Big news for the OSD community: Babou Ceesay and Molly Chesworth, two of our brilliant graduates, have officially been announced as cast members of Black Doves Season 2 on Netflix.
Their casting builds on the strong OSD presence already established in Season 1, where Angus Cooper, another alum, delivered a standout performance as Trent Clark. Molly Chesworth also featured in Season 1 in the role of Marie, the Nanny to Keira Knightley’s character’s children.
While Angus won’t be returning, his character met a very dramatic end at the close of Season 1; his character helped set the tone for the series. It’s always special to see OSD actors bringing depth, nuance and energy to major screen projects, and we know that both Babou and Molly are destined to make an impact in season 2.
Molly Chesworth is back for Season 2 after her impressive appearance in the first season. You may have missed the connection at the end of Season One that (SPOILER ALERT) outed her character, Marie, as another Black Dove agent, but her return in Season 2 hints at an intriguing future for her character.
Watching an alum return to a role in a series like this always feels special – it means she brought something meaningful to the character and the world of the show. We can’t wait to see what Molly will bring to the second season!
The new season also sees the arrival of Babou Ceesay, one of OSD’s most accomplished alumni. Babou has been a prominent screen actor for nearly two decades, earning a BAFTA nomination for his role in Damilola, Our Loved Boy, and building a body of work across film and television that speaks for itself. Most recently, he starred in the Hulu/Disney+ sci-fi thriller Alien: Earth, delivering a striking performance as the cyborg security officer Morrow. Stepping into Black Doves adds yet another compelling project to his already extensive career.
In the new season, Babou plays Mr Conteh, a senior figure within the Black Doves organisation. The series has a knack for mysterious power players, so you can expect his character to carry plenty of intrigue.
For anyone considering training at OSD, these success stories highlight the quality of the training on offer. Seeing three alumni contribute to a major Netflix series – in different seasons, in different kinds of roles, and at different stages in their careers – shows how varied the path can be after drama school.
Angus stepped into a high-intensity family-crime storyline fresh from his training at OSD, making his professional screen debut less than a year after his graduation. Following Black Doves, he has filmed several roles in high-profile projects, including the feature film Anemone alongside Daniel Day-Lewis, and starred in the stage play 1536 with fellow OSD grad Tanya Reynolds at The Almeida Theatre.
Molly has been solidly building up her professional resume, having graduated from the Three Year Course in 2017. She’s featured on screen for the BBC’s Call The Midwife and has taken on iconic stage roles such as Desdemona in Othello for The Watermill Theatre. Now, she has the exciting task of building the character of Marie across a second season of an acclaimed Netflix series.
Finally, Babou continues to expand an already impressive portfolio of screen work spanning many genres and characters. Alongside his acting prowess, Babou is also the founder of Khoros Film Festival. Having relocated to The Gambia with his family, Babou founded Khoros to empower filmmakers from The Gambia and beyond.
Angus, Molly, and Babou are actors at different stages of their careers, each with a distinct voice, all rooted in the same training.
If you’re imagining your own future career, it’s worth paying attention to careers like theirs. They remind you that the industry isn’t one-size-fits-all and that the skills you build here at OSD can support a long, varied and meaningful life in performance.
Season 2 of Black Doves is now in production, and the story promises even more intrigue, espionage and emotional tension. For us, the added thrill is knowing that OSD actors are once again part of that world – shaping it, elevating it and contributing to the kind of high-quality work our graduates are known for.