--- name: "Malachi Kirby" canonical: "https://film.one/person/malachi-kirby" fi1m_id: "malachi-kirby" imdb_id: "nm3142672" tmdb_id: 1145665 wikidata_id: "Q23035062" roles: ["Actor"] born: "20 September 1989" reviewed_on_fi1m: 7 average_fi1m_score: 78 average_as: "actor" average_over: 7 updated: "2026-10-01T23:02:59.040780+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Malachi Kirby ## Identity Malachi Kirby - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/malachi-kirby - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** malachi-kirby - **IMDb ID:** nm3142672 - **TMDB ID:** 1145665 - **Wikidata ID:** Q23035062 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi_Kirby, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23035062, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3142672/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1145665 Actor. Born 20 September 1989 in Wandsworth, London, England, UK. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 20 September 1989, Wandsworth, London, England, UK - **Active:** 2011–present - **Frequently works with:** [Stephen Graham](https://film.one/person/stephen-graham.md) - **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as actor, over 7 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 79 (2), 2020s 77 (5) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 78 to 76 across 7 titles - **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60 - **Lead roles:** 2 of 5 acting credits billed first or second - **Genres:** Drama 6, Adventure 2, Mystery 2, Thriller 2, Comedy 1, Sci-Fi & Fantasy 1 - **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $713m across 3 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi_Kirby, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23035062, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3142672/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1145665 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Small Axe*](https://film.one/tv/small-axe.md) (88), [*Boiling Point*](https://film.one/film/boiling-point.md) (77), [*Kajaki*](https://film.one/film/kajaki.md) (77) - **Disney+:** [*A Thousand Blows*](https://film.one/tv/a-thousand-blows.md) (80), [*Wicked Little Letters*](https://film.one/film/wicked-little-letters.md) (61) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Malachi Kirby > Malachi Kirby gives crowded dramas someone worth following. We recommend his work in *A Thousand Blows*, where he makes Hezekiah Moscow’s ambition persuasive and leaves us concerned about the choices he makes. In *A Thousand Blows* (2025), Malachi Kirby makes us see why Hezekiah Moscow wants to get ahead without asking us to approve of every choice. The series moves between people competing for power, and Kirby keeps us aware of what each struggle means for Hezekiah. We worried about Hezekiah because his need to survive felt convincing, while his judgement remained open to doubt. Kirby gives us a reason to stay with him through the changes of storyline. His breakthrough was as Kunta Kinte in the *Roots* remake (2016), followed by Stripe in *Black Mirror* (2016). He later played Darcus Howe in director Steve McQueen’s *Small Axe: Mangrove* (2020), before taking the lead as the Jamaican immigrant and boxer Hezekiah in Steven Knight’s *A Thousand Blows*. Historical characters have become a substantial part of his work, with the research into real people an attraction for him. There is a practical difficulty in these parts: an actor has to keep a person interesting when a script wants to explain the circumstances around them. Knight and his fellow writers do not always make that easy. *A Thousand Blows* sometimes states what unequal opportunities have already shown, and its crowded plotting means neglected characters need explaining when they return. Kirby is particularly valuable when the series gives him space, because we can understand what Hezekiah stands to gain or lose without quite so much help. Erin Doherty remains its chief pleasure, and Stephen Graham is another reason to stay; this is a cast capable of making the struggle for money and control understandable. The dialogue should trust them more. Kirby also worked with Graham in the single-take kitchen drama *Boiling Point* (2021), playing Tony. He also played Bill in *Wicked Little Letters* (2024), a comedy whose central joke wore thin for us. Start with *A Thousand Blows*, and allow for the stretches in which the writers insist on telling us what Kirby has already made plain. ## Biography Malachi Kirby is a British actor and writer. Born on 20 September 1989 in Wandsworth, London, he trained at the Identity School of Acting. He gained prominence for his performance as Kunta Kinte in the 2016 remake of *Roots* and as Stripe in the *Black Mirror* episode "Men Against Fire". Kirby played Darcus Howe in the *Small Axe* anthology film *Mangrove* (2020), for which he won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actor. His credits include Bill in *Wicked Little Letters* (2024) and the lead role of Hezekiah Moscow in the series *A Thousand Blows* (2025). *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (7) - *Project Hail Mary* (2026), Fi1m 80, as DuBois — [page](https://film.one/film/project-hail-mary.md) - *A Thousand Blows* (2025), Fi1m 80, as Hezekiah Moscow — [page](https://film.one/tv/a-thousand-blows.md) - *Wicked Little Letters* (2024), Fi1m 61, as Bill — [page](https://film.one/film/wicked-little-letters.md) - *Boiling Point* (2021), Fi1m 77, as Tony — [page](https://film.one/film/boiling-point.md) - *Small Axe* (2020), Fi1m 88, as Darcus Howe — [page](https://film.one/tv/small-axe.md) - *Kajaki* (2014), Fi1m 77, as Snoop — [page](https://film.one/film/kajaki.md) - *Black Mirror* (2011), Fi1m 81, as Stripe — [page](https://film.one/tv/black-mirror.md) ## Complete filmography (28) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Project Hail Mary* (2026), as DuBois — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/project-hail-mary.md) - *A Thousand Blows* (2025), series, as Hezekiah Moscow — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/a-thousand-blows.md) - *National Theatre Live: People, Places and Things* (2024), as Mark - *Wicked Little Letters* (2024), as Bill — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/wicked-little-letters.md) - *My Name Is Leon* (2022), as Tufty Burrows - *Boiling Point* (2021), as Tony — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/boiling-point.md) - *Small Axe* (2020), series, as Darcus Howe — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/small-axe.md) - *Devils* (2020), series, as Oliver Harris - *Curfew* (2019), series, as Michael Garwick - *The Machine* (2017), as Aaron - *Fallen* (2016), as Roland Sparks - *Roots* (2016), series, as Kunta Kinte - *Dough* (2015), as Shaun - *Kajaki* (2014), as Snoop — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/kajaki.md) - *Gone Too Far!* (2014), as Yemi - *The Last Showing* (2014), as Clive - *Lawless* (2013), as Tyler Repton - *Way to Go* (2013), series, as Nkanta - *Jonah* (2013), as Juma - *BBC Comedy Feeds* (2012), series, as DJ Dee Danger - *Offender* (2012), as Harry - *My Murder* (2012), as Danny McLean - *Black Mirror* (2011), series, as Stripe — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/black-mirror.md) - *Exhale* (2009), as Chris - *Doctor Who* (2005), series, as Gastron — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/doctor-who-2005.md) - *Anansi Boys*, series, as Charlie Nancy / Spider - *Uncle*, as Uncle John - *Skag & Bone*, Actor ## Gallery - ![Malachi Kirby](https://film.one/media/person/11962/gallery-4ff0611b50f5.jpg) Malachi Kirby — Image via TMDB - ![Malachi Kirby](https://film.one/media/person/11962/gallery-9a982d9b3bbd.jpg) Malachi Kirby — Image via TMDB - ![Malachi Kirby](https://film.one/media/person/11962/gallery-2c2eedf7fcc6.jpg) Malachi Kirby — Image via TMDB --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/malachi-kirby