Kwame Kwei-Armah. © Donald McLellan

Review: Natalie Bartlett-Foster explores ‘Want to see more of me?’ on now at the National Portrait Gallery, London until September 7, 2008.

Photographer Donald MacLellan has produced a series of portraits celebrating the talent of black British actors including Sophie Okonedo, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Naomie Harris.

‘If you look at my portraits you will see that each of the subjects is looking directly at you, most of them in a challenging way,’ comments MacLellan.

And these gifted people have the right to be confronting their audience, asking us why their faces don’t appear on our screens more often, and why their names don’t effortlessly roll of our tongues.

Of the 24 actors and actresses, five are the products of RADA and three are LAMDA trained.

There are Oscar nominees and others have won numerous other industry awards. Many are experienced at treading the boards and have performed in a variety of plays to critical acclaim.

A number have appeared in British favourites such as Eastenders, The Bill and Coronation Street, whilst others such as Pirates of the Caribbean actress Naomie Harris and Without a trace star Marianne Jean- Baptiste have gone on to transatlantic success.

In 2002 before the commotion surrounding the prospect of a ‘Blond Bond’, the far more revolutionary idea of a ‘Black Bond’ had Hollywood abuzz.

The subject of the rumours was Colin Salmon - the debonair actor that then Bond, Pierce Brosnan, had endorsed as his most capable successor. Salmon had already played Charles Robinson - M’s chief of staff - in three Bond movies, but the part went to Daniel Craig instead.

MacLellan’s sepia-toned portrait of Salmon; his face half in shadow, emanates a solemn dignity and captures his gentlemanly elegance.

Liverpudlian Paul Barber is best known for his performance as Denzil in that staple of British TV, Only Fools and Horses. He is also known as Horse from popular British comedy The Full Monty (1997).

In his portrait Barber stares directly out at the audience, with his silver hair framing his face there is an alpha-male quality about him in opposition to the funny-man roles he is best known for. Although Barber has always played West-Indian characters the accompanying text tells us that his father was born in Sierra-Leone.

Sophie Okonedo. © Donald McLellan

Sophie Okonedo’s moving turn in the brilliant Hotel Rwanda (2004) opposite African-American actor Don Cheadle earnt her a Best Supporting Actress nomination in 2005’s Oscars.

A luminous Okonedo is pictured in a dark hood, smiling devilishly at the viewer as if withholding a secret. The intriguing image is simultaneously dark and sweet, and MacLellan has captured Okonedo's knowing coquettish charm.

In another portrait an elegantly suited David Oyolowo looks defiantly out at the audience, demonstrating the stately deportment essential to his groundbreaking performance asking Henry VI, in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2001 season.

Oyolowo, the first black actor to play the role of an English King in a major production won over critics and took home an Ian Charleson Award for his performance. He is best known for playing the character agent Danny Hunter in the BBC series Spooks (2002) and for his appearance in Five Days (2007).

Pictured resplendent in bronze silk, veteran Chinese-Jamaican actress Mona Hammond OBE is a familiar face, if not a familiar name of British TV. She won a scholarship to RADA and her first lead role was as Lady Macbeth at the Roundhouse in 1970. You will recognise her from Eastenders, The Bill, Holby City and Doctor Who.

She is also a co-founder of the Talawa Theatre Company formed in 1985. Talawa is a word from the Jamaican patois language meaning determined and gutsy, and is befitting for a company that re-interprets classical British plays, and is dedicated to providing an outlet for black acting talent.

It is inspiring to see the inclusion of Earl Cameron, a respected actor born in Bermuda in 1917. In a time when black British actors were struggling even more than now, Cameron debuted in a leading role in The Pool of London (1951); a film that dealt with racial prejudice, discrimination and diamond theft.

Cameron, who in his childhood was too shy to join his singer sister on stage, has commented that he has made informed choices in order to defy stereotypes of black people as “Uncle Tom’s cabin people” – a statement relating to the ubiquitous butler and maid supporting roles, and the lack of leading roles offers for black actors. He has gone on to have more than thirty films on his CV, and recent appearances include the part of a royal portrait painter in The Queen (2006).

This is a showcase for up and coming talent as well as the more established actors. Ashley Walters, musically known as Asher D from the UK garage act So Solid Crew, has made the successful transition from rap-star to TV star.

He is pictured here looking rather dapper; his hat perched at an angle and wearing a mischievous smile. Walters attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School from the age of seven and won Best Newcomer at the British Independent Film Awards for the title role in Bullet Boy (2004). He currently plays the character Billy Bond in the BBC TV drama Hustle.

Clearly, from their accolades, these actors are equally as talented as their white counterparts but their stinted screen appearances illustrates that there is still much work to be done in increasing the presence of black British actors and actresses.

Commenting on the exhibition, exhibition funders the UK Film Council state that ‘the aim is to stimulate debate about diversity and on-screen representation, content and portrayal.’ This exhibition is effective at highlighting the outstanding achievements of black British actors and raises questions about why these talented people aren’t being offered better roles more often.