Adrian Lester
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Actor Adrian Lester, the son of Jamaican immigrants, sang with the local church choir, and performed with the Birmingham Youth Theatre. He went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. By 1992, he made his television debut in the made-for-TV movie "Touch and Die." Six years later he earned the lead in the Mike Nichols political comedy "Primary Colors," a thinly veiled look at the Clinton presidential campaign. The film showed Lester could hold his own against big name stars like Emma Thompson, John Travolta, and Kathy Bates. Two years later, he was featured in Kenneth Branagh's musical adaptation of the Shakespeare classic "Love's Labour's Lost." The film was scorned by critics, but Lester's portrayal of Dumaine earned him a British Independent Film Award nomination for Best Actor. In 2006, Lester re-teamed with Branagh for his Asian-inspired take on Shakespeare's "As You Like It." Lester established a career on both sides of the pond in TV and film. In the States, he snagged the recurring role of Ellis Carter of the popular comedy series "Girlfriends," while in the United Kingdom he became a series regular on the crime drama "Hustle."
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1996
Earned critical praise for his performance in the Stephen Sondheim-George Furth musical "Company"
1997
Feature acting debut in the ensemble comedy-drama "Up on the Roof"
1998
American film debut as a campaign manager in Mike Nichols' film "Primary Colors"
2000
Appeared in Kenneth Branagh's musicalization of "Love's Labor's Lost"
2001
Had the title role in the US tour of "The Tragedy of Hamlet"
2002
Appeared as Ellis in the UPN sitcom "Girlfriends"
2004
Played big-time con artist Michael "Mickey Bricks" Stone in the BBC TV series "Hustle"
2005
Had a major guest-starring role in Channel 4's police drama, "The Ghost Squad"
2006
Cast in Kenneth Branagh's "As You Like It"
2007
Co-starred in "Starting Out in the Evening" with Frank Langella and Lili Taylor
2008
Featured in the sci-fi film, "Doomsday"
Companions
