Posted on March 4th by Eugene Aldridge.

For those of you who watch Black Mirror, you should know how amazing the show can be. Black Mirror pushes the boundaries of normalcy and technology by making us believe that whatever horrors this show has to depict could actually happen. One awesome aspect about Black Mirror is that it serves as a trampoline for some actors to further their careers. It kind of seems like Black Mirror has a talent program for those who have acted in their show.

If you haven’t taken time out to watch Black Mirror, clear your TV-watching schedule and get in on this. If you want to imagine a world where technology takes over in the next 5 to 10 years then Black Mirror is where you would start. Black Mirror has been around since 2011 and still remains on top as one of Netflix’s best. Some episodes may seem more realistic than the rest but if you kept up with the world’s most recent technological advancements you would be surprised at how far we’ve come.

You might have noticed multiple actors from Black Mirror ending up becoming big screen heroes or recurring characters on television. There have also been big screen actors coming to star in an episode of Black Mirror and continuing on to be cast in a big role! There is no clear correlation on whether or not it’s because of Black Mirror. All I know is that these actors’ performances in their respective episodes seem to garner enough attention to help them secure some huge part in a film/TV show.

Some characters may not surprise you and others you probably had no idea about. Keep reading to find out who I mention,

1. Daniel Kaluuya

One of the biggest stars who came from Black Mirror is Daniel Kaluuya. Daniel Kaluuya helped get Black Mirror off of the ground by portraying Bing in Season 1, Episode 2 in. “Fifteen Million Merits” touched on how the saying, “Watching too much television can ruin your life”. Even though I just made that saying up it sounds like something someone old would say, right? Either way, this episode is not one of the crazier ones but he gets rid of his quiet and calm demeanor to deliver quite a performance. His performance in “Fifteen Million Merits” possibly secured his spot for the main character, Chris, in his movie, Get Out (2017). Yep, that was him. He also starred as W’Kabi in Black Panther (2018). Yep, that was also him. Even though Get Out premiered 6 years later, the fact that Daniel was chosen out of every possible actor and actress who auditioned shows the Black Mirror talent program works.

2. Letitia Wright

Letitia Wright is Nish in the most recent season of Black Mirror Season 4 Episode 6 (2017) and Shuri in the movie, Black Panther (2018). If you watched her episode on Black Mirror I’m sure you were in for a treat to see her on the big screen as one of the main characters in one of the highest grossing movies in 2018. Her appearance in Black Mirror showcased her versatility and her role in Black Panther showed her humor, either way, she’s an amazing actress. The turnaround for Letitia being Nish and Shuri has without a doubt done wonders for her career. Not only will she be easily recognized for her theatrical talent but she’s definitely making a ton of money! Her career only began in 2011 and with Letitia being 24-going-on-25 years old, her theatre career will definitely be a long and prosperous one.

3. Toby Kebbell

Another veteran from Black Mirror is Toby Kebbell. His premiere in Black Mirror started in Season 1, Episode 3 of the series. In 2011, Black Mirror was definitely not as popular as it is now which may be why it took so long for casting agents to seek out these talented professionals. He finally got some big screen recognition in the movie Fantastic Four (2015) as Dr. Doom. He also starred in the movie Kong: Skull Island (2017) as the extremely southern Jack Chapman. Toby is a fantastic actor; his abilities allow him to range from authoritatively serious to a sarcastic and inquisitive man without missing a beat. He also voiced the villain Koba in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes.

4. Bryce Dallas Howard

Who else do you think of when the name Black Mirror comes up? If it isn’t Black Mirror’s main star, Bryce Dallas Howard, then I have no idea who it could be. The beautiful Mrs. Howard starred as Lacie Pound in Black Mirror’s Season 3 Episode 1 (2016). Even though she starred in Jurassic World in 2015, while her Black Mirror episode was in 2016, the sheer coincidence of the official Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s trailer playing the Black Mirror song is suspicious. The Black Mirror song is Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand) (1964) by Irma Thomas. If you don’t know the significance of this song then you’ll be amazed at how they play that one specific song every season in one of their episodes. For a show that changes their cast, each episode having a recurring song is huge. Not only that but for a recurring song from Black Mirror to play in a trailer starring one of Black Mirror’s biggest characters cannot be a coincidence. Black Mirror has a substantial influence and you can definitely see it.

5. Alex Lawther

Although Alex Lawther is not a veteran of Black Mirror I’m sure you’ve seen his face. He played as Kenny, the main character in Black Mirror’s Season 3 Episode 3 (2016). He is also the star in Netflix original’s The End of the F***ing World (2017) right alongside his co-star, Jessica Barden. (Can you believe she’s 25?). This was when Black Mirror was finally taking off as a critically acclaimed show. The show earned 3 nominations and 1 win at the BAFTA Awards in 2017 and 1 nomination and 2 wins at the Primetime Emmy Awards also in 2017. Alex, a 22-year-old actor, has a bright future in front of him with his history with Black Mirror and his strong performance in The End of the F***ing World.

6. Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm has had a career way before his appearance on Black Mirror. He starred as Matt Trent in Season 2 Episode 4 of Black Mirror (2014) bringing his quirky personality and deep voice along with him. If you didn’t know him from Mad Men (2007-2015) then you may have seen him as The Reverend in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2017) and as Buddy from Baby Driver (2017). Is there a correlation to Jon starring in Black Mirror and then joining the cast of two fantastic works of art? I would say there is! Black Mirror’s formula of making spectacular episodes and then having their actors star in terrific films/TV shows seems to definitely work.

7. Jesse Plemons

I know Jesse Plemons has had a long career being in Friday Night Lights (2006) and Breaking Bad (2012) but my first time seeing him was in Black Mirror Season 4 Episode 1 (2017). If you’ve seen U.S.S. Callister then you should know how much frustration I have for his character. The main reason for him being on this list is because I’m hoping he does become one of my favorite celebrities. His new movie coming out, Game Night (2018), is a chance to shake off the anger his well-played character gave us when watching the show.

8. Michael Kelly

Michael Kelly is an actor most people would know as Doug Stamper from House of Cards (2013-2017) than as Arquette in Season 3 Episode 5 in Black Mirror (2016). He brings his Doug Stamper-esque personality into his portrayal of Arquette. Michael talks like it should be common sense that whatever unpleasant plan he is trying to execute is the right thing to do. He could definitely be an elderly Batman with his greying hair and no-nonsense demeanor. Hopefully, with him catching the Black Mirror train we can see him in some big role that requires his character to be a good guy and not a down-to-earth villain.

9. Hannah John-Kamen

You may not have known Hannah John-Kamen was in Black Mirror due to her short scenes for her character. She played the main character’s love interest in Season 3 Episode 2 of Black Mirror (2016) and had an awesome, freaky fight scene at the end! But you will get to know her more as Ant-Man and The Wasp’s (2018) villain, The Ghost! That’s right, she’ll be showing off her villainous, anarchic acting abilities with her upcoming appearance. What makes her taking the role of Ghost so perfect is that Hannah will be bending gender roles. by taking on a character that is supposed to be male. Maybe adding a feminine touch to a villain like Ghost, who is known for being an anarchist that loves taking down big corporations, will help make her performance much more engaging and believable. There’s something about a female villain that sends chills down my spine. Usually, female villains’ reasonings behind their evil deeds are deeply emotional and their resolve to reach their sinister goals is unwavering. Compared to the typical type-casted male villain who fights for fighting’s sake I’d rather have Hannah.

You can catch Eugene Aldridge furiously writing about something at 3 am. For whatever reason, palm trees make him smile. If you want to see him cry play Simple and Clean. Check out more of his articles on YourTango.