'Supacell's' Tosin Cole On Pushing Boundaries And Working With Legends
We’ve just made it a little over the halfway point of the year and Tosin Cole has been non-stop filling our TV screens, taking over the box office and storming the stages of London's theatres. Unsurprisingly, the actor’s day-to-day schedule doesn’t seem to be any less jam-packed. It’s the middle of the evening by the time we sit down to chat.
Despite a full day of filming, Cole is refreshingly upbeat and happy to talk – qualities he shares with his character in his most recent project for Netflix, Supacell. Both are cheerful and thoughtful in their nature, which is especially evident when the actor discusses the trending series (which has brought in more than 18 million views and climbed to the number one spot on Netflix’s global top 10 shows since its launch last month), what it means to him and the future of his career.
In the show, Cole plays Michael Lasaki, a newly-engaged delivery driver who discovers he has the power to teleport and manipulate time. His character is the show's closest archetype to the traditional hero but is more often than not concerned with the safety and well-being of those around him. Supacell, created, written and directed by Rapman, follows a group of Black south Londoner’s who lead everyday lives, until one by one, they realise they have super powers which are triggered by sickle cell anaemia.
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Naturally, the characters differ in how they decide to use their newly gained powers - some for good or bad and others lay in a grey area. While the series has earned itself a rare 100% critic score on IMDB, it hasn't come without criticism. As with any superhero genre, the show contains a level of violence, namely gang related, crime and abuse towards women, but Cole sees the series as far more dimensional than its subject matter.
‘Art is a depiction of what’s going on with reality,’ he tells me. ‘We’re showing the differences in lives that people have today, so if violence is included in a particular story line within the whole story, then that’s what we’ve got to show. We’re not saying these things are right, but this is the realities of cause and effect… We’re not glorifying it.’
Supacell is personal to Cole, who grew around some of the filming locations. ‘It came from a truthful place [his performance], it was exciting to be able to put these stories to light in a fresh [way]. There’s such a diversity in the characters,’ he explains. ‘As the majority of the characters are Black and from South London, they’re very real. I can identify with some of the characters. I recognise them.'
Throughout the series, sickle cell – a hereditary disease which disproportionately affects people of African and Caribbean ancestry – is portrayed, particularly through Michael’s mother. In real life, Cole states he has friends and family members who have the condition. ‘It was nice to shed light on it in a way that’s real, but not too heavy,' he says.
While Black British TV has made its mark with the likes of I May Destroy You, Top Boy, Luther and this years Queenie, Supacell is carving out it's own path. Although the characters may have supernatural abilities, the premise deviates from the typical superhero story line. Most of the character's aren't concerned with saving the day or upholding just practices. Rather, they use their powers to balance out life's obstacles as they try make sense of it all, a narrative far closer to reality than what you'd seen in a typical superhero blockbuster.
'We're breaking the mould. We're doing something that has been done before, but we've put our own twist on it and made it relatable. It's all authentic,' says Cole. While the superhero genre is arguably over-saturated, Supacell has successfully managed to differentiate itself from the rest. No superhero is put on a pedestal and issues that many Black people may face are so intimately woven into the sci-fi aspect of the show.
With the first season of Supacell wrapped up and the potential of a second in the future, Cole shares his hopes for character Michael. 'He seems a bit hardened, so I'm looking forward to see where that journey goes, how the world expands and how far we're going to take it.'
After moving from Miami to London aged eight and a stint at Intermission Youth Theatre, Cole made his first appearance on-screen back in 2010 on the teen drama The Cut, followed by a three-year stretch appearing in British soaps including Eastenders, Hollyoaks and Holby City. Next he starred alongside Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who as Ryan Sinclair, one of the doctor’s companions. And last year, he featured in House Party, a comedy film produced by basketball legend LeBron James.
But it's 2024 that Cole became a household name. The 31-year-old stood out in Bob Marley: One Love film alongside previous ELLE UK cover star Lashana Lynch. And in August he is set reprise his leading role in Benedict Lombe’s sell out show, Shifters, as it moves to the West End. 'It was really nice to see women in the forefront and expressing who they are,' says Cole of the near all female cast and crew.
Looking towards the future, the rising star has his sights set on working with some of the biggest names of silver screen, 'I want to work with the legends, you know, the Denzel Washingtons, the Martin Scorseses, there's too many great actors and directors to name, the list can go on and on. But what I'd really like to do is make a film with all of my friends in the business, that's a dream on mine.'
As his career grows and evolves, so too does Cole skillset. 'The more and more I act, the more I evolve and want to push the boundaries. I'm always striving to make something that's a classic,' he says. And with Supacell he's done just that.
Shifters will be in theatres at the Duke of York Theatre from August 11 to October 12.
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