Ryan Calais Cameron

Ryan Peter Martin Cameron, known professionally as Ryan Calais Cameron, is a British playwright, screenwriter, and actor. He is best known for his 2021 play, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, which has seen two sold-out West End productions. The play received two Laurence Olivier Awards nominations and won two Black British Theatre Awards, among other accolades.

Early life and education Cameron was born in Tooting and grew up in Catford, a majority working-class neighbourhood in Southeast London. As a child, Cameron briefly moved to Martinique with his family in 1999 before returning to London after a year.

Cameron has spoken about wanting to become an actor since his childhood. His early experience of acting was through attending classes at Albany Theatre as a teenager. However, Cameron did not always feel an affinity towards the theatre. "This theatre thing isn't made for me; it isn't speaking to me. They don't sound like me either", said Cameron of his experience of school trips to the theatre. He later received an honorary fellowship from the university in 2023. This was Cameron's first acting gig after graduating from university. The following year, he starred as Jason in Vivienne Franzmann's Mogadishu at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith as well as in the UK tour of the production.

Writing career Cameron was inspired to start writing as he notices a lack of authentic, nuanced Black British representation as well as a lack of opportunity for Black performers in British theatre. where he also became a resident writer and wrote Human Nurture, premiered in Sheffield and toured across the UK in 2022. where he had previously had acting classes as a teenager.

Notable plays

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy (2021)

Retrograde (2023)

Cameron first became aware of Sidney Poitier, the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Actor, when Poitier was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2009. The playwright became particularly interested in Poitier's experiences of the Red Scare and McCarthyism and how that affected Poitier's career. The play was first read by a full cast on stage in 2019, starring Ivanno Jeremiah as Poitier. In addition to Cameron's original works, Nouveau Riche has also produced plays written by other emerging Black British authors, notably Jessica Hagen. The company has also worked with Lewisham Council to organise the annual SEEN festival, which has platformed many Black performers and writers and those from other underrepresented groups.

Personal life In 2018, Cameron married his wife Shavani (née Seth); they had previously acted alongside one another in The Westbridge (2011) at Royal Court Theatre. Cameron converted to Pentecostal Christianity as an adult.

Writing credits +KeyDenotes upcoming work

Theatre

TV Year Title Network / Production company Notes / 2022 The Flatshare Paramount Plus Guest writer - Episode 42024 Boarders BBC Three Series 1, episode 4 Queenie Channel 4 Episodes 2 and 7

Selected acting credits Theatre

Awards and nominations