Paapa Essiedu trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2012. Essiedu's first professional job after graduating was a season with the Royal Shakespeare Company, in which he appeared in Phillip Breen's production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. In 2016, Essiedu became the first black actor to play Hamlet on the Royal Shakespeare Company's main house stage. He won the 2016 Ian Charleson Award for his portrayal of Hamlet and Edmund at the Royal Shakespeare Company.