Jeymes Samuel
Director, Singer-songwriter and Music Producer Powerlistee Alumni
Media, Publishing, Entertainment, Sport
Jeymes Samuel is a singer, songwriter, music producer and now a film director – a latter-day auteur hailed by the LA Times as “pouring black joy into Hollywood epics”. Known in hip-hop circles as The Bullitts, his more recent shift to movie-making has seen him win a Bafta for his feature film debut.
In 2021, he directed The Harder They Fall, an all-black Western starring Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors and Zazie Beetz and based on real cowboys, lawmen and outlaws of the 19th century American West.
It premiered at the BFI London Film Festival and was later streamed on Netflix, receiving critical acclaim and a Bafta for Samuel for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer. It also scooped a clutch of Critics’ Choice awards, including best acting ensemble and best action movie.
Samuel’s music career saw him release a studio album, They Die By Dawn & Other Short Stories (2013), a soundtrack album for The Harder They Fall – featuring friend Jay-Z – and nine singles, from 2000 to 2012. He has written and co-produced for the likes of Emiliana Torrini, Mr Hudson, Estelle and The Feeling.
Samuel’s first feature movie credit was as executive music consultant for Baz Luhrmann and Jay-Z for The Great Gatsby (2013). He then premiered his own short film, They Die By Dawn, at the 2013 South by Southwest film festival.
In 2023 he released his second feature, The Book of Clarence, which he wrote, directed, and co-produced. The Monty Python-influenced, Biblical comedy-drama stars LaKeith Stanfield, and features Marianne Jean-Baptiste, James McAvoy and Benedict Cumberbatch, and premiered at the London Film Festival.
He is also producer and composer of the upcoming Netflix movie, Teddy, written, directed by and starring Kid Cudi.
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