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Leigh Adam Whannell (/ˈli ˈwɑːnɛl/; born November 13, 2001) is a British actor, rapper, film producer, screenwriter, and songwriter. Born in Melbourne and raised in West London, Whannell initially pursued a career in football, joining Chelsea Academy in 2007. When he was released in 2013, he began to pursue a career in acting instead, making debut minor appearances in episodes of Holby City that same year, before gaining global recognition in 2016, for his role as Bobby Lashley in the Netflix series Stranger Things, a role Whannell received rave reviews for.

Leigh Whannell
Whannell in 2022
Born	Leigh Adam Whannell (2001-11-13) November 13, 2001 Melbourne, Australia
Nationality	United Kingdom Australia
Occupations	Actor rapper film producer screenwriter songwriter director entrepreneur
Years active	2013–present
Organisations	Joy-Con Boyz Foundation Twisted Pictures YIC Records
Works	Filmography discography
Partner	Rihanna (2019-present)
Children	2
Relatives	Neve Whannell (sister) Gianni Paolo (brother) Danielle Whannell (sister)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Hip hop British hip hop grime trap road rap pop rap UK garage
Labels	Atlantic YIC Warner
Member of	YIC
Website	lwhannellyic.com
Signature

After making his breakthrough on Stranger Things, Whannell would make his feature film debut in 2018, starring as the lead role in Monster House, as the Dustin James "DJ" Walters character, as well as landing a main role in the Netflix revival of the British crime drama series Top Boy. Whannell would receive worldwide critical acclaim for his performance as Adam Stanheight in the 2020 horror film Saw, in which he would win the BAFTA Rising Star Award, while also receiving nominations at the Academy Awards, British Academy Film Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Whannell would appear as the character in the three sequels that followed: Saw II in 2021, Saw III in 2022, and Saw IV in 2023, receiving a further Academy Award nomination for the role. In 2020, Whannell would also land the role as Bruce Banner and his alter ego The Hulk in the blockbuster superhero film The Incredible Hulk, which released in January 2022, with Whannell's performance receiving universal acclaim from critics. This would lead to Whannell winning the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor. This made him the youngest ever actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Outside of acting, Whannell has also found critical and commercial success in music, with his first single, "New Kid on da Block", releasing in July 2020. A member of the hip hop collective Youngest In Charge (YIC), since then, Whannell has released three studio albums (and another with YIC) And Introducing Leigh Whannell (2021), Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn and The Leigh Whannell Show (both 2023). His chart-topping singles include "Sheen & Shady", "D&D", "Slide", "Bringing It Back", "'23 Bonnie & Clyde", "Schindler's List" and "Martin's Sofa". His most successful song to date, "Bonkers" (a collaboration with fellow YIC member Dizzee Rascal and American producer Armand van Helden) has broken many records and received many awards and certifications. As of November 2023, the song has been viewed 2.6 billion times on YouTube, becoming the quickest ever video to hit a billion views, doing so in under 100 days.

Despite being just 22 years of age, Whannell has become a prominent figure in the acting industry since his breakout performances on Stranger Things, receiving many accolades, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, and a Golden Globe Award, being widely considered by many as the one of the best and most promising young actors in the world. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2021 and 2022. He is also the founder of the Joy-Con Boyz Foundation, a suicide prevention organisation, dedicated to Whannell's late mentor and friend Etika, and one of the co-founders of film production company Twisted Pictures and record label YIC Records.

Early life

Leigh Adam Whannell was born on November 13, 2001, in Melbourne, Australia. He is the son of DJ Michael (neé Lloyd) and Amanda Whannell. He has two sisters and a brother: Neve Whannell (b. 1998), Gianni Paolo (b. 2002), and Danielle Whannell (b. 2009), all of which are now actors as well. His father, Michael, is Australian-British, with German, Italian, Luxembourgish, and Scottish descent, while his mother, Amanda, is English, with Australian, American, French, and Welsh descent. He was best friends with fellow actor Tom Holland growing up and was also close with actor Charlie Heaton, who Whannell describes as an "additional brother" to him. Soon after he was born, his family moved back to West London. In 2004, When Whannell was three years old, he grew an interest in football, stating that he loved kicking footballs around the house and "immediately became obsessed with football". Growing up, Whannell was an ardent Chelsea fan, and would attend some of the Chelsea games as well. He joined his supported team's academy, Chelsea Academy, in 2007, at just six years of age. Whannell also listened to a lot of music in his teenage years, particularly hip hop and R&B music, saying that his favourite artists were Eminem, Nas, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, Drake, Lil Wayne, T.I., Usher JME, Skepta, Kano and Lethal Bizzle, while also writing songs of his own.

Whannell's parents separated a few weeks after Whannell was born, but reconciled and got back together in 2005. Whannell has openly stated he had a poor relationship with his father, stating they would verbally argue regularly, especially during his teenage years. These arguments got so severe that Whannell's father once punched him in the face so hard that Whannell got knocked out and sported a black eye. Whannell has remarked that if he could go back in time and kill his father, he would "a million percent do it". His parents divorced in 2014, with his mother taking full custody of the children. Whannell's brother, Gianni, was very distant from Leigh and his sisters, claiming that they only saw each other twice every six months, due to Gianni having a different father to Leigh, Neve, and Danielle, and didn't start regularly speaking until after Leigh had first got famous. Whannell was also poorly behaved in school, as he would get kicked out of his secondary school, which was also called Chelsea Academy, due to his inability to control his behaviour, forcing him to attend a pupil referral unit. In this school, he would meet YIC bandmates Double Lz (Andre Deer), Bandokay (Kemani Duggan, who was the son of Mark Duggan), SJ (Jayden O'Neill-Crichlow), Callum Hudson-Odoi. He also met and became good friends with Chipmunk (Jahmaal Fyfe) and Dizzee Rascal (Dylan Mills), but not through school, but at recording studios. Future rappers Central Cee (Oakley Caesar-Su) and Digga D (Rhys Herbert) also attended the school, but never had any interaction with Whannell whatsoever.

In 2013, Whannell was released by Chelsea Academy, along with the likes of Declan Rice, which left him "extremely upset". Whannell had received offers from other London clubs, including the academies of Arsenal, Brentford, and Tottenham Hotspur, but Whannell said he would never play for another London club that wasn't Chelsea, in "loyalty" to his favourite team. After being unable to find another academy to join, Whannell lost motivation completely in football, and said that he didn't kick a football again for another two or three years. He then stopped his efforts in trying to become a professional footballer and started to pursue an acting career instead.

Acting career

2013-15: Early beginnings

After I stopped playing football, I didn't even know what I wanted to do with my life, like my mind was kind of stuck. Then one day, I looked in the mirror in my bedroom and I saw a DVD on my shelf of Spider-Man, the one with Andrew Garfield in, that my mum got me, and after that I looked back at the mirror and said: "I want to become an actor". And then the rest is history.

—Whannell on the day he decided he wanted to start pursuing an acting career during an interview with DJ Vlad

After being released by Chelsea Academy in 2013, Whannell started to pursue an acting career. From 3-17 December 2013, Whannell appeared in three consecutive episodes of the British medical drama series Holby City, on the show's sixteenth season.

Whannell did not find another role in 2014, as he said that his mental health during this time was suffering, and his levels of self-esteem had "spiralled downwards" considerably. However, in July 2015, he auditioned for the Robert "Bobby" Lashley role in the Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things, which he ended up being cast for a month later. Filming for the series lasted from November 2015 to early 2016. During the cast, he met one of his now best friends, Jack P. Shepherd, who was cast as the Jake Carter character, who was Whannell's character's best friend in the show.

2016-19: Rise to stardom

Obviously, when I first met Jack in like 2015, I didn't even know who Jack was, and he probably didn't know who I was either, but we instantly clicked and had chemistry. Everyone on set started to see how close we were getting, like we would go out together bare when we got any free time. And now, still to this day, Jack still remains one of my best friends, so I'll always be grateful for Stranger Things for allowing that connection with me and him to happen.

—Whannell on his friendship with Jack P. Shepherd in 2022

The first season of Stranger Things was released on July 1, 2016. Whannell's performance in the first season was met with generally mixed reviews from critics, with praise directed at his emotional acting and chemistry with co-star Jack P. Shepherd, but some criticism towards lacking in depth. Whannell said that he was only partially happy with his performance in the season and knew he was "capable of a lot more". Despite this, he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series along with the cast, and also won an MTV Movie Award for Best Duo, along with Shepherd. In the second season of Stranger Things, which released on October 27, 2017, Whannell's performance was met with critical acclaim this time, winning a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series, and an MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team with Shepherd and new cast member Lindsay Lohan, while also receiving an Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

In 2018, Whannell made his feature film debut in the comedy horror haunted house film Monster House, playing as the lead character: Dustin James "DJ" Walters. Both the film and Whannell's performance was met with positive reviews, and the film was a success at the box office, grossing over £411 million against an £85 million budget. In 2021, however, Whannell commented on the movie, saying how he ultimately wasn't very happy when the film came out. He stated:

"I feel like it wasn't the right time for us to do that film; we rushed into it and it's like I kind of made all my mistakes in one movie, you get me, so, even though I didn't recognise it's value at the time, being in it, it was really depressing. I was only 16 or 17, I'd just played the lead in this film that loads of people had gone to see, and it was a successful movie, and I wasn't happy, and I remember thinking: "I should really be the happiest I've ever been right now. Like on the EKG chart of my life, this should be the biggest peak." So, it was really just a good lesson you know.

In 2018, Variety included Whannell in their list of ten actors to watch out for in 2018, along with the likes of Timothée Chalamet and Letitia Wright.

In 2019, Whannell starred in a main role in the Netflix revival of British crime drama series Top Boy, as Logan Krenzler. Whannell said that joining Top Boy was a "no-brainer", as he was a fan of the original series when it was being broadcasted on Channel 4 in 2013. The first season (third season overall) of the revival premiered on September 13, 2019.

After filming for season 3 of Stranger Things concluded, Whannell put out a statement on his Instagram account that said he would be taking a brief hiatus from acting to focus on his mental health, promising fans to "come back in the best form of his life."

2020-22: International recognition and consecutive Oscar nominations

Whannell returned from his hiatus in 2020, starring as Adam Stanheight in the psychological horror film Saw. The film was originally meant to be a direct-to-video release, but after the film was met with positive reception when it premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in January, the film was instead set for a Halloween theatrical release. The film was released on October 23, 2020, and the film was met with critical acclaim, with Whannell's performance in particular being met with worldwide universal acclaim, and was a major success at the box office, grossing $752.9 million against a measly $1.2 million budget. Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair called Whannell's performance "a fantastic performance from a fabulous young actor." Steven Gaydos of Variety wrote: "Although Whannell's comedy is few and far between, it adds a sense of humour into the film, with a brilliant mix of humour, terror, and tension. A potentially brilliant character may be in Whannell's hands." For his performance, Whannell received many accolades and nominations, including the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2021, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor at the 93rd Academy Awards. At the age of 19 years and 123 days, Whannell became the second youngest actor in history to be nominated for the award. Whannell also received Best Actor nominations at the British Academy Film Awards, Critics' Choice Movie Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. After the overwhelming success of Saw, a sequel was immediately green-lit, with Whannell signing on to the film. In 2021, he would reprise the role in Saw II, which grossed over $1.4 billion at the box office, with Whannell's performance as Adam Stanheight receiving more critical acclaim as well, and received more awards and nominations for his performance. However, after actor Will Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor ahead of Whannell after slapping comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards, there was a protest that occurred after the ceremony, in which fans expressed their frustration and anger about the situation, with the hashtag "#LEIGHWHANNELLROBBERY" trending worldwide on Twitter. Whannell commented on the situation, stating: "Look, I'll be real with you yeah, although I did feel a bit like hard done by, cos to me, it did feel like it was like he got rewarded for punching up Chris Rock, like he deserved it because he's a world-class actor, and has been for a long time now, you get me. To even be nominated alongside him and for a second straight year was an honour in itself."

In April 2020, during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic, Whannell was approached by Marvel Studios to portray scientist Bruce Banner and his alter ego The Hulk in the movie The Incredible Hulk, which Whannell immediately accepted. One of the reasons for this was that the director of the film, Louis Leterrier, watched the first Saw film at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and picked out Whannell's performance in particular for praise, saying that his acting was "amazing and very professional" and thought he was the right fit for the role. Whannell said that accepting the role was a "very easy decision", as Hulk was Whannell's favourite superhero growing up, and was a fan of the Hulk film that released in 2003, in which Eric Bana portrayed the titular character. After being hired in April, Whannell was also asked to produce a rewrite of Zak Penn's original script. Whannell's script wanted to make the movie feel like a Hulk movie, and that he wanted it to be raw, which meant "cutting out the bullshit comedic stuff". He first appeared as the character in a cameo post-credits scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home, in 2021. The film would release on January 2, 2022, to universal acclaim, and was a critical and commercial success, grossing $2.2 billion at the box office, becoming the second-highest grossing Marvel Cinematic Universe film (behind Avengers: Endgame), and the fifth-highest grossing movie of all time. Whannell's performance would receive universal acclaim as well, with Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian claiming Whannell's performance as "extremely powerful" and was "Oscar-worthy yet again".

2023: Record-breaking year

I feel sorry for everyone who wants to compete for his throne, because it's impossible. This kid is a special breed.

— Leonardo DiCaprio after Whannell won the Academy Award for Best Actor

For his performance, Whannell would subsequently win the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 95th Academy Awards, becoming the youngest ever actor to win the award, at 21 years and 119 days, and becoming the second actor to win a major individual acting award for a film based on Marvel Comics, after Angela Bassett, while also Best Actor awards at the 76th British Academy Film Awards and at the 28th Critics' Choice Awards.

In 2023, Whannell will star in No Mercy, a crime drama film that will be set to release in May 2023, a documentary series of Whannell's life titled Behind the Scenes: Leigh Whannell, being set to release in August, and will reprise his role as Adam Stanheight in Saw IV, which will release on October 20, 2023.

Music career

2011/12-19: Early interest in music and unreleased songs

Whannell claims that he first started taking an interest in music around 2011 or 2012. He listened to a mixture of hip hop music from both American and British rappers, with his favourite rappers and inspirations to start creating music in particular being Eminem, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Drake, Lil Wayne, JME, Skepta, and Kano. He also wrote songs of his own as a teenager, including during times when he was filming projects, with his lyrics often being about struggles of growing up in a toxic West London. He has also said that in an assembly during Year 9 of high school, he performed Eminem's "Lose Yourself" in front of the whole year group. He formed a group with some of his friends, consisting of himself, Dizzee Rascal (Dylan Mills), Chipmunk (Jahmaal Fyfe), Bandokay (Kemani Duggan), Double Lz (Andre Deer) and SJ (Jayden O'Neill-Crichlow) going by the acronym YIC, which stands for "Youngest In Charge".

In 2022, Whannell stated that he had recorded a full song that was meant to be released in 2017 or 2018, which was going to be titled "Trust Issues", but as Whannell was struggling with depression at the time, he never released the song.

2020-21: First releases and And Introducing Leigh Whannell

In February 2020, Whannell announced via Twitter that he would be releasing music later in the year. He released his first single titled "New Arrival", which released on July 1, 2020, which charted successfully, peaking in the top twenty in nine different countries, including number 11 in the UK Singles Chart, number 14 in the ARIA Charts in Australia, and number 19 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Just a day later, Whannell would release another single, this time with then up-and-coming Barbadian singer Rihanna (who he confirmed he was in a romantic relationship with a few months later), titled "West Ten". The song was even more successful than "New Arrival", and became a commercial hit, peaking at number 4 in the UK Singles Chart, number 4 in the US Billboard Hot 100, while also reaching the top 20 in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Scotland. After listening to Whannell's first two singles, American rapper Eminem, who was one of Whannell's favourite artists and one of his inspirations to start doing music, contacted him and asked Whannell if he wanted to collaborate on a song, which Whannell said yes to. He signed to both Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group in September.

I was caught off guard when I got that text from [Em], you get me. It's crazy when someone you've been listening to for so long as a kid is now listening to your shit. I remember coming home from school, and just blasting the fuck out of bare Eminem songs in my earphones, you feel me.

Whannell released two solo singles in October 2020, which were "Loading" and "Chingy (It's Whatever)", with "Loading" peaking at number 9 in the United Kingdom, number 11 in the United States, and number 13 in Australia, and "Chingy (It's Whatever)" peaking at number 3 in both the UK Singles Chart and the ARIA Charts, and number 7 in the US Billboard Hot 100. He closed the year with the single that soon became a nickname for Whannell, "Mr. Sheen", which released on December 30, 2020. The song peaked at number 2 in Australia, number 3 in the United Kingdom, number 4 in the United States, and reaching the top 10 in Belgium, Canada, Ireland, and Switzerland.

On January 16, 2021, Whannell released his "Daily Duppy" with GRM Daily, before featuring on fellow YIC members Bandokay and Double Lz song, "OT Boppin", on January 29. He released his long-anticipated collaboration with Eminem "Shady & Sheen", on February 7. The song became Whannell's first number 1 single, topping the charts in thirteen different countries, including Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, and United States. His first studio album, titled And Introducing Leigh Whannell, was released on March 4, 2021. Whannell stated that he was "very excited" to release the album, and told his audience to "believe the hype". The album debuted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, staying there for five consecutive weeks, number 3 on the Australian Albums Chart, staying there for seven consecutive weeks, and number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 200, while also reaching the top 10 in ten other countries worldwide. The album received a certified Platinum certification from both the RIAA and the BPI, after selling over 1 million units in both the United Kingdom and the United States, and a Gold certification from the ARIA, after selling over 600,000 units in Australia. The album was very successful, selling 4.4 million copies worldwide. After the release of And Introducing Leigh Whannell, Whannell released single from the album "Shank", which featured fellow YIC members Mason Mount and Bukayo Saka on March 30, 2021. He also featured on KSI's single "Patience", which also featured Polo G and Yungblud on March 12.

2021-present: Worldwide stardom, diss tracks, and Always Whannell: Featuring Leigh Whannell

After the success of And Introducing Leigh Whannell, Whannell immediately green-lit a second studio album. He also green-lit a collaboration album with all of the members of YIC. On April 27, 2021, Whannell released "D&D", which Whannell confirmed stood for "Dezzie & Danny". The song is a tribute to Whannell's deceased close friends Etika (Desmond Amofah, 1990-2019), who was an American YouTuber and online streamer who committed suicide in June 2019, and Daniel Knudsen (2000-2017), who was the older brother of Canadian actor Erik Knudsen (which the latter would star alongside Whannell with in Saw II in October 2021), who was murdered in a drive-by shooting in October 2017. The song talks about the impact of the pair's deaths had on Whannell. The song was a critical and commercial success for Whannell, topping the charts in twelve countries worldwide, while reaching the top 5 in a further eight countries, and being cited by critics as of Whannell's best songs so far in his music career. Whannell would collaborate with fellow YKTV members Callum Hudson-Odoi and Dele Alli for the single "Take Your Time Wid It", which released on May 11, and peaked at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 16 in the US Billboard Hot 100. It was also around this time that he was contacted by numerous artists who wanted to offer Whannell a possible collaboration, which included Drake, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, and Gunna. Whannell remarked that all of these "high-demand requests" from his favourite artists "flattered" him.

On 10 June, 2021, Whannell would release one his of biggest and most famous songs yet, titled "Slide", which topped the charts of fourteen countries, and reached number two in an additional seven countries. He would feature on the unofficial anthem by Krept & Konan: "Olé (We Are England '21). The song was about the England squad ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020. Whannell would also release "Hallucinate", which featured 50 Cent. Whannell stated that being able to get 50 Cent in a song with him was "a crazy experience", with 50 Cent also stating that Whannell could have a "bright future" ahead of him. The song peaked at number 3 in the United States, number 8 in the United Kingdom, and number 13 in Australia. Whannell also featured in Nigerian-American singer Rotimi's "In My Bed", which released on August 18. The song peaked at number 21 in the US Billboard Hot 100, and reached top 40 in six other countries.

In September 2021, Whannell released his first collaborative studio album with YIC, self-titled as "Youngest In Charge". The album debuted at number 5 on the UK Albums Chart, number 8 on the Australian Albums Chart, and number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 200, while also reaching the top twenty in ten other countries. In November, Whannell released "Still L.E.I.G.H.", featuring Dr. Dre. The song is a sample of Dr. Dre's song "Still D.R.E.", which is also the inspiration behind the song's name, and closed out the year with Drake collaboration "Still Loading…", which served as a sequel track to Whannell's song "Loading", which released a year prior. Whannell stated although he would still be releasing in 2022, he wouldn't be releasing as much as he did in 2020 and 2021. In February 2022, Whannell was dissed by American rapper Fat Joe, who insulted Whannell's dead friends and his incoming child. As a result, Whannell responded with a full diss track, titled "Earthquake", which made fun of Joe's weight, called him out for being a snitch, and also called Joe a white person (despite Joe being mixed race). Whannell stated that despite trying to "destroy him" in his diss track, he wasn't being with the race insults, saying he did it just to "piss him off because he knew it would piss him off". In March, Whannell released single "Adam Stanheight", which was based on his fictional character from the Saw franchise, and also released another diss track, titled "Exposing Opps", in which Whannell would basically take shots at almost everyone he had a feud with, including Fat Joe again, Digga D, CGM, Chris Brown, and 6ix9ine, NPK / Sin Squad, 3x3, and M24. The track was met with a lot of controversy, with Whannell receiving some criticism in the manner of which he dissed his targets; the music video was taken down on YouTube a few days after release. Whannell stated he was aware of the risks of making a song like this, but "didn't care".

On March 29, 2022, Whannell would feature on girlfriend Rihanna's single, Umbrella, which became a critical and commercial success, topping the charts in eighteen different countries, while also reaching the top five in nine other countries. In May, Whannell collaborated with British rapper Headie One on "Down For The Cause", peaking in the top ten in the UK Singles Chart. On 25 July 2022, Whannell would release yet another diss track, this time aimed at Digga D, titled "Obsessed". The song sampled 2Pac's "Hit 'Em Up", which was also a diss track, remixed Mariah Carey's hook from her song, also titled "Obsessed", and the music video had a body double, that was meant to be depicted as Digga D. A couple of days later, on 29 July, Whannell and American rapper Travis Scott featured on Nav and Lil Baby song "Never Sleep". In September, Whannell released "The Master", featuring Papa Roach, which was a sample of Papa Roach's 2004 single "Getting Away With Murder", and in November, a sequel to controversial diss track "Exposing Opps" was released, as "Exposing Opps 2.0", which again took brutal shots at people Whannell had conflict with. The song was subject to even more controversy than its predecessor. Whannell released his closing single of the year in December, with Eminem, which was "Bringing It Back".

In January and February (twice), Whannell would release three highly successful, chart-topping singles, which were "Dangerously in Love" (featuring Rihanna), "Schindler's List (with Eminem), and "Whannell 101", which sampled G-Unit's "Stunt 101". On March 4, 2023, two years to the date of Whannell releasing his first studio album And Introducing Leigh Whannell, Whannell released his second studio album, titled Always Whannell: Featuring Leigh Whannell. The album debuted at number 1 on the charts of sixteen different countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and Canada. So far, the album has sold over 8 million copies worldwide. Success would continue for Whannell, as on April 21, he would release "Martin's Sofa", which would be the lead single for the soundtrack of the movie No Mercy, titled No Mercy - Music From and Inspired by the Moion Picture. Whannell said he wanted this song to be viewed as a "motivational" song, similarly to Eminem's "Lose Yourself", which featured in 8 Mile in 2002. On May 17, Whannell collaborated with fellow YIC member Dizzee Rascal and American producer Armand Van Helden to release another chart-topping single "Bonkers".

Influences

Music

Whannell has cited Eminem (pictured) as his favourite musician, music idol, and main inspiration to start doing music.

Whannell has stated that American rapper Eminem was his favourite musician, music idol, and main inspiration to start doing music. He said that Eminem was one of the few artists that Whannell could "vividly relate to". He stated: "He is basically the main reason white people are now being recognised in the rap game, you get me. Like, I can guarantee you yeah, if any of your favourite rappers faced Eminem in a rap battle, it's pretty likely they're coming out second best or would get destroyed. I would bet everything, that Eminem would win, fam." Whannell has also cited American singer Aaliyahas major influences as well. He said that he "loved" the way Aaliyah had the ability to "pour her heart out" on the mic, as well as having a crush on her.

Whannell has also credited many other MCs for influencing his technique and lyrical ability, including Tupac Shakur, 50 Cent, The Notorious B.I.G., Ghetts, JME, Skepta, Kano, Drake, Giggs, Nines, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, J Hus, and 67.

Growing up in West London, Whannell mainly listened to hip hop music. He stated: "I actually never used to listen to music, at all, 'till I was like 12 or 13, bruv." He said he was "immediately exposed" to both British and American rap music, and instantly "fell in love" with both genres. With his music style and ability, Whannell has said: "With me, yeah, I can do a bit of everything, really. I could just rap really fast on a beat, melodically rap, and even sing a bit as well, innit."

Business ventures

Twisted Pictures

Main article: Twisted Pictures

In December 2019, prior to Saw premiering at the Sundance Film Festival the following month, Whannell, along with the assistance of Saw producers and Evolution Entertainment's Gregg Hoffman, Oren Koules, and Mark Burg, founded Twisted Pictures. Twisted Pictures is a motion picture production company, that has also produced Saw II, Saw III, and Saw IV.

Philanthropy

Whannell made donations in 2017 to help support both the Grenfell Tower fire and the Manchester bombings. In May 2020, after the death of African-American man George Floyd, Whannell donated £500,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, a non-profit civil rights organisation dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement. Whannell has received major praise in the media for his donations.

In 2023, Whannell established the Leigh Whannell Foundation, which helps aid disadvantaged youth worldwide, and also serves as a suicide prevention charity, to deter young people from killing themselves. Whannell has received critical praise from the community, being credited with possibly saving many lives.

Joy-Con Boyz Foundation

Further information: Etika

In June 2020, a year after his late close friend Desmond "Etika" Amofah's suicide, Whannell announced that he had partnered up with suicide prevention and mental illness charity The JED Foundation to launch "The Joy-Con Boyz Foundation", which is a nod to Etika's fanbase that he dubbed the "JOYCONBOYZ". It serves as a deterrence for people who may be having suicidal thoughts, or suffering from a mental illness such as depression, and bipolar disorder. Whannell wanted to create the foundation in memory of Etika, as his death "hit him very hard". Nintendo had sent them a cease and desist letter around September 2021, demanding they halt all further sales of the remaining stock due to the use of trademarked terms on the shells. Nintendo subsequently received criticism for this decision, both from Whannell and fans of Etika.

Personal life

Relationship with Rihanna and children

In July 2018, American rapper Jay-Z introduced Whannell to Barbadian singer Rihanna. Whannell stated that the pair quickly became "best friends", and they started dating in December 2019. Whannell appeared in the music video for Rihanna's debut single, "Pon de Replay", which fuelled rumours about their relationship, as well as a tweet that Whannell claims he unintentionally put out, remarking: "U got dat pic I sent u?", while tagging Rihanna. In July 2020, they collaborated on the song "Waiting For You", which was a commercial hit, before finally confirming their relationship in August of that year. Whannell also made an appearance on "There's a Thug in My Life", which was included in her debut studio album Music of the Sun (2020). In April 2021, Whannell appeared on the remix of Rihanna's hit single "SOS", before collaborating again on "Unfaithful", the latter of which appeared on both And Introducing Leigh Whannell and A Girl Like Me (both 2021). "Unfaithful" was later turned into a 36-minute short film, titled: Unfaithful: A Short Film by Leigh Whannell and Rihanna, released in August. Whannell (also serving as the director and screenwriter) and Rihanna both star as fictionalised versions of themselves, with LaKeith Stanfield portraying Rihanna's partner and fellow YIC bandmate Dizzee Rascal making a cameo appearance. In an interview with GQ in June, Whannell described Rihanna as the "love of my life" and stated that he wanted to take their relationship to "the next level".

On January 31, 2022, People reported that the couple was expecting their first child, which Whannell and Rihanna confirmed that same day. In March 2022, Whannell featured on the pair's most successful collaboration, "Umbrella", which topped the UK Singles Chart for ten consecutive weeks and seven weeks straight in the US Billboard Hot 100. The accompanying music video was released in June, and is only 17 million views shy of reaching 1 billion views on YouTube, as of December 2023. On May 5, Whannell released the single "D.M.B.", with the song entirely being an ode to Rihanna. The music video premiered alongside the single, and heavily features Rihanna and Whannell together. Rumours began circulating that the two were married, as three minutes into the video, Whannell opens his mouth and shows his grills reading "MARRY ME?", to which Rihanna responds by showing her own grills which read, "I DO". Whannell later denied these claims, stating that it was for entertainment purposes, but stated that he intends to propose to her in the future. On May 21, it was confirmed that Rihanna had given birth to a boy, whose name was later revealed as RZA Adam Whannell. He is named after American rapper RZA, who was the leader and founder of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. Whannell described this experience as "something to cherish forever" and that he was excited at the prospect of being a father.

On February 12, 2023, during the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, which featured Whannell, Rihanna, and Dizzee Rascal, they announced that Rihanna was pregnant with their second child, making Rihanna the first person to headline a Super Bowl halftime show while pregnant. The pregnancy was confirmed in a British Vogue magazine featuring the couple, which was released a few days after the Super Bowl performance. They welcomed their second son, Jayden Whannell, on August 1, 2023.

Mental health problems

Whannell has openly stated that throughout his life, he has suffered from many mental health problems, including depression, and has had suicidal thoughts. He said that the deaths of his close friends Daniel Knudsen, brother of Erik Knudsen, and Etika (Desmond Amofah) severely negatively affected his mental health. He stated that he would take antidepressants whenever he had free time during this period, and would sometimes just "sit in bed and cry".

2018 suicide attempt

During the early hours of September 7, 2018 (which was during filming of the third season of Stranger Things, Whannell sent a three-word text message to fellow cast member Joe Keery (who portrays the Steve Harrington character), which said: "ending it all". He drove off set in a car (which was never publicly revealed), while Keery immediately notified crew and staff members about the situation. Whannell had driven to a nearby canal, and had stayed idle there for approximately half an hour, before texting Keery again, saying that he was returning. Whannell said during that "rampage", he kept saying to himself "What the fuck am I doing?". When he returned, Keery said that Whannell burst out sobbing in his arms. The next day, he was treated with depression at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. On October 9, 2018, over a month after the incident, Whannell put out a tweet, thanking everyone for the support and messages he received and that he was making progress in improving his mental health and would be back to normal soon.

Whannell's suicide attempt received widespread global media coverage, which Whannell didn't want to happen and was very unhappy about. This led to Whannell being one of the most Googled names of 2018, and CBS News ranked the situation as the 9th biggest story of the year.

Whannell has since commented on the sitaution, saying that he "will always regret what happened on that night" and it was "the most stupid thing he's ever done in his life".

Legal issues and controversies

Minor arrests

In November 2017, Leigh Whannell and Stranger Things co-star Charlie Heaton were detained at the Los Angeles International Airport, for possession of small amounts of cocaine. Neither men were charged with any crimes and due to the cocaine being found in Heaton's bag, he was sent back to London, whereas Whannell was forced to fly to Los Angeles without him. Heaton was later allowed to return to Los Angeles to film the third season of Stranger Things with Whannell.

On December 20, 2022, one day after returning to London from the World Cup in Qatar, Whannell was arrested and held by the Metropolitan Police, on suspicion for possession of a deadly weapon. Officers gained a search warrant to Whannell's residence, but were unable to find any evidence of an offensive weapon being held. Whannell was released two days later, allowing him to spend Christmas with his and Rihanna's families. The day of his release, Whannell posted a video on his Instagram account, going on a rant about "the failed British justice system".

2018 Soccer Aid headbutt incident

Further information: Soccer Aid § Soccer Aid 2018

At the 2018 edition of the annual Soccer Aid charity event on June 10, Whannell was brought on as a 46th-minute substitute for the England team. In the 51st minute, Whannell was sent off within five minutes of coming on, after headbutting World XI's Martin Compston after a verbal exchange between the pair, resulting in Whannell walking off the pitch with both of his middle fingers raised. Whannell would receive major backlash for his behaviour, until it later surfaced that Whannell was intentionally provoked by Compston, who later admitted to saying to Whannell: "Do you need antidepressants to stay sane, dickhead?"

Compston stated he said the remarks in a trivial manner, as he claimed to have had a "strong disliking to Whannell for no particular reason", and did so to intentionally aggravate Whannell into doing something that would cause widespread controversy. Rio Ferdinand commented on the situation, defending Whannell's response and called Compston's actions "vile and disgusting". In a 2023 interview with DJ Vlad, Whannell expressed no regrets or remorse for his actions, remarking that at the time, he was getting sick and tired of being the "human punching bag" and that Compston should "suck my whole entire fucking dick." The two would engage in a public spat on Twitter in October 2022, with one of Whannell's tweets saying: "One day blud, you're gonna push me too far and I'm gonna kill you."

2019 car crash

On December 1, 2019, Whannell nearly died due to a car accident. At around 3 a.m. GMT, Whannell was driving home in an Audi TT in London, during heavy rain and wet roads. Whannell said that he came off a bend and completely lost control of the Audi TT, and was swerving to try and regain control of the car. He then went straight for a ditch, with his car spinning in mid-air and landing upside down. He managed to crawl out of the Audi TT (which was completely smashed due to the crash) and call an ambulance, where he was taken to Ealing Hospital. He survived the car crash with no major injuries, but had to get nine stitches applied in his arm, as well as a few treated lacerations. He was released from the hospital the following day.

Metropolitan Police ordered that Whannell went to a police station for an interview otherwise he would be arrested. Police stated Whannell was "very uncooperative", but would not be facing any charges. Whannell said he was not intoxicated during the incident, and has also stated that doctors informed him he was "extremely lucky" to have survived the car accident, as he could have died if the car he was driving was less strong and compact. On December 5, a few days after the incident, Whannell took to Twitter to thank his family, friends, and fans for "sticking by his side" in a "bullshit situation".

Diss tracks

Main article: Diss tracks recorded by Leigh Whannell

Public image

Established veteran actors and other celebrities have commented on Whannell, praising him for his work rate and his impact on the acting industry. Will Smith, who competed with Whannell for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2022, stated: "I have a massive amount of admiration and respect for [Leigh] Whannell, and he is probably the main competitor against me, for this prestigious award. Even being nominated for this award at this age, and twice in a row as well, should be something Whannell should be extremely proud of."

David Harbour, who portrayed Whannell's father, Jim Hopper, in Netflix drama Stranger Things, is also one of the many actors who have praised Whannell, especially after his performance in the second season in 2017, stating:

[Leigh] is a great kid, and in my opinion, has a scary amount of potential to go really far in this industry. Having physically watched him act, he has the power to become one of the best actors in the world.

In 2021 and 2022, Time named Whannell in their list of their 100 most influential people in the world.

Filmography

Film

Key

†	Denotes works that have not yet been released

Year	Title	Roles	Notes
2018	Monster House	Dustin James "DJ" Walters	Feature film debut
2019	Saw 0.5	David	Short film
2020	Saw	Adam Stanheight
2021	Unfaithful: A Short Film by Leigh Whannell and Rihanna	Leigh Adams	Short film; also director and screenwriter
	Full Disclosure Report	Adam Stanheight	Short film; photograph (uncredited)
	Saw II		Also executive producer
	Spider-Man: No Way Home	Bruce Banner / The Hulk	Cameo appearance; post-credits scene
2022	The Incredible Hulk		Also co-writer (uncredited)
	Uncharted	Hotel Guest	Cameo appearance
	The Scott Tibbs Documentary	Adam Stanheight	Short film; pseudo-documentary
	Saw III		Also executive producer
2023	KSI: In Real Life	Himself	Documentary
	No Mercy	Jimmy Sinatra / Slimmy Jimmy
	Saw IV	Adam Stanheight	Also executive producer
2024	No Mercy Part 2 †	Jimmy Sinatra / Slimmy Jimmy	Post-production
TBA	Untitled The Incredible Hulk sequel †	Bruce Banner / The Hulk	In development

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2013	Holby City	Tyler	3 episodes
2016-present	Stranger Things	Bobby Lashley	Main role
2017	Lip Sync Battle	Himself	Episode: The Cast of Stranger Things
	Beyond Stranger Things
2018, 2022	Family Guy	Himself (voice)	2 episodes
2019-2023	Top Boy	Logan Krenzler	Main role
2019, 2021, 2023	The Graham Norton Show	Himself	4 episodes
2022-present	Power Book II: Ghost	Tyler "Lz" Smith	Guest role (season 2); main role (season 3-present)
2023	10 Years: The True Story of Leigh Whannell	Himself	Docuseries
	The Simpsons	Himself (voice)	Episode: "It's A Blunderful Life"; cameo appearance

Video games

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2021	Call of Duty: Mobile	Adam Stanheight	Playable character
2023	Dead by Daylight

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions											Sales	Certifications
		UK	AUS	BEL (FL)	CAN	DEN	FRA	GER	IRE	NZ	SWI	US
And Introducing Leigh Whannell	Released: March 4, 2021 Label: Atlantic, Warner, YIC Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	2	1	7	6	9	8	11	4	10	7	5	UK: 1,175,000 AUS: 675,500 US: 1,050,000 WW: 4,400,000	BPI: 3× Platinum ARIA: Diamond BEA: 3x Platinum BVMI: Platinum IFPI DEN: 4x Platinum IFPI SWI: 3x Platinum IRMA: 2x Platinum MC: 3x Platinum RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: 7x Platinum SNEP: 3x Platinum
Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn	Released: March 4, 2023 Label: Atlantic, Warner, YIC Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	1	1	1	1	3	2	1	1	1	2	1	UK: 3,900,000 AUS: 1,355,000 US: 3,150,000 WW: 10,050,500	BPI: 10× Platinum ARIA: 2x Diamond BEA: 4x Platinum BVMI: 2x Platinum IFPI DEN: 5x Platinum IFPI SWI: 4x Platinum IRMA: 6x Platinum MC: 4x Platinum RIAA: 5x Platinum RMNZ: 10x Platinum SNEP: 4x Platinum
The Leigh Whannell Show	Released: December 15, 2023 Label: Atlantic, YIC Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1

Collaborative albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions									Sales	Certifications
		UK	AUS	BEL (FL)	CAN	FRA	GER	IRE	NZ	US
Youngest In Charge (as part of YIC)	Released: September 25, 2021 Label: Atlantic, Warner, YIC Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	5	8	19	12	9	20	7	2	15	UK: 565,000 AUS: 220,500 US: 450,000 WW: 1,728,000	BPI: Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum BEA: 5x Platinum BVMI: Platinum IRMA: 4x Platinum MC: 4x Platinum RIAA: Gold RMNZ: 8x Platinum SNEP: Gold
Blud Bruvvas (as part of YIC)	Scheduled: January 1, 2024 Label: Atlantic, Cash Motto, Dirtee Stank, Relentless, YIC	To be released

Soundtrack albums

Title	Details	Peak chart positions									Sales	Certifications
		UK	AUS	BEL (FL)	CAN	FRA	GER	IRE	NZ	US
No Mercy - Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (with various artists)	Released: May 6, 2023 Label: Atlantic, Cash Motto, Def Jam, Dirtee Stank, Shady, YIC Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming	1	1	8	1	3	4	1	1	1

Reissued albums

Title	Details
And Introducing Leigh Whannell: Rewind Time	Released: November 27, 2021 Label: Atlantic, Warner, YIC Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming
Forever Youngest In Charge (as part of YIC)	Released: April 5, 2022 Label: Atlantic, Warner, YIC Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming
Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn – ReTurn	Released: October 15, 2023 Label: Atlantic, Warner, YIC Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

Extended plays

Title	Details
Disstracktions	Released: January 29, 2023 Label: Self-released Format: CD, digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

Title	Year	Peak chart positions											Certifications	Album
		UK	AUS	BEL (FL)	CAN	FRA	GER	IRE	NZ	SWE	SWI	US
"New Kid on da Block"	2020	11	14	25	14	16	18	13	15	20	17	—	BPI: Gold	And Introducing Leigh Whannell
"Waiting For You" (with Rihanna)		4	1	17	12	22	7	2	3	10	5	4	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 3× Platinum RIAA: Platinum
"Loading"		9	13	10	7	11	16	14	6	—	12	11	BPI: Platinum ARIA: 2x Platinum RIAA: Gold
"Chingy (It's Whatever)"		3	3	5	2	7	8	4	2	9	5	7	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: Gold
"My City" (with ONEFOUR and The Kid LAROI)		—	28	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Against All Odds
"Dr. Sheen"		3	1	2	2	5	3	1	1	6	4	4	BPI: 3x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: Platinum	And Introducing Leigh Whannell
"Daily Duppy" (featuring GRM Daily)	2021	29	91	—	—	—	—	56	—	—	—	—	BPI: Silver	Non-album single
"Sheen & Shady" (with Eminem)		1	1	3	1	4	2	1	1	2	1	1	BPI: 3x Platinum ARIA: 5x Platinum IFPI SWI: Platinum MC: 2x Platinum RIAA: 4x Platinum RMNZ: 2x Platinum	And Introducing Leigh Whannell
"Shank" (featuring Chipmunk and SJ)		6	2	7	4	10	8	3	5	6	5	10	BPI: Platinum ARIA: Platinum RIAA: Gold
"D&D"		1	1	2	1	3	2	1	1	1	2	2	BPI: 5x Platinum ARIA: 6x Platinum BVMI: Platinum GLF: 2x Platinum IFPI SWI: Platinum MC: Platinum RIAA: 4x Platinum RMNZ: 2x Platinum	Non-album single
"Unfaithful" (with Rihanna)		2	2	2	1	7	2	2	4	6	1	4	BPI: 3x Platinum ARIA: 2x Platinum BVMI: 3x Gold GLF: Gold IFPI SWI: Gold RIAA: 3x Platinum	And Introducing Leigh Whannell and A Girl Like Me
"4 Me" (with Dizzee Rascal and Double Lz)		7	3	9	4	5	10	2	1	6	5	9	BPI: Silver ARIA: Gold	Youngest In Charge
"Slide"		1	1	1	1	1	2	1	1	2	1	1	BPI: 5x Platinum ARIA: 7x Platinum BVMI: 2x Platinum GLF: Platinum IFPI SWI: 2x Platinum MC: 2x Platinum RIAA: 4x Platinum RMNZ: Platinum
"Snakebite" (featuring 50 Cent)		3	1	3	1	4	3	1	2	4	1	1	BPI: Platinum ARIA: Platinum RIAA: 2x Platinum	And Introducing Leigh Whannell (Deluxe)
"#Hashtag" (with Drake and Bandokay)		2	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	5	1	3	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum MC: Platinum RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: Platinum	Forever Youngest In Charge and Certified Lover Boy
"Youngest In Charge" (with YIC)	2022	5	1	8	4	6	10	3	1	2	6	6	BPI: Gold ARIA: Platinum	Youngest In Charge
"D.M.B."		1	1	4	1	4	3	1	1	2	3	1	BPI: 3x Platinum ARIA: 5x Platinum MC: Platinum RIAA: 4x Platinum	Non-album single
"The Master" (featuring Papa Roach)		2	1	9	5	4	6	3	5	7	3	1	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 4x Platinum IFPI SWI: Gold RIAA: 3x Platinum	Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn
"Bringing It Back" (with Eminem)		2	1	1	1	1	3	2	1	2	1	2	BPI: 5x Platinum ARIA: 6x Platinum BVMI: Gold GLF: Platinum IFPI SWI: 2x Platinum MC: 4x Platinum RIAA: 5x Platinum RMNZ: 3x Platinum
"Whannell 101"	2023	2	1	3	2	2	3	1	1	7	2	5	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum MC: Gold RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: Platinum
"'23 Bonnie & Clyde" (featuring Rihanna)		1	1	2	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	BPI: 5x Platinum ARIA: 6x Platinum BVMI: Platinum GLF: 2x Platinum IFPI SWI: 3x Platinum MC: 3x Platinum RIAA: 6x Platinum RMNZ: Platinum	Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn and Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded
"Schindler's List" (with Eminem)		1	1	1	1	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	BPI: 6x Platinum ARIA: 7x Platinum BVMI: Gold GLF: Platinum IFPI SWI: 3x Platinum MC: 3x Platinum RIAA: 4x Platinum RMNZ: 2x Platinum	Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn
"Martin's Sofa"		1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	1	1	BPI: 8x Platinum ARIA: 9x Platinum BVMI: 3x Platinum GLF: 2x Platinum IFPI SWI: 3x Platinum MC: 5x Platinum RIAA: 8x Platinum RMNZ: 5x Platinum	No Mercy: Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture
"Bonkers" (with Dizzee Rascal and Armand van Helden)		1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	BPI: 12x Platinum ARIA: 15x Platinum BVMI: 4x Platinum GLF: 3x Platinum IFPI SWI: 5x Platinum MC: 6x Platinum RIAA: Diamond (10× Platinum) RMNZ: 5x Platinum	The Leigh Whannell Show
"Independence Day Freestyle"		3	2	6	4	5	5	2	1	3	2	1	BPI: Gold ARIA: Platinum RIAA: Platinum	Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn - The ReTurn
"Eminem Flow"		3	3	7	3	5	5	4	5	6	6	2	BPI: Platinum ARIA: 2x Platinum RIAA: 2x Platinum	Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn
"Like Paper Planes" (with Rihanna, Dizzee Rascal and Lil Wayne)		2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	BPI: 9x Platinum ARIA: 11x Platinum BVMI: 4x Platinum GLF: 3x Platinum IFPI SWI: 4x Platinum MC: 7x Platinum RIAA: Diamond (12× Platinum) RMNZ: 4x Platinum	The Leigh Whannell Show
"Ultimate"		3	2	4	3	4	6	3	5	7	4	5	BPI: Platinum ARIA: 2x Platinum MC: Gold RIAA: Gold	Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn
"Crep Shop" (featuring Bandokay, Double Lz and SJ)		4	2	9	3	5	6	2	3	4	7	5	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum MC: Gold RIAA: Platinum	The Leigh Whannell Show
"Box" (featuring Lethal Bizzle and JME)		1	1	4	3	10	1	1	3	2	3	4	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum MC: Gold RIAA: Platinum	Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn - The ReTurn
"The Saga Continues"		10	7	44	30	62	76	27	53	89	72	26	BPI: Platinum ARIA: Platinum RIAA: Gold	The Leigh Whannell Show
"Turn Me Loose" (featuring Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg)		2	1	2	1	2	2	1	1	3	4	1	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 4x Platinum MC: Platinum RIAA: 3x Platinum
"Encore" (featuring Dizzee Rascal and Chipmunk)		1	1	1	2	1	2	1	1	3	1	1	BPI: 3x Platinum ARIA: 4x Platinum BVMI: 2x Platinum MC: Gold RIAA: 4x Platinum

As featured artist

List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name

Title	Year	Peak chart positions											Certifications	Album
		UK	AUS	BEL (FL)	CAN	FRA	GER	IRE	NZ	SWE	SWI	US
"Fix Up, Look Sharp" (Dizzee Rascal featuring Leigh Whannell)	2020	7	3	17	17	10	8	4	5	9	6	10	BPI: 3x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: Gold	Boy in da Corner
"Mood Swings" (Pop Smoke featuring Leigh Whannell)		4	1	18	14	5	30	9	4	5	11	7	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 2x Platinum BVMI: Gold GLF: Platinum MC: Gold RIAA: 3x Platinum	Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
"UFO" (D-Block Europe featuring Leigh Whannell)		11	71	—	—	—	—	52	—	—	—	—	BPI: Platinum	The Blue Print: Us vs. Them
"I Am What I Am" (King Von featuring Leigh Whannell)		6	27	—	15	—	—	82	37	—	—	8	BPI: Gold MC: Gold RIAA: 3x Platinum	Welcome to O'Block
"OT Boppin" (Bandokay and Double Lz featuring Leigh Whannell)	2021	8	5	21	16	28	17	11	10	19	13	15	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum RIAA: Gold	Drill Commandments and Youngest In Charge
"Patience" (KSI featuring Polo G, Yungblud and Leigh Whannell)		3	61	—	94	—	—	8	—	—	—	—	BPI: Silver	All Over the Place
"Flick of the Wrist" (Bandokay and Double Lz featuring Leigh Whannell)		21	59	—	91	—	—	62	—	—	—	86	BPI: Platinum ARIA: Gold	Drill Commandments
"In My Bed" (Rotimi featuring Leigh Whannell)		29	64	—	55	—	—	91	—	—	—	20	BPI: Gold RIAA: Platinum	All or Nothing
"Stand Up Tall" (Dizzee Rascal featuring Leigh Whannell)		4	7	24	11	16	20	6	5	9	13	10	BPI: 3x Platinum ARIA: 4x Platinum RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: 2x Platinum	Showtime
"Off The Grid" (Kanye West featuring Leigh Whannell and Dizzee Rascal)		3	4	—	7	44	—	11	7	3	17	5	BPI: Platinum ARIA: Platinum MC: Gold RIAA: 2x Platinum	Donda
"Umbrella" (Rihanna featuring Leigh Whannell)	2022	1	1	1	1	6	1	1	1	2	1	1	BPI: 7x Platinum ARIA: 5x Platinum BVMI: 2× Platinum GLF: 2× Platinum IFPI SWI: 2x Platinum MC: 4x Platinum RIAA: 8x Platinum RMNZ: Platinum	Good Girl Gone Bad
"Beast" (Chipmunk featuring Leigh Whannell)		2	1	3	1	4	2	1	1	2	1	2	BPI: 3x Platinum ARIA: 4x Platinum IFPI SWI: Platinum MC: 2x Platinum RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: 2x Platinum	I Am Chipmunk
"Vultures" (¥$ featuring Leigh Whannell and Lil Durk)	2023	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	27	—	—	—		Vultures 1

Charity singles

List of charity singles, with selected chart positions, and showing year released

Title	Year	Peak chart positions											Album
		UK	AUS	BEL (FL)	CAN	FRA	GER	IRE	NZ	SWE	SWI	US
"Shout" (Shout for England featuring Leigh Whannell and Dizzee Rascal)	2022	1	—	—	—	—	—	38	—	—	—	—	Non-album single

Remixes

List of remixes

Title	Year	Album
"Dollaz On My Head (YIC Remix)" (Gunna featuring YIC, Dizzee Rascal, Double Lz, SJ, Leigh Whannell, Chipmunk and Bandokay)	2020	Non-album singles
"Loading (Remix)" (featuring Double Lz and Central Cee)
"Choppa (Remix)" (SJ featuring Leigh Whannell)	2021
"SOS (Remix)" (Rihanna featuring Leigh Whannell)
"Slide (Remix)" (featuring Lil Baby, Bandokay, Polo G, NLE Choppa and Krept and Konan)
"Bad Habits (Fumez the Engineer Remix)" (Ed Sheeran featuring Leigh Whannell and Central Cee)
"Snakebite (Remix)" (featuring 50 Cent, Big Sean, Dizzee Rascal and Nicki Minaj)
"Dance wiv Me (Remix)" (Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris, Chrom3, Leigh Whannell, Chipmunk, Lil Wayne, Future, Headie One and Rotimi)	2022
"Whannell 101 (UK Remix)" (featuring Dave, Stormzy, J Hus, Giggs, Kano, and JME)	2023
"Whannell 101 (US Remix)" (featuring Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne, André 3000, T.I. and Lil Durk)
"Bonkers (Remix)" (with Dizzee Rascal and Armand van Helden featuring Chipmunk, SJ, Bandokay, Double Lz, The Notorious B.I.G., 50 Cent, ASAP Rocky, Bobby Shmurda, Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice and Russ Millions)

Promotional singles

Title	Year	Peak chart positions											Certifications	Album
		UK	AUS	BEL (FL)	CAN	FRA	GER	IRE	NZ	SWE	SWI	US
"Tribute To The Troops"	2023	4	3	14	8	4	9	1	10	6	7	35	BPI: Silver ARIA: Gold	The Leigh Whannell Show

Other charted and certified songs

Title	Year	Peak chart positions											Certifications	Album
		UK	AUS	BEL (FL)	CAN	FRA	GER	IRE	NZ	SWE	SWI	US
"2 Far" (Dizzee Rascal featuring Wiley and Leigh Whannell)	2020	77	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Boy in da Corner
"And Introducing Leigh Whannell"	2021	54	36	—	—	—	—	89	95	—	—	70	BPI: Silver ARIA: Gold	And Introducing Leigh Whannell
"Love Island"		12	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	64	BPI: Platinum
"Make It Home" (with Stay Flee Get Lizzy)		46	22	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	51	BPI: Platinum ARIA: 2x Platinum RIAA: Gold
"One More"		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	BPI: Gold
"Main Event"		27	22	—	41	—	—	54	38	—	—	33	BPI: Gold ARIA: Gold RIAA: Gold RMNZ: Gold
"A Million Miles Away" (Rihanna featuring Leigh Whannell)		49	61	—	77	—	—	—	90	—	—	32	BPI: Silver RIAA: Gold	A Girl Like Me
"Toxic" (Polo G featuring Leigh Whannell)		—	—	—	61	—	—	—	—	—	—	63		Hall of Fame
"Madness" (KSI featuring Leigh Whannell)		98	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		All Over The Place
"Showtime" (Dizzee Rascal featuring Leigh Whannell)		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	BPI: Gold	Showtime
"Earthquake" (featuring Chipmunk)	2022	46	38	—	72	—	99	91	100	—	—	52		Disstracktions
"Tables Turn"		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"All Up In Your Mind" (Beyoncé featuring Leigh Whannell)		—	—	—	94	—	—	—	—	—	—	70		Renaissance
"Obsessed (Take Money)"		10	31	—	39	72	—	42	58	—	—	52	BPI: Platinum	Disstracktions
"Chapters" (Central Cee featuring Leigh Whannell)		69	—	—	—	—	—	—	11	—	—	—		No More Leaks
"Stand On It" (Lil Baby featuring Leigh Whannell)		35	—	—	44	—	—	—	—	—	—	22		It's Only Me
"Hours in Silence" (Drake and 21 Savage featuring Leigh Whannell and Chipmunk)		—	76	—	13	177	—	—	—	—	—	11		Her Loss
"Tables Turn 2.0"		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		Disstracktions
"In My Feelings" (Double Lz featuring Leigh Whannell)		67	100	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	BPI: Silver	Two Lz Make A Win
"1Hunna" (featuring Lil Wayne)	2023	32	10	—	63	—	—	67	85	—	—	29	BPI: Gold ARIA: Platinum RIAA: Gold	Leigh Whannell Presents: Tables Turn
"Full Flick" (featuring Pop Smoke, T-Pain and Young Adz)		12	8	—	56	—	—	78	67	—	—	17	BPI: Platinum ARIA: 2x Platinum RIAA: Gold
"Ass Like That" (with Sean Paul, Akon, Sean Kingston and Dizzee Rascal)		7	4	—	13	—	52	9	11	67	23	5	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum RIAA: 2x Platinum
"Back2Back" (with ASAP Rocky and JME)		8	5	—	12	—	—	6	14	—	22	10	BPI: 2x Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum RIAA: Platinum
"Bad Man (Smooth Criminal)"		5	1	6	2	7	6	2	3	6	2	3	BPI: 3x Platinum ARIA: 4x Platinum MC: Gold RIAA: 3x Platinum
"No Mercy" (with Eminem, 50 Cent, Rihanna and Dizzee Rascal)		5	1	4	3	2	4	2	5	6	6	3	BPI: Platinum ARIA: Platinum MC: Gold RIAA: 2x Platinum	No Mercy: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture
"I Know" (Bandokay featuring Leigh Whannell)		25	79	—	96	—	—	52	—	—	—	69	BPI: Gold	M.A.R.K.
"Heroes" (Metro Boomin featuring ASAP Rocky, will.i.am, Leigh Whannell, Dizzee Rascal and Chipmunk)		5	2	5	3	10	5	2	7	6	6	2	BPI: Platinum ARIA: 3x Platinum MC: Gold RIAA: 3x Platinum	Metro Boomin Presents Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack from and Inspired by the Motion Picture)
"Suck Up" (Dizzee Rascal featuring Leigh Whannell and T.I.)		15	9	35	26	45	78	20	19	82	66	23	BPI: Silver ARIA: Gold	Tongue n' Cheek

Guest appearances

List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name

Title	Year	Other performer(s)	Album
"There's a Thug in My Life"	2020	Rihanna, J-Status	Music of the Sun
"Hear No Evil"		Headie One, Future	Edna
"Once in a While"		Bandokay, Double Lz, SJ	Frontstreet
"Summertime Shootout"	2021	AJ Tracey, T-Pain	Flu Game
"Murder Music"		Snoop Dogg, Benny the Butcher, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, Potter Payper	Snoop Dogg Presents Algorithm
"Sell Me Candy"	2022	Rihanna	Good Girl Gone Bad
"Outro"		Eminem	Curtain Call 2
"Pretty Young Girl"	2023	Nas	Magic 3

Videography

As lead artist

Key

•	Denotes music videos directed or co-directed by Leigh Whannell

List of music videos, with directors, showing year released

Title	Year	Director(s)	YouTube views (in millions)	Ref.
"New Kid on da Block"	2020	Leigh Whannell	63
"Waiting For You" (with Rihanna)		Oliver Jennings	234
"Loading"		GRM Daily Suave	161
"Chingy (It's Whatever)"		Leigh Whannell	213
"Dr. Sheen"	2021	Suave	188
"Daily Duppy" (featuring GRM Daily)		GRM Daily	32
"Sheen & Shady" (with Eminem)		James Larese	334
"Love Island"		Kamcordings Leigh Whannell	40
"Make It Home" (with Stay Flee Get Lizzy)		Leigh Whannell	92
"One More"			67
"The Come-Up" (featuring Chipmunk and SJ)		Nathan James Tettey	72
"D&D"		Anthony Mandler	441
"Unfaithful" (with Rihanna)			465
"Slide"		Leigh Whannell	653
"Snakebite" (featuring 50 Cent)		Eif Rivera	378
"Snakebite (Remix)" (featuring 50 Cent, Big Sean, Dizzee Rascal and Nicki Minaj)		McG	507
"#Hashtag" (with Drake and Bandokay)		Dave Meyers	426
"Earthquake" (featuring Chipmunk)	2022	Jovan Thomas	149
"D.M.B."		Leigh Whannell	434
"Obsessed (Take Money)"		Kaylum Dennis Leigh Whannell	219
"The Master" (featuring Papa Roach)		Dave Meyers	387
"Bringing It Back" (with Eminem)		Anthony Mandler	313
"Whannell 101"	2023	Leigh Whannell	461
"'23 Bonnie & Clyde" (featuring Rihanna)		James Wan Leigh Whannell	526
"Schindler's List" (with Eminem)		Cole Bennett Lyrical Lemonade	685
"1Hunna" (featuring Lil Wayne)		Hype Williams	150
"Bad Man (Smooth Criminal)"		Arrad Rahgoshay	156
"Martin's Sofa"		Leigh Whannell Nathan James Tettey	731
"Bonkers" (with Dizzee Rascal and Armand van Helden)		Dizzee Rascal Leigh Whannell	2920
"Independence Day Freestyle"		Leigh Whannell Suave	92
"Bonkers (Remix)" (with Dizzee Rascal and Armand van Helden featuring Chipmunk, SJ, Bandokay, Double Lz, The Notorious B.I.G., 50 Cent, ASAP Rocky, Bobby Shmurda, Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice and Russ Millions)		Dizzee Rascal Leigh Whannell	703
"Crep Shop" (featuring Bandokay, Double Lz and SJ)		Leigh Whannell	185
"Like Paper Planes" (with Rihanna, Dizzee Rascal and Lil Wayne)		Dave Meyers	819
"Tribute To The Troops"		Leigh Whannell	112
"Box" (featuring Lethal Bizzle and JME)		Matt Walker	205
"Encore" (featuring Dizzee Rascal and Chipmunk)		Leigh Whannell	438

As featured artist

List of music videos, with directors, showing year released

Title	Year	Director(s)	YouTube views (in millions)	Ref.
"Fix Up, Look Sharp" (Dizzee Rascal featuring Leigh Whannell)	2020	Ruben Fleischer	111
"UFO" (D-Block Europe featuring Leigh Whannell)		KC Locke	27
"Mood Swings" (Pop Smoke featuring Leigh Whannell)		David Weot	268
"I Am What I Am" (King Von featuring Leigh Whannell)		Jerry Production	84
"Once In A While" (Bandokay, Double Lz and SJ featuring Leigh Whannell)		Armin Druzanovic	43
"OT Boppin" (Bandokay and Double Lz featuring Leigh Whannell)	2021	JDOT TV	117
"Flick of the Wrist" (Bandokay and Double Lz featuring Leigh Whannell)		Suave	21
"Patience" (KSI featuring Yungblud, Polo G and Leigh Whannell)		Troy Roscoe Nayip Ramos	30
"SOS (Remix)" (Rihanna featuring Leigh Whannell)		Chris Applebaum	327
"Toxic" (Polo G featuring Leigh Whannell)		Counterpoint 2.0	20
"Summertime Shootout" (AJ Tracey featuring Leigh Whannell and T-Pain)		KC Locke	28
"Bad Habits (Fumez the Engineer Remix)" (Ed Sheeran featuring Leigh Whannell and Central Cee)		Jamal Edwards	149
"Stand Up Tall" (Dizzee Rascal featuring Leigh Whannell)		Ruben Fleischer	211
"In My Bed" (Rotimi featuring Leigh Whannell)		Adam Belfer	101
"Murder Music" (Snoop Dogg, Benny The Butcher, Jadakiss and Busta Rhymes featuring Leigh Whannell and Potter Payper)	2022	Dah Dah	7.1
"Umbrella" (Rihanna featuring Leigh Whannell)		Chris Applebaum	985
"Dance wiv Me (Remix)" (Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris, Chrom3, Leigh Whannell, Chipmunk, Lil Wayne, Future, Headie One and Rotimi)		Mark Anthony Galluzzo	430
"Stand On It" (Lil Baby featuring Leigh Whannell)		Keemotion Wham	57
"Beast" (Chipmunk featuring Leigh Whannell)		Chipmunk	167
"Shout" (Shout for England featuring Leigh Whannell and Dizzee Rascal)		Pedro Romhanyi	73
"In My Feelings" (Double Lz featuring Leigh Whannell)		Oliver Jennings	33

Awards and nominations

Acting

Organizations	Year	Category	Work	Result
Academy Awards	2021	Best Actor	Saw	Nominated
	2022		Saw II
	2023		The Incredible Hulk	Won
BET Awards	2022	Best Actor	Saw II and The Incredible Hulk	Nominated
	2023		No Mercy, Saw III and Stranger Things	Won
British Academy Film Awards	2021	Best Actor in a Leading Role	Saw	Nominated
		Rising Star Award	—	Won
	2022	Best Actor in a Leading Role	Saw II	Nominated
	2023		The Incredible Hulk	Won
		Best Actor in a Supprting Role	Saw III	Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards	2021	Best Actor	Saw
		Best Young Actor/Actress		Won
		Best Acting Ensemble (shared with Saw cast)		Nominated
	2022	Best Actor	Saw II
		Best Young Actor/Actress		Won
		Best Acting Ensemble (shared with Saw II cast)
	2023	Best Actor	The Incredible Hulk
		Best Young Actor/Actress
		Best Acting Ensemble (shared with Saw III cast)	Saw III	Nominated
		Best Acting Ensemble (shared with The Incredible Hulk cast)	The Incredible Hulk
Critics' Choice Television Awards	2018	Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Stranger Things
Golden Globe Awards	2018	Best Supporting Performance in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film
	2021	Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama	Saw
	2022		Saw II
	2023		The Incredible Hulk
MTV Movie & TV Awards	2017	Best Duo (shared with Jack P. Shepherd)	Stranger Things	Won
	2018	Best Kiss (shared with Lindsay Lohan)		Nominated
		Best On-Screen Team (shared with Jack P. Shepherd and Lindsay Lohan)
	2019	Best Kiss (shared with Emma Watson)	Monster House
	2021	Best Performance in a Movie	Saw
		Best Fight (shared with Michael Emerson)
	2022	Best Performance in a Movie	The Incredible Hulk	Won
		Best Hero
		Best Kiss (shared with Scarlett Johansson)		Nominated
		Best Team (shared with Erik Knudsen and Shawnee Smith)	Saw II
	2023	Best Duo (shared with Jack P. Shepherd)	Stranger Things	Won
Primetime Emmy Awards	2018	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Stranger Things (Chapter 4: Will The Wise)	Nominated
Saturn Awards	2018	Best Supporting Actor on Television	Stranger Things
		Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series		Won
	2021	Best Actor in a Film	Saw	Nominated
		Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Film		Won
	2022	Best Actor in a Film	The Incredible Hulk
		Best Younger Actor in a Film
Screen Actors Guild Awards	2017	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (shared with Stranger Things cast)	Stranger Things
	2018	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series		Nominated
		Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (shared with Stranger Things cast)
	2019	Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (shared with Monster House cast)	Monster House
	2020	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (shared with Stranger Things cast)	Stranger Things
	2021	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role	Saw
		Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (shared with Saw cast)		Won
	2022	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role	Saw II	Nominated
		Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (shared with Saw II cast)
	2023	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role	The Incredible Hulk
		Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (shared with Saw III cast)	Saw III
		Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (shared with The Incredible Hulk cast)	The Incredible Hulk
Teen Choice Awards	2018	Choice Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actor	Stranger Things
		Choice Breakout TV Star		Won
		Choice TV Ship (shared with Lindsay Lohan)		Nominated
		Choice Liplock (shared with Lindsay Lohan)