Delroy Lindo has said his acting career was “birthed and nurtured in America”, despite being born in London. The 73-year-old actor, who was born at Lewisham Hospital to a Jamaican family connected to the Windrush generation, moved to the United States as a teenager and no longer primarily identifies as British. He has credited his training and early theatre work in New York with laying the foundations for his career.
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Speaking to Sky News, Lindo acknowledged his British roots while emphasising the impact of his American experiences. He noted that attending acting school in the US and spending a decade as a New York-based theatre actor were crucial steps, before being noticed by director Spike Lee on Broadway. He described these opportunities as pivotal to his professional development.
Lindo was recently nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Sinners, a recognition that came as a surprise to him. He recalled being alerted to the nomination by his son early in the morning and realising something significant had happened after seeing a large number of messages on his phone. He later explained that he had tried to keep some emotional distance from awards speculation.
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The actor also discussed the challenges of playing the character Delta Slim, particularly the musical demands of the role. Learning to play instruments such as the piano, keyboard and harmonica required a different kind of discipline, he said, noting that coordinating technique and muscle memory did not always come easily. Despite the difficulty, he described the process as an important part of bringing the character to life.
