Y'lan Noel
Y'lan Noel | |
|---|---|
| Born | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Education |
|
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2012–present |
Y'lan Noel is an American actor. He is known for portraying Daniel King in the HBO television series Insecure (2016–2018), and the lead role of Dmitri Cimber in the horror film The First Purge (2018). He also starred as Coltrane Wilder in the crime drama, Nemesis (2026). For his role as Troy Marshall in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Noel was nominated for the British Academy Games Award for Performer in a Leading Role.
Early life and education
[edit]Y'lan Noel was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was further raised in Queens until his family moved to Decatur, Georgia. He is of Afro-Panamanian descent.[1]
He began attending Morehouse College and transferred to New York University.[1] He continued through Tisch School of Arts until he was called away to Los Angeles.[2]
Career
[edit]Noel landed the role of Daniel King on the 2016 series Insecure.[1] He described Daniel as being the opposite of him: "I was nervous about playing Daniel. I love being around women...but I’ve always felt a bit awkward, well, insecure, around women I’ve had crushes on. Daniel doesn’t seem to have any of that awkwardness... Daniel’s extremely confident and goes after what he wants."[3]
In 2018, Noel played the lead role of Dmitri in The First Purge,[4] which he considered very challenging.[5]
In 2021, he was cast in the lead for a television pilot based on the Sam Greenlee novel The Spook Who Sat By The Door, to be produced by Lee Daniels.[6][7][8]
Noel voiced the role of Troy Marshall in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.[9]
Accolades
[edit]In 2025 Noel was nominated for the British Academy Games Award for Performer in a Leading Role for his role in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.[9]
Personal life
[edit]Noel is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi.[10]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | The Spartan King | Jack | Short film |
| 2013 | House of Another | Henry Gibson | |
| 2018 | The First Purge | Dmitri | |
| 2018 | Slice | Big Cheese | |
| 2018 | The Weekend | Aubrey | |
| 2020 | The Photograph | Young Isaac Jefferson | |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Hustle | Kutta | Main role |
| 2016–2018 | Insecure[11] | Daniel King | Recurring (season 1) Main role (season 2–3) |
| 2021 | The Spook Who Sat by the Door | Dan Freeman | Main role; unaired pilot |
| 2024 | Lady in the Lake[12] | Ferdie Platt | Main role; limited series |
| 2026 | Nemesis | Coltrane Wilder | Main role |
Video games
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 | Troy Marshall | [13] |
| 2025 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Ballin, Sofiya (September 1, 2017). "Insecure's Y'lan Noel Makes It Easy To Be #DanielHive". Fader. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Alumni Focus: Y'lan Noel". Method Acting Strasberg. December 14, 2015. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ↑ Armstrong, Olivia. "Y'lan Noel on Why Daniel Is Way More Than Just "The Other Guy"". HBO. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ↑ Crucchiola, Jordan (July 6, 2018). "The First Purge Star Y'lan Noel on Beating Up Nazis". Vulture. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ↑ Volpe, Allie (July 3, 2018). "'Insecure' + 'The First Purge' Star Y'lan Noel on How to Use Audition Nerves to Your Advantage". Backstage. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 22, 2021). "Y'lan Noel To Headline 'The Spook Who Sat By The Door' FX Pilot Produced By Lee Daniels". Deadline. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ↑ Morales, Wilson (April 14, 2021). "Christina Jackson Joins Y'lan Noel In FX Pilot 'Spook Who Sat by the Door'". BFTV. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ↑ Alexander, Jared (March 24, 2021). "Y'lan Noel grabs lead role in Lee Daniels' 'The Spook Who Sat By The Door'". thegrio.com. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- 1 2 Welsh, Oli (March 4, 2025). "Hellblade 2 leads very different set of nominations for BAFTA Games Awards". Polygon.
- ↑ Kappa Alpha Psi® Fraternity, Inc. [@kapsi1911] (July 7, 2018). "Brother Y'lan Noel (Omicron Chapter) speaks onstage during the 2018 #EssenceFest at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 7, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 📸 by @thephotomanlife #Nupes #essencefestival2018 #essencefestival #InsecureHBO #YlanNoel https://t.co/95e29Go7Ii" (Tweet). Retrieved October 3, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ↑ "Y'lan Noel Transforms from 'Insecure' Heartthrob to Complex Cop in 'Lady in the Lake'". BET. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ↑ Macaulay, Scott (July 16, 2024). ""The Hardest Thing Is To Get Out of Your Own Way": Lady In The Lake's Y'lan Noel, Back To One, Episode 300 - Filmmaker Magazine". Filmmaker Magazine | Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ↑ "Xbox's 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 6' Voice Cast to Star 'Insecure' and 'The First Purge' Actor Y'lan Noel (EXCLUSIVE)". June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Y'lan Noel at IMDb
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