countless films, including Alien 3, Godsford Park, The Imitation Game, Me Before You, and Mank.