Ernest Kingsley Jr.: Redefining Black Boyhood in 'Washington Black'

Last month, Hulu premiered its latest series, Washington Black, featuring a unique portrayal of Black boyhood through a historical fiction story in the 19th century.

Based on Esi Edugyan’s best-selling novel, the eight-episode series begins on a sugar plantation in Barbados, but if you’re expecting another story solely about slavery, Black pain, and oppression, you’ll be glad to know it’s not.

The series follows George Washington “Wash” Black, an 11-year-old enslaved boy, played by Eddie Karanja, whose life changes forever when a violent event forces him to flee the plantation. What begins as a desperate escape transforms into an adventure, breaking away from the typical period dramas that often confine Black stories to pain and suffering.

Outfit: Entire Studios

Wash’s journey taps into love, resilience, and curiosity, elements rarely afforded to young Black boys who are born into slavery. It’s a story of survival but also one of dreaming freely, having an imagination, and reclaiming destiny.

As Washington Black unfolds across continents from the plantations of Barbados to the icy coastlines of Nova Scotia, the boy becomes a man. When we meet the older Wash, now played by Ernest Kingsley Jr., he is living under a false name, burdened by past trauma and hunted for a crime he didn’t commit.

Kingsley is a rising British actor who previously appeared in Netflix’s The Sandman, but taking on the role of Wash has thrown him into the spotlight.

Outfit: Marni

“When I first read the script for Washington Black, it was during the audition process… My first thought was, I’m not getting this,” Kingsley recalls in The Quintessential Gentleman’s exclusive interview. “This story is so huge and larger than life. There’s no way I’m getting it. I was still in drama school.”

When auditioning for the role in 2021, Kingsley was attending the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. After getting the role, he trotted off across the world, just like his character, taking another step toward his dreams.

Outfit: H&M

“I grew up on the Disney Channel, watching The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and That’s So Raven and all that kind of stuff, and it was just something that brought me joy,” Kingsley shared about why he chose to pursue acting. “I just thought, ‘How do I keep on doing this thing that brings me joy? Eventually, it brought me to acting being a craft, being a career.”

That joy has been his compass, steering him through a demanding industry and ambitious roles, anchored by his mother’s unwavering belief in him.

“From the jump, she definitely saw the joy it brought me. She saw that I liked doing it, and people thought I was good at it,” Kingsley Jr. shares. “She was like, ‘You know what? It brings you joy, you go for it. I come from a place where it’s better to play it safe and just do the jobs that bring stability. But my mum took that risk.”

But to step into Wash’s shoes authentically, Kingsley went beyond his formal training, immersing himself in the history and culture of the people and the era.

“The journey starts in a very painful place, the institution of slavery. So it was important for me just to dive right into the world of that and the origins,” Kingsley shares. “There was an opposing slave society at the time. And also the different kinds of cultures that are coming there, like you’re getting West Africa being shipped from that country to Barbados. And it was important for me to know the era, time period, but also the different cultures that were amassing together to make one culture for themselves.”

This preparation helped him portray Wash as more than a survivor; he became a dreamer, a scientist, and a symbol of possibility. “Even in the face of fear and adversity, he still has that passion and tenacity,” Kingsley says. “He’s like, ‘I can still envision a future for myself that is better than my current circumstance.’ That in itself was his act of rebellion.”

Working alongside Sterling K. Brown, who both stars in and executive produced the series, was a masterclass in leadership and craft.

“Acting with Sterling K. Brown, getting to know him, was one of the main gifts of this whole project,” Kingsley reflects. “He’s taught me how to lead with love, how to lead with grace. There were so many times we’d be in a scene, and he’s giving it his all.”

The two built a bond rooted in friendship and mentorship. Brown left him with a piece of advice he carries everywhere: “He always tells me: ‘When I’m making a decision, I lead with my spirit. The spirit can never go wrong.’ I try to hold on to that wherever I am.”

Although it seems that roles and stories for Black and brown people are still few and far between, Kingsley recognizes that there is a shift happening in Hollywood today—a slow but real expansion of Black narratives on screen.

“Growing up, I didn’t see as much representation. As I got older and actors came before me and started to pave that way, I definitely saw much more stories that resonated with the holistic Black experience,” he says. “There’s been a large amount of time where we’re just seeing one story. There’s a danger of a single story because people like stereotypes and say, ‘Oh, you can only do that, that’s the only kind of box you fit.’ But the beauty of now, seeing all these different Black-led stories being told, is that we can be musical, fantastical, fall in love. Things that seemed reserved for people who didn’t look like us—it’s a great time to be in the industry.”

With Washington Black, Ernest Kingsley Jr. leads a story that breaks barriers and redefines what a Black period piece can be. It’s a tale of hardship, but also of wonder, intellect, and freedom, a world where a young boy refuses to let his beginnings define his end.

Check out the full interview. All eight episodes of Washington Black are now streaming on Hulu.