Ato Blankson-Wood starred on Broadway in Jeremy O. Harris’ critically acclaimed Slave Play, for which he was nominated for a 2021 Tony Award. He also earned nominations for the Drama League Awards and the inaugural Antonyo Awards for playing Gary, a role he originated for the New York Theatre Workshop production, where his performance earned him a Lortel nomination. Blankson-Wood followed this by starring opposite Bill Camp and Elizabeth Marvel in Long Day's Journey Into Night for Audible, which reunited him with Slave Play director Robert O’Hara, and led the Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Public Works’ As You Like It for The Public Theater. Blankson-Wood had his breakout performance in The Public Theater musical The Total Bent (Drama League and Lucille Lortel Award nomination), which explored the life of a Black musical prodigy in a nation on the verge of social upheaval. Blankson-Wood has also been seen on Broadway in Hair and Lysistrata Jones, as well as in The Rolling Stone for Lincoln Center (Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance nomination). Films include Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit, Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, Worth opposite Michael Keaton, and in Peter Hedges’ The Same Same Storm. TV includes The Good Fight, She’s Gotta Have It, Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us, and Ryan Murphy’s Dahmer.
