Who is Stuart in The Diplomat? Character explored
Although Katherine "Kate" Wyler is at the forefront of Netflix's The Diplomat's narrative, there are other characters who play an equally important part. Among them is Stuart Heyford's character, brilliantly portrayed by actor Ato Essandoh.
Heyford is the deputy chief of mission of the US embassy in London and Kate's right-hand man. His role involves guiding Kate in making sound political decisions and choices. He has a history as a DC campaign manager, which means he also frequently acts as a source of information for Kate, as he typically knows what is happening in the White House.
Everything about Stuart Heyford's character in Netflix's The Diplomat
As mentioned earlier, Stuart Heyford's character in the Netflix series, The Diplomat, is an important one as it is directly tied to Kate's character, who is central to the show's narrative.
That being said, Stuart's role in the show not only involves providing counsel to Kate, but his character has a much larger significance in the overall context, making him connect to several characters on the show simultaneously.
From successes to challenges, Hayford is the first to know or experience anything before it reaches Kate or anyone else. Thus, when the blast occurs at the end of season 1, Hayford is the one who bears the brunt of it along with Kate's husband Hal.
That said, the incident managed to create a crack in Kate and Stuart's professional relationship as the latter held the former partially responsible for the incident. Stuart's feelings of disappointment towards Kate sustained in season 2 of the show as well, as Stuart gave Kate the cold shoulder in several scenes, even rigorously disagreeing with some of the opinions she held and decisions she intended to take.
About Ato Essandoh who plays Stuart Heyford in The Diplomat series
Born to parents Ebow and Monica Essando on July 29, 1972, in Schenectady, New York, Ato Essandoh (full name: Ato Essilfi Bracato Essandoh) is an American actor. He stepped into the industry in 2001 and has since acted in both films and television.
Some of the films that he has worked in over the years include Dawn's Early Light (2005), Tu & Eu (2011), and Django Unchained (2012). However, note that in all these films, Essandoh either played recurring or guest roles.
In contrast, on television, Essandoh took on more important roles compared to film. Some of the shows where he was part of the main cast include Copper (2012–2013), Vinyl (2016), and The Code (2019). With The Diplomat series, which was first released in 2023, Essandoh has added yet another credit to his name on the list of shows in which he is part of the main cast.
About The Diplomat series
Created by Debora Cahn The Diplomat series is produced under the banners of Let's Not Turn This Into a Whole Big Production and Well Red. It stars Keri Russell (as Katherine "Kate" Wyler), Rufus Sewell ( as Hal Wyler), David Gyasi (as Austin Dennison), Ali Ahn (as Eidra Park), Rory Kinnear (as Nicol Trowbridge), and Ato Essandoh (as Stuart Heyford) in leading roles.
The official synopsis for the show reads:
"Amid an international crisis, a US diplomat contends with her high-profile new job as ambassador to the UK and her turbulent marriage to a political star."
All episodes of The Diplomat seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Netflix.
