# Aaron Pierre (actor)
**Aaron Pierre** (full name Aaron Stone Pierre; born 1994) is a British actor known for playing Caesar in [Barry Jenkins](https://www.edgepedia.org/barry-jenkins)'s *The Underground Railroad* (2021), Terry Richmond in the Netflix action thriller *Rebel Ridge* (2024), and the voice of the title character in Disney's *Mufasa: The Lion King* (2024). In 2024 he was named one of The Associated Press' Breakthrough Entertainers of the year.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/a305c37eb60b522cf50ca46b4d94537b)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994, Brixton, London, England[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1) |
| Full name | Aaron Stone Pierre[3](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2184142/) |
| Training | Four years at LAMDA, graduating in 2017; Level-3 distinction from the British Institute of Dramatic Combat[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/aaron-pierre/) |
| Breakthrough role | Caesar in Barry Jenkins's *The Underground Railroad* (Amazon, 2021)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1) |
| Award | Best Supporting Performance in a Film, 11th Canadian Screen Awards (2023), for *Brother*[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/) |
| 2024 roles | Malcolm X in *Genius: MLK/X*, Terry Richmond in *Rebel Ridge*, voice of Mufasa[2](https://apnews.com/article/a305c37eb60b522cf50ca46b4d94537b) |
| Franchise roles | John Stewart / Green Lantern in HBO's *Lanterns* (2026) and *Man of Tomorrow* (2027); cast in *Star Wars: Starfighter* (2027)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1) |
| Height | 6′ 2½″ (1.89 m)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1) |
## Early life and training
Pierre was born in 1994 in Brixton, London, and grew up in [South London](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-london) as the oldest of three children. As a child he hoped to become a track star or a criminologist; when he was 13, he began performing with a neighborhood theater group whose shows took place in a warehouse, occasionally before audiences numbering only a handful. He has described the lesson he took from it: whether one person or 1,500 are watching, you give the same performance and the same energy.[2](https://apnews.com/article/a305c37eb60b522cf50ca46b4d94537b)
He studied for four years in the professional acting program at the [London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art](https://www.edgepedia.org/london-academy-of-music-and-dramatic-art) (LAMDA), graduating in 2017. While training he also studied stage combat at the British Institute of Dramatic Combat, attaining a Level-3 distinction.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/aaron-pierre/)
## Stage work
Pierre's professional stage debut came as Cassio in *Othello* at [Shakespeare's Globe](https://www.edgepedia.org/shakespeares-globe) in 2018, opposite [Mark Rylance](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-rylance), and he was nominated for the 2018 Ian Charleson Award for the performance.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1) In 2019 he played the King opposite [Lenny Henry](https://www.edgepedia.org/lenny-henry) in the production of August Wilson's *King Hedley II* at the Theatre Royal Stratford East.[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/) In 2026 he was scheduled to play Randle P. McMurphy in a West End production of *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*.[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/)
## Television and film career
Soon after completing his studies at LAMDA in 2017, Pierre won his first television part, playing Terrence O'Duncie across two episodes of the British crime drama *Prime Suspect 1973* (ITV), and then took a two-episode part in *The A Word* (BBC). A ten-minute audition won him the role of the Roman soldier Antonius in the Sky series *Britannia*, and in 2018 he began playing Dev-Em on the Superman-origin series *Krypton* (Syfy), running 2018 to 2019.[4](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/aaron-pierre/) • [6](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/AaronPierre)
**Barry Jenkins and The Underground Railroad.** American director Barry Jenkins saw Pierre play Cassio in *Othello* and sent him a message inviting him to audition for his new series. Pierre was cast as Caesar in *The Underground Railroad*, released on [Amazon Prime](https://www.edgepedia.org/amazon-prime) in May 2021; Jenkins has said the part grew after Pierre arrived on set in Atlanta, with Jenkins creating scenes for him.[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/a305c37eb60b522cf50ca46b4d94537b) In July 2021 he appeared as the rapper Mid-Sized Sedan (also called Brendan) in [M. Night Shyamalan](https://www.edgepedia.org/m-night-shyamalan)'s film *Old*, for which he wrote and performed the song "More Dough for the Cookin'".[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1) • [5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/)
In 2022 he played Francis in Clement Virgo's film *Brother*, a performance that won Best Supporting Performance in a Film at the 11th [Canadian Screen Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/canadian-screen-awards) in 2023. He also starred as Terrance in *Foe* (2023), an adaptation of Iain Reid's novel, opposite [Saoirse Ronan](https://www.edgepedia.org/saoirse-ronan) and directed by [Garth Davis](https://www.edgepedia.org/garth-davis).[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1)
**2024 breakout.** Pierre's 2024 output included three prominent roles: [Malcolm X](https://www.edgepedia.org/malcolm-x) in the [National Geographic](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-geographic) limited series *Genius: MLK/X*, Terry Richmond in Jeremy Saulnier's Netflix thriller *Rebel Ridge*, and the voice of young Mufasa in *Mufasa: The Lion King*. GQ described 2024 as "a busy breakout year" for him.[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/) In *Rebel Ridge*, an ex-Marine rides into the fictional town of Shelby Springs, Louisiana, to post bail for his cousin and is drawn into conflict with a corrupt police department led by [Don Johnson](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-johnson)'s character. The film amassed 31.2 million views in its first week of release, according to Netflix.[7](https://www.thewrap.com/rebel-ridge-jeremy-saulnier-interview-netflix/) Saulnier, who initially worried the 6-foot-3 actor would be too imposing for the role, said he was convinced within two minutes of their first Zoom call.[8](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/rebel-ridge-release-date-photos-news?inapp=true%2F)
Pierre had joined the cast of Marvel's *Blade* in February 2022 but was released from the project in March 2024 as a result of script rewrites.[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/)
## Mufasa and franchise roles
When Pierre was cast as Mufasa, announced in August 2021 as a reteaming with Jenkins, he took over a character voiced by [James Earl Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-earl-jones) in Disney's *The Lion King* (1994) and its 2019 remake. Jones died in September 2024, before the prequel's December 20, 2024 theatrical release, and the film opens with a brief tribute to him; Pierre said he hoped to honor Jones and the character through his performance. To sing the part, he trained under Lin-Manuel Miranda in what he called a "wonderful singing boot camp," and he performs on the songs "I Always Wanted a Brother", "We Go Together", and "Tell Me It's You".[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/) • [9](https://apnews.com/article/d900717873cb2fe7daa23de278fc3422) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1)
In October 2024, HBO announced that Pierre would lead its DC Studios series *Lanterns* as John Stewart / Green Lantern, opposite Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, after what has been described as a highly selective casting process. The series premiered in 2026, and Pierre is also attached to reprise John Stewart in the film *Man of Tomorrow* (2027). His other announced projects include *Star Wars: Starfighter* (2027), alongside Ryan Gosling and Amy Adams in a film directed by Shawn Levy; the animated film *GOAT* (2026), voicing Mane Attraction; and *Love of Your Life* (2026) for Amazon MGM Studios, opposite Margaret Qualley. He also played Miles in season 4 of *The Morning Show* (2025).[2](https://apnews.com/article/a305c37eb60b522cf50ca46b4d94537b) • [5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1)
## Background and approach
Pierre is of Jamaican, Curaçaoan, and Sierra Leonean descent.[6](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/AaronPierre) He has practiced boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and muay thai for years, which made incorporating the Marine Corps martial arts skills of his *Rebel Ridge* character natural; the film's fight mantra, as he described it, is "one mind, any weapon".[10](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/pt-br/artigos/rebel-ridge-final-explicado) He counts Denzel Washington, James Earl Jones, and Sidney Poitier as career role models, and has named Troy Maxson in August Wilson's *Fences* as a dream role.[2](https://apnews.com/article/a305c37eb60b522cf50ca46b4d94537b) • [11](https://www.msk.com/media/headlines/47_THR_WEEKLY_112024_COMBINED_PDF_SMALL.pdf)
## References
1. [Aaron Pierre, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543974/?nmdp=1)
2. [AP Breakthrough Entertainer: Aaron Pierre ends his big year on a high note with 'Mufasa', Associated Press (December 2024)](https://apnews.com/article/a305c37eb60b522cf50ca46b4d94537b)
3. [Aaron Pierre, elCinema](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2184142/)
4. [Aaron Pierre, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/aaron-pierre/)
5. [Aaron Pierre, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Aaron-Pierre/)
6. [Aaron Pierre, TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/AaronPierre)
7. [Rebel Ridge Director Jeremy Saulnier Looks Back on His Netflix Hit, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/rebel-ridge-jeremy-saulnier-interview-netflix/)
8. [Rebel Ridge Movie: Cast, Release Date, Photos and Plot, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/rebel-ridge-release-date-photos-news?inapp=true%2F)
9. [How 'Mufasa' rose with Aaron Pierre and Blue Ivy's voices along with new Lin-Manuel Miranda music, Associated Press (December 2024)](https://apnews.com/article/d900717873cb2fe7daa23de278fc3422)
10. [Final explicado de Rebel Ridge, Netflix Tudum (Portuguese edition)](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/pt-br/artigos/rebel-ridge-final-explicado)
11. [Aaron Pierre, The Hollywood Reporter / Msk Agency weekly PDF (November 2024)](https://www.msk.com/media/headlines/47_THR_WEEKLY_112024_COMBINED_PDF_SMALL.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › English actors: 2000s onward › Surnames N to P*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license