Elliot Edusah Talks The Crow Girl, Growth and Finding His Voice

Elliot Edusah is a British Ghanaian actor whose career has continued to evolve across film and television, from Pirates and Django to Small Axe, Sitting in Limbo and 1917.

Returning as DC Mike Dilliston for the second season of Channel 5 and Paramount+ drama The Crow Girl, Edusah steps back into a character who is more assured, more independent and carrying greater responsibility.

As the series tackles a darker investigation involving the deaths and abuse of young male asylum seekers, Mike becomes an increasingly important moral voice within the team.

Edusah reflects on the growth of the character, learning from Eve Myles, Victoria Hamilton and Dougray Scott, and becoming more intentional about the stories he wants to tell.

Please introduce yourself …
My name’s Elliot Edusah. I’m a Pisces, my heritage is Ghanaian, and I’m from Newham, East London.

Describe your life right now in one word or a sentence …
Water.

Why are we here?
The Crow Girl.

You’re back as DC Mike Dilliston for season two of The Crow Girl. How has Mike changed since season one?
Growth, maturity, and independence. After his unofficial promotion, he’s had no choice but to step up his responsibilities. His judgement and intuition sharpen. This season, he can’t hold anything back.

Season two is quite dark, focusing on the deaths and abuse of young male asylum seekers. How did you navigate working on this sensitive storyline?
It was a storyline that I felt deserved the utmost sincerity, particularly when delivering scenes about the young boys who were found. I think we sowed the seeds for that quite well in season one. As a young Black detective, Mike’s passionate about ensuring the victims are treated professionally, with care and with the dignity they deserve. There are moments this season where he really puts his foot down with Superintendent Verity Pound and Jeanette Kilburn because he doesn’t want the boys to be forgotten simply because they aren’t British citizens. He becomes something of the moral heartbeat of the team, constantly questioning not only how the case is being handled, but the morality of the people around him.

You’ve now spent two seasons with Eve Myles and the wider cast. How have those relationships evolved off-screen, and has that familiarity changed what you’re able to do together on-screen?
Working with Eve is a delight. She’s a ray of sunshine on a cold Bristol morning. She’s a great leader. We spent so much time together getting to know each other, and we have a banter which made every day on set a blessing. Working with Victoria Hamilton and Dougray Scott has also been phenomenal, and I am grateful to be in such close proximity to such powerhouses – watching, learning, picking their brains. They’ve inspired me from their performances over the years, and to know I can call these people friends now is a beautiful thing.

When we first spoke to you for Pirates, you described yourself as an actor on the rise, having had roles in Small Axe, Sitting in Limbo and 1917. Since then you’ve moved through so many different genres. Do you feel more intentional now about the roles you choose and the career you’re building?
Yes. I want to discover different characters, different energies and worlds, but always stay authentic to the story. I’m a storyteller and I believe that’s the one thing that anchors and keeps me interested in a character’s journey. When I started my career, what used to excite me was working with directors I’d admired growing up but the older I get, the more I understand the importance of story and how much we connect to the characters in it.

You’ve previously spoken to us about learning from actors like Matthias Schoenaerts and Nicholas Pinnock and taking those experiences into your own process. We are a few years into your career, what does your process look like now?
My process is a living breathing evolving thing which I am constantly adding building blocks to, so from every experience I believe I get to refine certain things or play with things in a different way.

You once told us that you’d tell your 18-year-old self, “Slow down. It’s a marathon.” Does that advice still hold, or would you tell that younger Elliot something different now?
Just keep going.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

What’s made you sad, mad, & glad this week? Dolly Parton passing made me sad. It’s Notting Hill Carnival this weekend, so that makes me glad, and the bipolar weather’s making me mad.

What are you watching? I really enjoyed Possession starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw; great performances all-round, and I loved the writing.

What are you reading? Atomic Habits by James Clear.

The last film you watched? The Odyssey.

The last play you saw? All My Sons.

The last live music event? Fête De La Musique.

What’s currently on your playlist? James Blake.

Which podcast are you listening to? The Diary of a CEO.

What’s on your bucket list? Going to the pyramids in Egypt.

Where’s your happy place? Ghana.

Celebrate someone else … Shoutout to Mike Ajao and Edward Kagutuzi and their sports and entertainment company – Endoiiiment. They are doing great sports days and activities, bringing the people together this summer.

Celebrate yourself … My photography page – @DeeperArchivee, where I share the photographs I take while out and about.

Where can we find you? @ElliotEdusah.

Where can we watch you at work? The Crow Girl, Seasons one and to are on on Channel 5 and Paramount +.