| Birth Date: | 31 May 1980 |
| Birth Place: | Hammersmith, London, England |
| Years Active: | 2008–present |
Hainsley Lloyd Bennett (born 31 May 1980)[1] is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Bazza in the Epix series Pennyworth (2019–2021).
Bennett was born in Hammersmith, West London to Caribbean parents and grew up in Wembley, North West London. He attended Hammersmith College.[1] He studied English and Psychology[2] and then trained at the Questors Theatre.[3] [4]
Bennett made his television and feature film debuts with small roles in the BBC One medical soap opera Casualty in 2008 and the film London Boulevard in 2010, respectively. He played the titular Othello at the Drayton Arms in 2014,[5] [6] as well as the titular Evan Smith in the 2016 web series Kingdom of Evan.[7] He also gained acclaim for his powerful performance in short film White Awake. He had a small recurring role as Dr Michael Osoba in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. In 2018, Bennett appeared in the films CTRL and King of Crime, the latter of which had a theatrical release.
In 2019, Bennett began starring in the DC Universe series Pennyworth on Epix as posh Bajan playboy Deon "Bazza" Bashford,[8] [9] a main role Bennett played until the character's death in the second season.[10] Bennett portrayed William Lee in the 2020 History Channel miniseries Washington. As of 2023 he has a role in the forthcoming season three of the Apple TV+ series Tehran as well as appearing in Idris Elba thriller Hijack for the same streaming service.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Keep Up If You Can | Pete | Short film |
| 2010 | London Boulevard | Student | |
| 2012 | Ill Manors | Policeman | |
| 2015 | White Awake | Joshua | Short film |
| 2018 | This Sceptred Isle | Sgt Phillips | |
| CTRL | Dru | ||
| King of Crime | Anthony Tully | Also known as Milk and Honey | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008, 2018 | Casualty | Officer / Sal Faulks | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | My Holiday Hostage Hell | Yudas | Episode: "West Papau" |
| 2015–2017 | EastEnders | Dr Michael Osoba | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Kingdom of Evan | Evan Smith | Web; lead role |
| 2019 | Catastrophe | Instructor | 1 episode |
| 2019–2021 | Pennyworth | Deon "Bazza" Bashford | Main role (seasons 1–2) |
| 2020 | Washington | William Lee | Miniseries |
| 2022 | Get Ahead | Hamish Herrera | Miniseries |
| 2023 | Hijack | Police Constable | Episode: "Brace Brace Brace" |
| TBA | Tehran | Nyakane | |
| Song | Year | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Get to You" | 2008 | James Morrison | |
| "Every Now and Then" | 2009 | Noisettes | |
| "Noella (Be Nice)" | 2018 | Nat Ya | |