‘Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh Lands Lead in ‘Open Water’
The BBC’s adaptation of 'Open Water' has announced its cast, including Toheeb Jimoh as Marcus.
British author Caleb Azumah Nelson came out of the gate hot with his 2021 debut novel, Open Water. A slim book running only 150 pages or so (in the printed editions anyway; your Kindle may vary), it’s a romance about two young Black British artists who fall in love while confronting societal expectations, facing personal fears, and navigating vulnerability and racial identity in London. The book took home the Costa Book Award for Best First Novel the year it was published and went on to win the Betty Trask Award and the Somerset Maugham Award in 2022.
The BBC picked up the rights to turn the book into a series after a negotiation that saw Nelson retain almost complete control, penning all eight episodes and directing the limited series. The BBC has now confirmed the cast, with Ted Toheeb Jimoh starring in the series as the novel’s protagonist Marcus, and Dujonna Gift (Ludwig) as the woman he falls for, Effie.
In the press release, Nelson stated, “The process of bringing Open Water from page to screen has been amazing, and I’ve found some truly outstanding collaborators. We rarely see love stories like this and everyone, from crew to cast, has put their whole heart into this production to make it happen. I can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on.”
Here’s the series synopsis:
Marcus works in retail while trying to develop a career as a photographer. Effie is studying dance at university in Dublin. From the moment they meet, they feel an immediate, undeniable connection. But, as Marcus soon learns, Effie is in a relationship with Marcus’ friend Samuel. It’s a boundary that Marcus is unwilling to cross. A shared project, photographing and documenting Black creatives in London, draws them into each other’s orbit, but can their burgeoning friendship resist the pull of desire? They seem destined for each other, their crush evolving into a love that is ocean deep. But love is never enough, and their path towards one another is treacherous. Will they sink or swim in open water?
Jimoh and Gift are joined by a stellar cast that includes Renee Bailey (Call The Midwife), Sekou Diaby (Boarders), Rhianna Dorris (Lockwood & Co.), Lamar Waves (The Tower), Nadine Marshall (Babies), Mo Sesay (The Diplomat), Hope Ikpoku Jr. (Top Boy), Stevie Odu (Boiling Point), Tara Tijani (Sister Boniface Mysteries), Matthew Dunster (Silent Witness), Enva Lewis (How To Have Sex), Abdul Salis (Frauds), Janina Elkin (The Undeclared War), Sherise Blackman (Bridgerton), Beaux Bryant (Stolen Dreams Redemption), Neve McDonnell (G’wed), Jayden Fowora Knight (The Nutcracker & the Four Realms), Nash Nørgaard (Death of Ivan Ilyich), and small screen newcomers Henrietta Pearl Quartey and Javier Bonaparte.
Author Caleb Azumah Nelson is both the lead writer and director on the eight-part series, with Karlvyn Dove producing, and musician Cassie Kinoshi creating an original score. Nelson is also an executive producer alongside Tally Garner for Mam Tor Productions, Matimba Kabalika for B-Side Productions, and Rebecca Ferguson for the BBC. The late Danielle Scott-Haughton was also an executive producer for the BBC on the series before her passing.
Open Water is currently filming in Birmingham and London. It does not yet have an American distributor.
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