Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje | |
---|---|
University of London International Programme | |
Occupation | Actor dancer |
Years active | 1994–present |
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (
Akinnuoye-Agbaje's feature directorial debut, Farming,[5] wrapped production in 2017[6] and had its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.[7]
Early life and education
Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born in
When he was eight years old, his biological parents brought him back to
He went on to earn his Bachelor's from the
Career
Akinnuoye-Agbaje's modelling career led him to Hollywood, where he began his acting career with a 1995 role in Congo.[9]
His best-known acting roles have been as the imposing convict Simon Adebisi in the 1990s HBO prison series Oz and as Mr. Eko on ABC's survivor drama Lost.[9] Film roles include The Bourne Identity, in which he played a deposed African dictator, Hitu the police officer in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Lock-Nah in The Mummy Returns, and Heavy Duty in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.[10] He was also featured in the video for singer-songwriter Grayson Hugh's hit "Talk It Over", which was in heavy rotation in 1989 on MTV and VH-1.
In 2009, Akinnuoye-Agbaje was in talks with Marvel Studios to play the superhero Black Panther in a proposed film of the same name. In an interview, he stated his excitement about the possibility, saying that "the timing is so right" for a black superhero, and "while I'm in my prime, this is the time... I'm going to keep knocking on their door." In 2014 Marvel did announce a Black Panther film, though with Chadwick Boseman in the title role.[11]
He guest starred in the second episode of season 8 of
In 2012, Akinnuoye-Agbaje stated that he had been developing a film about his life story, which he also planned to direct.[9] The film is called Farming, in reference to the practise of Nigerian parents "farming out" their children to white UK families. In May 2017, he announced that casting on the film had begun with Damson Idris in the lead role as Enitan, Kate Beckinsale playing his abusive, neglectful foster mother and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as his teacher and mentor. The film went on to win the Michael Powell Award at the Edinburgh Film Festival for Best British Feature and Best Performance in a British Feature for Idris.[8][17]
In 2021, Akinnuoye-Agbaje narrated an immersive audiovisual tour for the Roman Colosseum written by Simon Scarrow for the BARDEUM mobile app.[18]
Personal life
Akinnuoye-Agbaje lives in Los Angeles. He is a Nichiren Buddhist[19] and a member of the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist association.[20]
Akinnuoye-Agbaje asked to be written off Lost, citing a desire to return to London after his foster parents' deaths and to direct a film there.[21] He is a supporter of Arsenal F.C.[22]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | Congo | Kahega | Credited as Adewalé |
Delta of Venus | The Clairvoyant | ||
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls | Hitu | ||
1998 | Legionnaire | Luther | deadly voyage 1996 |
2001 | The Mummy Returns | Lock-Nah | |
Lip Service | Sebastion | ||
2002 | The Bourne Identity | Nykwana Wombosi | |
2004 | Unstoppable | Agent Junod | |
2005 | The Mistress of Spices |
Kwesi | |
Preaching to the Choir | Bull Sharky | ||
Get Rich or Die Tryin' | Majestic | ||
2009 | G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | Heavy Duty | |
2010 | Faster | The Evangelist | |
2011 | Killer Elite | The Agent | |
The Thing | Derek Jameson | ||
2012 | Best Laid Plans | Joseph | |
2013 | Bullet to the Head | Morel | |
Thor: The Dark World | Algrim the Strong / Kurse |
||
The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete | Pike | ||
2014 | Pompeii | Atticus | |
Annie | Nash | ||
2015 | Trumbo | Virgil Brooks | Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
Concussion | Dave Duerson | ||
2016 | Bilal |
Bilal |
Voice role |
Suicide Squad | Waylon Jones / Killer Croc | ||
2017 | Wetlands | Detective Babel "Babs" Johnson | |
2018 | Farming | Femi | Also director |
2022 | Marlowe | Cedric | |
TBA | Our Man from Jersey |
Filming |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | Red Shoe Diaries | Davis Bateman | Episode: "Written Word" |
1995 | New York Undercover | Cliff Ramsey | Episode: "Downtown Girl" |
1996 | Screen Two | Emmanuel | Episode: "Deadly Voyage" |
1997 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea |
Cabe Attucks | 2 episodes |
Cracker: Mind Over Murder |
John Doe | Episode: "Madwoman" | |
Pensacola: Wings of Gold | Ambassador Odeku | Episode: "Fallout" | |
1997–2000 | Oz | Simon Adebisi | Guest role (season 1); recurring role (season 2); main role (seasons 3-4) Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series |
1998 | Linc's | Winston Iwelu | Episode: "Gangsta Rap" |
2000 | Enslavement: The True Story of Fanny Kemble | Joe | Television film |
2005–2006 | Lost | Mr. Eko | Main role (seasons 2–3) 2005 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television |
2009 | Monk | Samuel Waingaya | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Foreign Man" |
2011 | Strike Back: Project Dawn | Tahir | 2 episodes |
2012 | Hunted | Deacon Crane | Main role |
2015 | American Odyssey | Frank Majors | Main role |
Major Lazer | Major Lazer/Evil Lazer | Main voice role | |
Game of Thrones | Malko | Episodes: "Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken", "The Gift" | |
2017–2019 | Tangled: The Series |
Xavier the Blacksmith | Recurring voice role, 7 episodes |
2017 | Tour de Pharmacy | Olusegun Okorocha | Television film |
Ten Days in the Valley | John Bird | 10 episodes | |
2018 | Watership Down |
Vervain | Miniseries; main voice role |
2019 | The Fix | Sevvy Johnson | Main role |
2020 | Moominvalley | The Hobgoblin | Voice role; 2 episodes |
2020 | Centaurworld | Johnny Teatime | Episode: "Johnny Teatime's Be Best Competition: A Quest for the Sash" |
2022 | His Dark Materials | Commander Ogunwe | Main role; season 3 |
2023 | My Dad the Bounty Hunter | Emperor Odoman | Voice |
Music videos
- "Talk It Over" – Grayson Hugh (1989)
- "Jealousy" – Pet Shop Boys (1991)
- "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" – En Vogue (1992)
- "Love No Limit" – Mary J. Blige (1993)
- "I Want It All Night Long" – Heather Hunter (1993)
- "You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)" – Dawn Penn (1994)
References
- ^ "Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje On Why You Do Not Want To Miss 50K". SGI-USA. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ a b Lawler, Kelly (17 October 2014). "He was also in get rich or die trying'Lost' alum joins 'Game of Thrones' as ... someone". USA Today. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
- ^ White, James (28 October 2014). "Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Joins NFL Concussion Drama". EmpireOnline. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ "His Dark Materials (TV Series 2019–2022)". IMDb. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ a b Eweniyi, Odunayo (6 June 2017). "British-Nigerian Actor, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Is Making A Movie Based on His Childhood". Konbini Nigeria. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ McNary, Dave (2 November 2017). "First Look at Kate Beckinsale, Gugu Mbatha-Raw's British Drama 'Farming'". Variety. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ Jeremy Kay (21 August 2018). "Toronto 2018: 'Farming', 'Light As Feathers' on Discovery roster, Rising Stars revealed". Screen Daily. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ a b Ford, Rebecca (5 May 2017). "Cannes: Kate Beckinsale, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Damson Idris to Star in 'Farming'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ^ "Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Joins Universal's Thing Prequel". DreadCentral. 21 September 2012.
- ^ Siegel, Lucas (28 October 2014). "Marvel Announces Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Inhumans, Avengers: Infinity War Films, Cap & Thor 3 Subtitles". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ "'The Thing' Prequel Gains Some Muscle". BloodyDisgusting. 26 May 2010.
- ^ McNary, Dave (22 August 2012). "Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje joins 'Thor: Dark World'". Variety. Archived from the original on 24 August 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- ^ "Lost's Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje joins Game of Thrones". IGN. 17 October 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
- ^ Obenson, Tambay (27 February 2015). "Trailer for Animated Feature Film Inspired by True Story of Afro-Arab Slave Who Became "Voice of Islam"". Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ^ Jeff Sneider (31 March 2015). "'Lost' Alum Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje to Play Killer Croc in WB's 'Suicide Squad' (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
- ^ Lodderhose, Diana (5 May 2017). "Kate Beckinsale, Damson Idris & Gugu Mbatha-Raw To Star In 'Farming' – Cannes". Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ^ "Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje". BARDEUM. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ metrowebukmetro (30 August 2006). "60 SECONDS: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje". Metro. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
- ^ "Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje not lost in L.A." Los Angeles Times. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
- ^ Keck, William (1 November 2006). "Eko is a Monster Mash". USA Today.
- ^ "SI Now: One-on-one with actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje". Sports Illustrated. 14 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
External links
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- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje on X
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje at IMDb
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje interview Archived 13 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine on Tavis Smiley