MICHAEL WORKÉYÈ

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British Ethiopian Actor Michael Workéyè chooses his parts with consideration, commitment and fervour, working across genres, acting and modelling in front of the camera and on projects close to his heart, like House of Ife, which explored the life of a British Ethiopian family. He captured the essence of NHS life with humour and emotional intensity about the pressures of working on the front line in the BBC mini-series This is Going to Hurt, and in his part as Kae in Bête Noir, season 7 of the series Black Mirror, he supports central character Maria as her world unravels in this compelling series about the effects of technology on human behaviour. Through each part, Michael shows a passion for and grasp of his craft, playing with insight and nuanced understanding for each character. Whether on stage or screen, his accomplished talent has garnered accolades and nominations and continues to catch the eye of pioneering directors and production companies like A24. 5’ELEVEN” sat down to talk to him about his career to date, his innovative approach to his craft and his latest role alongside Charli XCX, Alexander Skargård and Rosanna Arquette in the mockumentary film The Moment, which debuted at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Words by Leigh Maynard

Photographed by Panos Damaskinidis. Styled by Alton Hetariki. Grooming by Nohelia Reyes using Sarah Chapman and Leonor Greyl. Michael Workéyè appears courtesy of Public Eye.

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Can you take us back to the beginning of your career path? How did you get into acting? Was there a person, a moment, or something you saw that inspired you to start on your journey?

Yeah… it started early. Not in a clear, planned way, more like something that was just there.

I saw my sister in a school play when I was four. She came out and I didn’t recognise her. That moment stuck. The idea that you could step into something else, become someone else. I think that’s what caught me.

After that, it was just a slow pull. Nothing dramatic. You get older, you realise it’s something you can actually do, and then you start moving towards it without really announcing it to yourself. 

Drama school was when it became real. You start to see the shape of the industry, understand that you have to make choices, what you’re drawn to, who you want to work with, the kind of work you want to be part of. And over time, you just keep refining that. Stripping things back. Trying to get closer to something that feels like yours. I think it’s only recently I’ve been able to look back and recognise it as a body of work. And that’s when it starts to feel… like something.

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Were there training or early experiences that have really shaped the kind of actor that you would say you are?

Most of it came from life. Not training, really. Just being around Harrow Road, working in this little Greek restaurant called Tsiakkos… watching people. You pick things up without realising.

National Youth Theatre was the first time it shifted. Being around people who wanted it, properly. More than me, at that point. It makes something click. You realise it’s not enough to just like it. You have to commit.

For a long time, it felt like a quiet thing. Not something you said out loud. Just something you moved towards. 

When you’re young, you don’t know anything. And I think that’s important. You have to go off and live a bit, otherwise there’s nothing to draw from.

I’ve never been in a rush with it. I’m more interested in building a full life. Family, people, experiences, I let the work come out of that.

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There’s so much competition out there, right? How does an actor stand out in this industry? 

I don’t really see it as competition. That depends on the lens.

I’m six-four. London. Ethiopian parents. If something’s written for me, it’s mine. If it’s not, it isn’t. Simple.

What interests me is pushing what I’m allowed to be. Romantic lead, fantasy, partner, stretching those ideas. Letting it feel a little unfamiliar. I realised the other day that I’ve never had any family yet on screen, so my next goal Is simple to play a brother, a son, a father or at least a part where family is integral. Something as simple as that would be pushing the boundaries yet again. 

Where it can become personal is usually where the work matters.

I try to stay close to the work that feeds me. Theatre, new writing, young directors. That’s the part that keeps it alive.

Sometimes with tv… you only really understand your part in the experience after it’s done.

In the moment, it’s just questions.

Do you prefer being on stage or in front of the camera? 

No, I don't have a preference. I probably used to say I preferred theatre, but as I do more screen work, I've just fallen in love with the craft, and I think it's just as rewarding.

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Are there any people that you really look up to who've shaped who you want to be as an actor?

I am constantly inspired. It's such an inspirational community, it's so easy to see, access and be inspired. There’s so many great podcasts, youtube clips and tv shows on streamers. Going to the cinema is about the most wholesome activity a human being can do these days, both vintage and cutting-edge at the same time thanks to the standard of films at the moment. I’m drawn to the ones who walk the road to the very end becoming even more human with every step. The pursuit of something great in this industry can be vapid and rob you of that light in your eyes, I’m fiercely protecting mine. Last night was the Oscars. I’m always watching. Always learning.

Jesse Buckley… that kind of fearlessness stays with you.

And it feels like a particular moment right now. People like Ryan Coogler, there’s a shift. A sense that the story can belong to the people telling it again.

Less about the safe choice. More about something with weight.

That’s what excites me.

It feels like stepping into it at the right time. when there’s still space to leave something behind. And at the very least I hope to be able to leave the light on for the next few.

Yes, it's interesting times. 

Yeah, definitely. 

Production companies like A24 are doing some really interesting things.

yeah… A24 are doing something different. You can feel it.

I’ve ended up working with them a few times this past year not by design. But you start to notice patterns.

It feels like they’re willing to take a bet on people. On something human. Not just what’s familiar.

That’s rare.

And when you recognise yourself somewhere in that… it’s interesting.

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You were in a Black Mirror episode called Bête Noir. What do you think about the future and technology, and how it might affect your industry?

It’s a strange moment. You can feel things shifting.

People have been talking about it for a while actors, filmlmmakers and now it’s here. AI, tools we don’t fully understand yet, already shaping the work.

I watched The Brutalist and although I’d heard they’d used AI on a small part of the accents, it still moved me. The experience held. So as a viewer, I’m conflicted.

But every shift like this leaves people behind. Some will hold the line, others will push forward. I think both instincts matter.

For me, it’s simpler. I’m not building the tools. I’m there to tell the truth.

But likeness… that’s different. That’s the one thing that’s mine. And if that becomes negotiable, then the whole thing starts to collapse. That’s the real line.

And even with all of this… there are spaces it can’t touch. Theatre. Presence. People in a room, sharing something in real time. Edinburgh fringe.

Whatever happens, I think we’ll always come back to that.

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You received a nomination for a part that you played in the theatre, House of Ife, right? 

It’s a perfect example of the kind of work I want to be in. House of Ife felt like something I found, and something that found me and I’m proud of what I was able to bring to it. Beru Tessema, Lynette Linton - those are the kinds of artists I look up to. That’s where I want to live, creatively.

It was just after COVID 2021, 2022 and there was this sense of communities reassembling, reclaiming space. As far as we knew, it was the first British Ethiopian play. My parents are Ethiopian, so it felt like we were part of something genuinely new. That doesn’t come around often. My mum came 3 times, its mad. 

That’s the throughline for me. Big ideas, executed with precision and honesty. That’s what I’m drawn to. And the work, really, is about trust, so the people taking a chance on you don’t have to question what you’ll bring. You become a solution. You offer something real.

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Tell us about your role in The Moment. How did you get involved in that?

It was one of those rare, clean entries, just a tape, sent off, and then suddenly you’re in it. I’d initially been working on a completely different character, but Jennifer Venditti saw something else and redirected it. And then boom you’re in your first cinematic release film. I only realised the scale of it at the readthrough though. Charli XCX is there, Jamie Demetriou, Kate Berlant, Richard Perez, Haily Benton-Gates, just this room full of people operating at a very high level. And I’m sat between two of my close mates Rish Shah on one side, Ben Castle-Gibb on the other and they’re actually playing my boys in the film. It felt… aligned. Like casting had gone beyond accuracy into something almost inevitable. No wonder shes Oscar nominated.

So, you enjoyed playing the part that you were given in the end.

The role itself. these label boys, people who think they understand the artist without ever having been one. it was such a fun space to live in. I loved playing Josh. And the way we worked made it even better. Sean Price-Williams shooting, often disappearing, mics exposed, long takes. there was this freedom to improvise, to actually be in it. With actors like Jamie or Alexander Skarsgård, nothing ever repeats. Every take is alive. You’re not executing, you’re responding… 

And the environment Aidan created… it felt like we had time. In TV you feel the machine “come on, move, next setup” but here it was loose, exploratory. That space lets you do your best work. 

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Were there any moments that really stuck with you after you played this part? // Looking to the future, is there any particular genre or character you’d like to try or someone you want to work with?

What stuck with me most is how intentional it all felt. Charli is someone who’s been in it for years, and this moment she’s having now, it’s not luck, it’s persistence, and taste, and collaboration. Choosing a first-time director in Aidan, taking that risk, that’s the point. Staying open enough, humble enough, to keep stepping into the unknown. Even the prep reflected that. They’d take us out to clubs, karaoke, house parties, so we weren’t just pretending to know that world, we actually felt it. By the time we were on set, there was no barrier. It was just lived-in. And that’s what I’m chasing now, really. Not one genre, not one kind of role, but those kinds of environments. Where the work is alive, where the collaborators push you, where you’re slightly off-balance in the best way.

I wrapped on a film at the end of last year, Everybody Wants to F**k Me, and a Channel 4 comedy series, Break Clause. Both were led by writers with a strong point of view. Jonathan Schey & Jess Bray - and that’s what stayed with me.

I’m drawn to work that feels authored. Precise. Where you’re not just fitting into something, you’re part of shaping it. That’s where I’m heading.

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