Top Boy Cast

Ronan Bennett’s British crime drama series Top Boy has become incredibly successful since its premiere. The show tackles actual societal issues and topics even though it isn’t based on a genuine story. This article examines the characters, storyline, and reality-based elements of the program.

Top Boy: Plot

The story of Top Boy takes place in the made-up Summerhouse estate in Hackney, London. As they negotiate the intricate mechanics of the drug trade and gang violence in the city, Dushane (Ashley Walters) and Sully (Kane Robinson) are two drug traffickers whose lives are explored in the series.

There are several seasons in the show, and each one focuses on a distinct plot. First and second series debuted on Channel 4 in sets of four episodes each. The first series debuted across four evenings in late 2011 and the second series in 2013. The show was originally going to get a third season, but when Canadian rapper Drake showed interest, it was given fresh life.

Top Boy Cast

Ashley Walters as Dushane

Ashley Walters, who co-leads the program, portrays Dushane Hill in Top Boy. The game’s greatest player, Dushane, earns the title of “Top Boy” by working his way up the gang hierarchy. Rapper Walters, who occasionally goes by the stage name Asher D, is a well-known actor in British television and motion pictures. In Bulletproof, he portrays NCA Officer Ronnie Pike, the opposite of Dushane, in his other most well-known television role. Danny Dorsey in Billionaire Ransom and Antoine in 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ are two examples of film roles.

Kane Robinson as Gerard

Kane Robinson plays Gerard “Sully” Sullivan. Dushane has known Gerard “Sully” Sullivan since they were little children, and the two of them worked their way up the drug trade together. Sully is not as good at controlling his rage as Dushane is, and he regularly snaps at people. British musician and actor Kane Robinson, better known for his rap moniker Kano, plays Sully. Kano has only starred in four films, most notably The Kitchen as Izi, and his only TV appearance to far is Top Boy. Since 2005, Kano has put out six albums; Hoodies All Summer, his most recent album, was released in 2019.

Shone Romulus as Dris Wright

One of the few characters to feature in both the first two seasons and the Netflix relaunch of Top Boy is played by Shone Romulus as Dris Wright in seasons one through three. Until he makes the decision to turn on his old pals to the authorities, Dris is Dushane’s second best buddy. Only a few other productions have Romulus been in, making this his largest role to date.

Most famously, Romulus played Jerome in the movie No Shade and D’Angel in The Intent and its sequel, The Intent 2: The Come Up, in between the original run of Top Boy and the revival.

Jasmine Jobson as Jacqueline

Jaq can be seen in seasons three through five of Top Boy. She was second-in-command to Dris at first and had a grudge against Dushane, but she proved to be a devoted supporter of Sully and Dushane once Dris betrayed them. Jasmine Jobson, who has had appearances in a number of British TV series, plays Jaq in Top Boy. Her sole noteworthy film role is as Lily in Surge. Jobson has acted in TV shows such as Noughts + Crosses as Cara, Platform 7 as Lisa, and a single episode of Dark Heart as Sally Watkins.

Simbi Ajikawo as Shelley

Shelley, Dushane’s love interest, is portrayed by Simbi Ajikawo and debuted in Top Boy season 3. Shelley wants to be able to support her daughter in a proper manner. Ajikawo is a British rapper who goes as Little Simz on stage and has five albums out since 2015. He also stars in the show from seasons three through five. She has made occasional appearances in TV shows and motion pictures. She is best known for her self-portrait in Venom: Let There Be Carnage and her portrayal of Adunola, a recurring character on The Power.

Araloyin Oshunremi as Stefan Tovell

In the third through fifth seasons of Top Boy, Araloyin Oshunremi plays Stefan Tovell, the younger sibling of the Tovell family. One of the most naive characters in the show, Stefan yearns for a typical family but is entangled in his elder brothers’ illegal activities. Oshunremi only started acting in 2022, mostly in short film credits. However, in addition to his work in Top Boy, he also had a noteworthy television role in Heartstopper as Otis Smith.

Saffron Hocking as Lauryn Lawrence

Season 3 of Top Boy has Lauryn Lawrence as a recurring character; in seasons 4 and 5, she assumes a major role. Jaq’s sister Lauryn formerly harbored romantic sentiments for Dris in Top Boy. She is portrayed by British performer Saffron Hocking, whose only feature film appearance was as Sian in Strangeways Here We Come. Hocking has, nevertheless, made a number of noteworthy TV appearances, such as as Dylan in the MCU series Moon Knight, Sasha Bailey in Riches, Eleanor Kemp in London Kills, and Emma Lyndsey in White Gold.

Top Boy Supporting Cast

Michael Ward plays Jamie Tovell, the older brother of the Tovell family. In seasons three and four, Jamie struggles to maintain his position as Dushane’s good lieutenant while also trying to protect his impressionable siblings. Michael Ward, who played Brendan in the television series The A List, plays Jamie. His film credits include Judas Iscariot in The Book of Clarence, Empire of Light as Stephen, and The Old Guard as Lykon.

Giacomo Mancini as Gemel “Gem” Mustapha: In the first two seasons of Top Boy, Giacomo Mancini portrays Gemel “Gem” Mustapha, who is a recurrent character in the third season. Since beginning his acting career in 2012, Mancini has only had a small number of gigs. His television credits include cameos in The I.T. Crowd and Ripper Street. He is most known for his parts in the films Shaun in Anti-Social and Michelangelo in Pan.

Joshua Blisset portrays Kieron Palmer: Joshua Blisset plays Kieron Palmer, a pivotal role in Top Boy seasons three through five. Kieron is a devoted and hardy soldier who works as a high-ranking drug dealer for Scully and Dushane’s group. Since beginning in 2018, Blissett has hardly appeared in any performing roles. In addition to playing Steven in Pretty Red Dress, he plays Daps in Blue Story, Jacob Adjekum in Drawn Out, and Karl in Obey. Other than Top Boy, he only appears on television once, in a Young Wallander episode.

In the first and second seasons of Top Boy, Malcolm Kamulete portrays Ra’Nell Smith. During the first season of the show, Ra’Nell was a prominent character and Gem’s close buddy. Among Kamulete’s most prominent roles is Top Boy. In the 2023 series Champion, he plays the title character of Bosco Champion.

As Lisa Smith, Sharon Duncan-Brewster – In Top Boy, Lisa Smith is Ra’Nell’s mother. Sharon Duncan-Brewster plays Lisa Smith in the first two seasons of the show, after which her character vanishes. In addition to playing Senator Pamlo in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Duncan-Brewster starred as Liet-Kynes in Dune and as Moriarty/Mira Troy in Enola Holmes 2. Duncan-Brewster appears on television as Tula Quick in Intergalactic, Trina Johnson in EastEnders, and Roz Marchetti in Sex Education.

Lisa Dwan portrays Lizzie Kilfauns, an Irish criminal who happens to be Jamie’s sweetheart. Dwan’s most well-known roles are as Princess Deirdre in the TV show Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog and as Zoe Burke in the main cast of Fair City.

Mandy, played by NoLay, first appears as a guest in season 2, then returns as a recurring character in season 4, and ultimately appears as a regular character in season 5. In Top Boy, Mandy is the mother of Erin, Dris’s daughter. Similar to several members of the Top Boy cast, NoLay is a rapper, but her true name is Natalie Bianaca Athanasiou. NoLay has only acted once, but since 2007, she has put out eight CDs and mixtapes.

Adwoa Aboah as Becks: In seasons 4 and 5 of Top Boy, Adwoa Aboah plays Becks, a character who starts dating Jaqs. Model and actress Aboah plays Lia in the film Ghost in the Shell and plays Scorpia in two episodes of Willow.