Jamael Westman

Jamael Anwar Hermitt-Westman (born December 1991) is a British actor. He is best known for starring as the title role in the West End production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton, which earned him a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.

Early life and education Westman was born in Lambeth, London, to football coach Wallace Hermitt and lecturer Susan Westman. He spent the first ten years of his life in Brixton before gentrification pushed his family out to Streatham and later Croydon. His younger brother, Myles, is also an actor. Their parents separated when Westman was a teenager. He is the grandson of football coach Barry Hermitt; Westman's paternal grandparents immigrated to England from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation. His mother, from Gloucestershire, is of Irish descent.

He attended St Joseph's College in Upper Norwood. He later went on to graduate from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2016.

Career Theatre Westman started out in pantomimes and community theatre projects. Before Hamilton, he had only acted in two professional stage productions, The White Devil at Shakespeare's Globe and Torn at the Royal Court. The show eventually premiered in Los Angeles on 17 August 2021.

Television and film Westman made his onscreen debut with a guest role in a 2013 episode of Casualty. He appeared in the films Brand New-U (2015) and Animals (2019). He has also been in several short films, such as Kebab (2014), Wilton (2016), A Poem for Every Autumn Day (2020), and Ice Cream & Doughnuts (2021).

In 2021 he appeared in the Channel 5 miniseries Anne Boleyn as Jane Seymour's ambitious brother, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset. He was next cast in the role of Dr George Spencer in the six-part drama The Essex Serpent on Apple TV+, starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston.

Personal life Westman has been outspoken about racism. In 2019, he said Britain needed to confront its colonial past, and in 2020 he was one of the big names in theatre to sign a letter to industry leaders calling for "urgent reform" to tackle racism and the lack of diversity in the profession.

Filmography Film Year Title Role