Hollywood actor Daniel Kaluuya and Nev Watson, owner of ModernAge

OSCAR winner Daniel Kaluuya swapped the glittering lights of Hollywood for his favourite barber shop this week as he promoted his film about a dystopian future without social housing.

Mr Kaluuya, who went to St Aloysius in Highgate, spent Monday afternoon in ModernAge salon in Holloway Road, Archway. The Get Out star, who was helped into acting by the Anna Scher Theatre school, was promoting his latest film and directorial debut, The Kitchen.

It tells the story of a dystopian future London where all social housing has been eliminated – and his old barber even managed to bag a few lines in the flick.

Nev Watson, the owner of the shop who took it over from his mother more than 25 years ago, said: “It’s really good that you get people who come through here and do well, and they come back and say, ‘It started from here, the idea came from here’ – it’s really good, and hopefully it’ll inspire more young people who are running around the place.”

Mr Kaluuya, who went to school in Highgate, shooting scenes for his directorial debut, The Kitchen

He added: “I got a call from someone from Netflix saying they were representing Daniel, asking if it was possible for me to come down. I didn’t think much of it, and I thought, ‘Alright, cool, I’ll just be sitting in a chair, and just chat crap with the actors between when they’re doing their jobs. But when you get there it’s not like that, they expect a little bit more.

“I was expecting just to be sitting around, having a little cameo. But the next minute they were like, ‘Can you do this’? And I was like, ‘Are you sure?’”

Mr Kaluuya – known for roles in Skins, Black Mirror, the crime thriller Sicario and Black Panther – won an Oscar in 2021 for his role in Judas And The Black Messiah and in 2018 won a BAFTA. At the 2018 ceremony, he said: “I am a product of arts funding within the UK.”

ModernAge salon in Holloway Road, Archway

Mr Watson’s shop in Holloway Road, a hub of creativity, has launched an online video channel called The Cut where he interviews musicians who perform in his shop. He’s set up the channel with two of his customers: Jake Phillips and Eric Guei.

Mr Phillips said: “There’s a number of forms of expression that happen here: you express yourself through your hair, through your conversation, and through music as well.

“It’s one of the big ways you say how you’re feeling, your opinions on the world, and how you say that through music that’s accessible to everyone. Everyone listens to a tune, or has their favourite song that speaks to a certain emotion. Having that element in here as well, the space and music complement each other.”