Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje | |
|---|---|
 Akinnuoye-Agbaje in 2013 | |
| Born | (1967-08-22)22 August 1967 (age 58) London, England |
| Other names | Adewalé, Triple A |
| Alma mater | King's College London University of London International Programme |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Website | adewaletheartist |
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (/ˌædɪˈwɒliˌækɪˈnɔɪeɪæɡˈbɑːdʒeɪ/;[1]Yoruba:[ādéwáléākĩ́nùójèāɡ͡bádʒé]ⓘ; born 22 August 1967) is an English actor. He is known for his roles asSimon Adebisi inOz,Mr. Eko inLost, Lock-Nah inThe Mummy Returns, Nykwana Wombosi inThe Bourne Identity,Heavy Duty inG.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,Kurse inThor: The Dark World,Killer Croc inSuicide Squad, Malko in thefifth season of theHBO seriesGame of Thrones,[2]Dave Duerson in the NFL biopic dramaConcussion,[3] andOgunwe inHis Dark Materials.[4]
Akinnuoye-Agbaje's feature directorial debut,Farming,[5] wrapped production in 2017[6] and had its world premiere at the2018 Toronto International Film Festival.[7]
Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born inIslington, to Nigerian parents ofYoruba origin, who were students in the UK. When he was six weeks old, his biological parents gave him up to a white working-class family inTilbury.[5][8] Hisfoster parents had at least ten African children, including Akinnuoye-Agbaje's two sisters, living in their house at certain points. His foster father made a living as alorry driver and struggled to support the family financially.[9]
When he was eight years old, his biological parents brought him back toNigeria but, as he was unable to speak theYoruba language and unable to assimilate, he was returned to Tilbury shortly thereafter. The brief exposure to Nigeria left him struggling to reconcile his heritage with the distinctly British culture and environment he was raised in. As a young boy, he was subject to continual racial abuse in the white neighbourhood he grew up. After enduring repeated physical attacks by localskinheads, he earned their respect by standing up to them and eventually aligned forces with them. At 16 years old, his birth parents sent him to aboarding school inSurrey where he gravitated to his studies and ultimately transformed his life.[9]
He went on to earn his Bachelor's from theUniversity of London at large and subsequently a Master's in Law fromKing's College London. While a university student, Akinnuoye-Agbaje worked in a clothes shop where he was introduced to the world ofmodelling. On March 17, 2017, he was awarded an Honorary PhD byPrincess Anne, Chancellor of the University of London.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje's modelling career led him toHollywood, where he began his acting career with a 1995 role inCongo.[9]
His best-known acting roles have been as the imposing convictSimon Adebisi in the 1990sHBO prison seriesOz and asMr. Eko onABC's survivor dramaLost.[9] Film roles includeThe Bourne Identity, in which he played a deposed African dictator, Hitu the police officer inAce Ventura: When Nature Calls, Lock-Nah inThe Mummy Returns, andHeavy Duty inG.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.[10] He was also featured in the video for singer-songwriterGrayson 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 withMarvel Studios to play the superheroBlack Panther in aproposed 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 withChadwick Boseman in the title role.[11]
He guest starred in the second episode of season 8 ofMonk, and played Derek Jameson in the 2011 filmThe Thing.[12] He portrayedKurse in theMarvel Studios filmThor: The Dark World.[13] He portrayed the character Malko inthe fifth season ofGame of Thrones.[2][14] In 2015 it was reported that Akinnuoye-Abaje voices the lead character ofBilal, a film about the life ofBilal Ibn Rabah set to be released in the second half of the year.[15] In 2016, he co-starred in theDC Comics filmSuicide Squad, as theBatman villainKiller Croc.[16]
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 calledFarming, 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 withDamson Idris in the lead role as Enitan,Kate Beckinsale playing his abusive, neglectful foster mother andGugu 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 theRoman Colosseum written bySimon Scarrow for the BARDEUM mobile app.[18]
Akinnuoye-Agbaje lives inLos Angeles. He is aNichiren Buddhist[19] and a member of theSoka Gakkai International Buddhist association.[20]
Akinnuoye-Agbaje asked to be written offLost, citing a desire to return toLondon after his foster parents' deaths and to direct a film there.[21] He is a supporter ofArsenal F.C.[22]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Congo | Kahega | Credited as Adewalé |
| Delta of Venus | The Clairvoyant | ||
| Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls | Hitu | Credited as Adewalé | |
| 1998 | Legionnaire | Luther | |
| 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 | |
| 2024 | The Union | Frank Pfeiffer |
| 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) 2005Screen 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 |
| 2024 | Secret Level | Bladeguard Veteran Sgt. Metaurus | Voice |
