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7 Things You Need To Know About ‘Interstellar’s’ David Gyasi

David Gyasi is well known in Britain for his TV career, that includes the sci-fi drama “Doctor Who,”  “Holby City,” “White Heat” and  “Casualty,” but the Afro-British actor has been performing nonstop both on the stage and screen for several years. With roles in films “Shoot The Messenger” “Cloud Atlas” and “Red Tails,” Gyasi also stars in Christopher Nolan’s epic space adventure “Interstellar,” a film that’s already generating Oscar buzz.  But how much do you actually know about this talented actor?

  1. In the Nolan directed sci-fi flick, Matthew McConaughey’s character leaves his two kids to head up to space and save the world, but Gyasi would think twice about leaving his family for an intergalactic journey.
    It’s an absolutely heroic thing that he did, but for me, I don’t know if I will be brave enough to walk away from my six year old boy and my daughter. I don’t think I’ve got what it takes to walk away from the people that I have so much love for.
  2. He plays Romilly, a NASA scientist on-board on a mission to space and read for his role in 3 different accents.
    I read in an African accent, a British accent and an American accent while we worked out who this guy was, what he would sound like and what would be the implications if he was from these different places
  3. “Interstellar” marks his 2nd collaboration with director Christopher Nolan who he worked with in “The Dark Knight Rises” and his3rd time co-starring with fellow Afro-British actor David Oyelowo.
    David is like my big brother. He’s an actor that I admire and a person that I am inspired by. Although I have worked with him now a few times [“Red Tails,” “Shoot The Messenger,” “Interstellar”], we never get the same scenes, but watch this space as that will change soon.
  4. “Interstellar” follows a heroic group of explorers who travel through a wormhole seeking an inhabitable planet. Gyasi thinks there could possibly be another Earth-like planet in space.
    I think it would be arrogant to think that this little planet is all that there is when there are so many other planets out there. I think there is more evidence for it than against it now if you look into it.

David at the Interstallar premiere

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  1. With roles in “Dr Who,” “Cloud Atlas” and “Interstellar,” Gyasi quite likes the sci-fi genre and has done his fair share of films in that genre.
    I have to be careful what I choose next as there are quite a few different characters coming. Just maybe I will do a romantic lead next.
  2. For his character Romilly, he had a methodical way of learning his lines.
    I learned the silences and the gaps in between. What is going on in that guy’s head, what makes him say what he says and move the way he does.
  3. Acting was always his passion
    I was quite lucky in that my parents said I could do what I wanted as long as I had a degree and they didn’t care what it was. So once I had that picture with the hat and the gown, then I was okay to go and do that. We were raised to strive to be the best that we can be so I never had a plan B.

Gyasi whose parents hail from Ghana stars alongside Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and John Lithgow in “Interstellar.”

The film releases in theaters November 7th.

Samantha Ofole-Prince serves as the Senior Entertainment Editor for Trendy Africa. She covers industry-specific news that includes television and film.