David Harewood, actor and presenter
David Harewood, actor and presenter, shares the eight tracks, book and luxury item he would take with him if cast away to a desert island. With Lauren Laverne.
David Harewood is a British actor and presenter who found global fame playing the CIA director David Estes in the acclaimed TV drama series Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔland. He was the first black actor to play Othello at the National theatre in 1997 and took the role of Martin Luther King in the Olivier award-winning play The Mountaintop in 2009.
David was born in Birmingham in 1965. After one of his teachers suggested that he should try his luck at acting, he won a place at RADA where he tackled a number of challenging roles including King Lear. After graduating, he performed in a range of television and theatre productions, but by the time he auditioned for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔland he says he was down to his last Β£80. He joined the cast of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔland in 2011 and the following year he was awarded an MBE for services to drama.
In 2019 he presented a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ documentary called Psychosis and Me which told the story of the mental breakdown he experienced as a young man. The programme was nominated for a BAFTA award and was praised by critics for its honest exploration of a difficult subject and for helping to remove some of the stigma around mental health. He went on to present a range of documentaries which addressed subjects close to his heart including the health inequality exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the experience of slavery within the history of his own family.
David lives in London with his wife and their two daughters.
DISC ONE: Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailers
DISC TWO: Tears on My Pillow by Johnny Nash
DISC THREE: One in Ten by UB40
DISC FOUR: $29.00 by Tom Waits
DISC FIVE: I Still Haven’t found what I’m Looking For by The Chimes
DISC SIX: (Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding
DISC SEVEN: Cruisin’ by ¶Ω’A²Τ²µ±π±τ΄Η
DISC EIGHT: Ain’t Nobody by Rufus and Chaka Khan
BOOK CHOICE: The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
LUXURY ITEM: A disco dancefloor
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Ain’t Nobody by Rufus and Chaka Khan
Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley
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Seven things we learned from David Harewood's Desert Island Discs
The actor shares the stories behind the eight tracks he'd take with him to the island.
Music Played
-
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Exodus
- Live At The Rainbow, 4th June 1977.
- UMC (Universal Music Catalogue).
- 13.
-
Johnny Nash
Tears On My Pillow
- The Best of Johnny Nash.
- Columbia.
- 13.
-
UB40
One In Ten
- The Best of UB40 Volume One.
- Virgin Catalogue.
- 1.
-
Tom Waits
$29.00
- Blue Valentine.
- Asylum Records.
- 5.
-
The Chimes
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
- Heaven: The Very Best Of Pauline Henry & The Chimes.
- S2.
- 3.
-
Otis Redding
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay
- The Dock of the Bay.
- Elektra Records.
- 1.
-
¶Ω’A²Τ²µ±π±τ΄Η
Cruisin'
- Ultimate ¶Ω’A²Τ²µ±π±τ΄Η.
- Virgin Records.
- 3.
-
Rufus & Chaka Khan
Ain't Nobody
- Blues And Soul: The Soul Years 1966-1999: Volume 8 1982-1983.
- Connoisseur Collection.
- 13.
Broadcasts
- Sun 29 May 2022 11:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Fri 3 Jun 2022 09:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
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