“… do your best for yourself and everyone else around you.”
Mark Ebulué photographed at The Barbican Centre by Craig Benson
styling by Liz Omitogun
above: tank by Tarabal
How does your background in South East London continue to shape your choices as an actor?
Being from South London, I guess my background keeps me diverse and adaptive. Growing up in southeast London, you’re immersed in such a variety and multitude of cultures and traditions, as well as traditional British traditions, so you learn a lot about people, cadences, customs, and ways of doing things. The biggest takeaway is that there is no one way to do anything. I remember that and bring that approach to my choices within my roles.
sweater by Ann Andelman, pants are actor’s own
shirt is actor’s own, joggers by Tarabal
As an astronaut in Slingshot, the line between reality and illusion blurs. How do you stay grounded when life or a role challenges your sense of self?
This is a fantastic question. I like to take a step back and take a moment to think by myself, not meditate, but to refocus and realign within myself and my thoughts. Strip it back and remember what and whyI’m doing it. It could be what the job will do for my career. It could be about fulfilling a personal challenge within the job itself. It depends on the job and what it entails. I also often think about my parents and, I guess, the sacrifices they’ve made for me to be here, which usually keep me grounded and bring me back to myself.
In Captain Laserhawk, you take on the world of anime. What drew you to this futuristic, dystopian narrative?
So much on one side, it was the job itself. I’d never done animation; growing up, I read anime and watched it. I never really thought voiceovers would take me there. It was a fascinating experience, and I’d love to do it again. On the other side, the character Marcus was such a badass. It’s a character I was rooting for from the beginning as a reader, and for me, he had the most extensive arc in the show, so bringing out multiple sides of Marcus as the show progressed was an absolute joy.
Martial arts and Shakespeare seem like two extremes. How has your physical training influenced your approach to Shakespearean roles like Othello or Macbeth?
Well, I guess martial arts are pretty extreme compared to Shakespeare, but there are some similarities. If you look at characters like Macbeth and Othello, both are highly ranked within the army and have seen a fair bunch in conflict. Still, they engage in violence in very different ways, as depicted in their tactics, which are described by either themselves or other characters. For instance, in Macbeth, I think in the first act, you have one of the three witches describing how Macbeth killed Cawdor. It was quite brutal what Macbeth did, considering the full context of what the witches described.
On the other hand, Othello is a naval Captain but very experienced in warfare, one of his fights with Iago. Even in his rage, he doesn’t kill or mortally wound Iago after uncovering the truth of his lies. He does disable him, but he spares his life so he can face justice of a court martial. He, still in a rage, displays some control and skill to thwart a tyrant. These observations of a character’s actions are essential when doing a character breakdown because I believe fighting is an action, and ultimately, it’s actions that define us, so I use this as a way into a character’s mindset if fighting is involved.
What is your most recent superstition or fear related to acting or life?
I don’t have any actor-related fears or superstitions. Although I avoid walking under a ladder if I’m in a theatre show, it’s considered bad luck. I do not know where it comes from, but that’s one I follow…I don’t like heights or snakes either!
tank by Tarabal
What song on your playlist has been on repeat recently, and why?
I have been listening to many Afrobeat-style artists, including Burna Boy and Davido, which always remind me of my roots and my time in Nigeria, where my family is from. I’m getting a lot into audiobooks. I’ve introduced long-distance running to my gym workouts, so I try to catch up on audiobooks or podcasts when I’m running.
Having worked on projects from Fast & Furious to Shakespeare, do you find there’s a through-line connecting all these vastly different roles?
The great thing about Shakespeare is that his text explores the human condition in its purest form. It’s how we all relate and connect as people in real life. It’s likely one of the reasons it remains relevant today. So, of course, there is always a through-line in projects like Fast and Furious and many other projects. If you look at a show like House of Cards, which could be compared to Othello – how Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright break the fourth wall, explaining their schemes to get to the top or stay there. Looking at their underlying relationship and dynamics, which are pretty reminiscent of modern-day Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, or if you wanted a modern-day Hamlet, Jax in Sons of Anarchy has some strong similarities. Jax takes the titular role of Hamlet with Clay as the evil uncle who murdered Jax’s father and took his place; only it isn’t a royal kingdom; it’s an illegal motorcycle club. Not every project will be a direct spinoff of a Shakespeare play, but there will be a connection if it’s about people.
In Slingshot, your character faces psychological strain in space. What’s been the most psychologically challenging role you’ve taken on?
There isn’t one particular role that stood out as demanding or psychologically challenging, as each role is complex but in different ways. I had a small part in Masters of the Air, and it was a heavily layered show based on actual World War Two fighters. There was extra pressure to get things right as these people existed. You want to do a great job, but you want to do an excellent job for them and their families, too. I think it is a different kind of responsibility you have as an actor when you’re telling real stories.
How do you navigate between the immersive theater of live shows like Fast & Furious and the solitude of film work?
I try to adapt truly to the process as much as possible. It’s something I’m big on. Every show production is different; you do not know how different it will be until you’re in it, so keeping flexible in your approach to any project is critical. One piece of advice I was given about acting is, “You want to be concrete on your destination but be flexible about how you get there.” My acting style leans more towards the screen. I love to prepare, and I like the solitude, it helps my focus. In drama school, I was always told I was more of a screen actor than a stage one, so it was a task to be bigger and bolder using stagecraft, which often went against my instincts to keep things small. Still, I got the best of both worlds, so I’m grateful. It’s made me a much more versatile actor.
When preparing for a sci-fi thriller like Slingshot, how do you balance intense emotional scenes with the technical aspects of being in space?
It’s all about pacing the art of filmmaking from an actor’s perspective. It’s like a long-distance race with varied elements of running, so it’s not just steady-state running where you just run at one pace throughout; there are times you’ll have to dash. There are times you’re going to have to pull it right back. The balance comes with your preparation for the shoot day and the scene selection. There might be scenes that are just action where no real questions need to be asked. You’ll just be running and running and fighting, and that’s all you have to do. The only prep you’d likely need is an excellent 5-minute stretch beforehand, but for a huge emotional scene, you may need real-time alone before stepping out of your trailer to prepare; text can change as well as physical positioning and character plotting, so keeping adaptive but also staying consistent with the characters emotional situation is critical; it’s a very different discipline, and some actors can harness those places quickly other actors might need more time. Your job as the actor is to figure out where you sit on the totem pole, give yourself what you need to be the best, and do your best for yourself and everyone else around you.