David Ajala — Movies, TV Shows & Roles

Actor

1986-05-21 · Hackney, London, England · Male

16 series in the catalog

David Ajala (born 21 May 1986) is an English actor. On television, he is known for his roles in the CW series Supergirl (2018–2019), the Syfy series Nightflyers (2018), the CBS and Paramount+ series Star Trek: Discovery (2020–2024), and the NBC series Law & Order (2025–). His films include Starred Up (2013), Brotherhood (2016) and Italian Studies (2021).
Early life
Ajala was born on 21 May 1986 in Hackney, London. He is of Nigerian Yoruba origin. In an interview for Interview Magazine Ajala said: "When I went to secondary school, my maths teacher said I had way too much energy and was too mischievous. He tried to convince me that if I did acting, I'd be popular with the girls". Ajala joined an afterschool programme at the Anna Scher Theatre. He went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting from the Court Theatre Training Company, awarded by Buckinghamshire New University.
Career
On stage, Ajala has performed in Nation, A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Hamlet, and as Jim Brown in the European premiere of One Night in Miami by Kemp Powers.
In film, his first part was in Kidulthood, and he also appears in the sequels, Adulthood and Brotherhood; he has also appeared in The Dark Knight and in major roles in Starred Up and the 2016 Seekers. On television, he has appeared in many series including Doctor Who and in major roles in Black Box, Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, Nightflyers, and Falling Water.
Sean 'Mac' McAlister, a character from 2017 video game Need for Speed Payback, is voiced by and modeled after him.
Ajala has appeared as Keith in the BBC Radio 4 dramas Burned To Nothing (2011) and Felix in The Price of Oil: Someone's Making A Killing In Nigeria both by Rex Obano.
In 2018 and 2019, Ajala played Manchester Black in seven episodes of the fourth season of the CW series Supergirl.
From 2020 to 2024, Ajala had a main role as Cleveland "Book" Booker in the third through fifth seasons of Star Trek: Discovery. The series was released on CBS All Access and then on Paramount+.
In September 2025, it was announced Ajala had joined the cast of the long-running NBC series Law & Order for its 25th season. He made his debut as Detective Theo Walker in the November 2025 episode "Guardian".
Personal life
Ajala is married to presenter and travel agent Terri Martin. They have two sons.