Why Mr. Ajayi From Netflix's Heartstopper Looks So Familiar

British-Nigerian actor Fisayo Akinade plays Mr. Ajayi in "Heartstopper," and he mostly spent the first few years of his career in theater after attending the prestigious Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Then, in 2015, he landed a supporting role in "Cucumber," Russell T. Davies' tragicomic portrayal of 21st-century gay life, as the flighty-but-fun Dean Monroe, and as the same character in Davies' follow-up series "Banana."

Akinade also appeared (as himself this time) in the documentary web series companion to "Cucumber" and "Banana," named "Tofu." All three series were praised in Britain for their frank and original exploration of the complications of love, anger, and betrayal, all through a darkly comic lens. Akinade's performance caught plenty of attention too. Of "Banana," The New York Times' Mike Hale wrote, "It's useful if only as an opportunity to see more of Fisayo Akinade's buoyant performance as a blithely naïve teenage mailroom worker."

Akinade, who is also gay, said in an interview with CultBox that he was pleased with the success of the series. "I'm glad they've started debates about why we need more drama centered around the lives of gay people on our screens," he expressed.