Washington Black creator on Lucifer star Tom Ellis’s last-minute casting in pivotal role

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Author Selwyn Seyfu Hinds shared that Tom Ellis, previously known for his work on Lucifer, joined the cast of Washington Black as a last-minute addition. The part he plays requires an extensive emotional depth.

The narrative traces the adventures of young Washington Black, played by both Eddie Karanja and Ernest Kingsley Jr, who initially crosses paths with inventor Christopher ‘Titch’ Wilde, portrayed by Tom Ellis, during his early years on a sugar plantation.

In the beginning, Sterling K Brown (from “Paradise”) joined the production as both an executive producer and a character named Medwin, who served as Wash’s mentor figure. On the other hand, Ellis became involved much later, signing up only a few weeks before filming was scheduled to commence.

According to Hinds, he needed to portray a character who elicits strong, mixed feelings – affection and emotional turbulence – due to future events in the plot.

Given the wide emotional spectrum needed for this role, it proved challenging to find the right actor. I spoke with Tom when we were both in Canada, on set, and filming was scheduled to start within a few weeks.

In the retelling, the author mentioned: “Immediately after our talk, he showed immense enthusiasm for the part. It seemed as if he was destined for the role from the start, much like Sterling K Brown was.

Recently, Ellis finished a highly successful stint portraying a devil who solves crimes on the series Lucifer, and is set to appear in the eagerly awaited adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.

As a cinema enthusiast, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of “Washington Black,” a project that’s taken years in the making for many involved. Filming spanned from March 2022 to September 2024, extended not just by typical film production complexities, but also due to challenges posed by COVID-19, a writers’ strike in 2023, and the vast international scale of our production. It’s been quite the journey, but I can’t wait for you all to see it!

I believe the determination we showed to see this project through really underscores our passion for it.

Starting from June 23, 2025, you can stream “Washington Black” on Hulu in the U.S., and it will also be available on Disney+. To access Disney+, you can subscribe for as low as £4.99 per month or save with a yearly subscription priced at £89.90.

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2025-07-21 14:45