Devon Terrell


Devon Terrell is an American-Australian actor best known for playing a young Barack Obama in the 2016 biographical film Barry,and playing Arthur in the Netflix original series Cursed.

Early life and education

Terrell was born in Long Beach, California to an African-American father and English Anglo-Indian mother. At age 5, he moved to Perth, Western Australia, growing up in Forest Lakes. After finishing his secondary education at Lynwood Senior High School, he attended Edith Cowan University, specialising in drama education. He graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 2013.

Career

Terrell's first role was in the Steve McQueen series for HBO, Codes of Conduct, which was canceled after the pilot was filmed. He then sought an audition for Barry, feeling an affinity for Obama as both are of mixed race. He said that, when once asked at age 19 what his "dream role" was, it was to portray Obama.
To prepare for the role, Terrell worked with a dialect coach and watched Obama's speeches to master his accent and manner of speaking, and was offered the part after one audition. He also trained himself to portray the left-handed Obama, including learning how to write and play basketball with his left hand. He read Obama's book Dreams from My Father three times to get into his mindset, and he received praise for his portrayal when the film was released. His latest roles include his role as Arthur in the Netflix original series Cursed with starring Katherine Langford whose first season released on July 17, 2020.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015Codes of ConductBeverly SnowUnaired pilot
2020CursedKing ArthurMain cast