Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
| Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje | |
|---|---|
 Akinnuoye-Agbaje at a Red Cross benefit at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, February 28, 2007 |
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| Born | 22 August 1967 Islington, London, England, UK |
| Other names | Adewalé |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1993 – present |
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (pron.: /ˌædɨˈwɑːleɪ ˌækɨˈnuː.eɪ ɑːɡˈbɑːdʒeɪ/; born 22 August 1967) is a British actor and former fashion model, best known for his roles as Lock-Nah in The Mummy Returns, Nykwana Wombosi in The Bourne Identity, Mr. Eko on Lost and Simon Adebisi on Oz.
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Early life and career [edit]
Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born in Islington, London. His parents are Nigerian, of Yoruba origin. He has a law degree from King's College London and a Masters in Law from the University of London.
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. He was also in an episode of New York Undercover. He has numerous film credits since he began acting in 1994 and has appeared in many top films, including 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.[1] In 2009, Akinnuoye-Agbaje told MTV that he was in talks with Marvel Studios to play Black Panther in the film of the same name. When asked, the actor replied “We’re talking to Marvel about ‘Black Panther… This is the first round, so you know, hopefully they’ll look at ‘G.I. Joe’ and see the potential. But it’s about time we have a black superhero, isn’t it? He’s from a fictional village in Africa and the timing is so right for that kind of character to come through… And while I’m in my prime, this is the time. We’ve got [U.S. President Barack] Obama, now we need something onscreen to represent, so… ‘Panther,’ man I would love to see that happen, and I think the more we – my people – campaign for that, the more viable it will be. And I mean, obviously appearing in cult-classics and blockbusters all help, we’re very much on [Marvel's] radar…I think it’s all about campaigning, I’m going to keep knocking on their door.” However, Marvel Studios have not yet confirmed that he will get the role.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje has also stated that he will be directing a film about his life story. More recently, he guest starred in the second episode of season 8 of Monk, and played Derek Jameson in the 2011 film The Thing.[2] He will portray Kurse in the Marvel Studios film Thor: The Dark World.[3]
Personal life [edit]
Akinnuoye-Agbaje is a Buddhist[4] and a member of Sōka Gakkai International.[5]
Akinnuoye-Agbaje had asked to be written off Lost, citing a desire to return to London after his parents' recent passing and to direct a film there.[6]
Filmography [edit]
Film [edit]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Congo | Kahega |
| 1995 | Delta of Venus | The Clairvoyant |
| 1995 | Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls | Hitu |
| 1996 | The Deadly Voyage | Emmaneul |
| 1998 | Legionnaire | Luther |
| 2000 | Enslavement The True Story of Fanny Kemble | Joe |
| 2001 | The Mummy Returns | Lock-Nah |
| 2001 | Lip Service | Sebastion |
| 2002 | The Bourne Identity | Nykwana Wombosi |
| 2004 | Unstoppable | Junod |
| 2005 | The Mistress of Spices | Kwesi |
| 2005 | On the One (Preaching to the Choir) | Bull Sharky |
| 2005 | 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 |
| 2011 | The Thing | Derek Jameson |
| 2012 | Best Laid Plans | Joseph |
| 2013 | Bullet to the Head | Morel |
| 2013 | Thor: The Dark World | Algrim / Kurse |
| 2014 | Pompeii |
Television [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Cliff Ramsey | |
| 1996–1999 | Linc's (TV series) | Winston Iwelu | |
| 1997 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Cabe Attucks | |
| 1990–2000 | Oz | Simon Adebisi | |
| 2005–2006 | Lost | Mr. Eko | |
| 2009 | Monk | Samuel Waingaya | |
| 2011 | Strike Back: Project Dawn | ||
| 2012 | Hunted | Deacon Crane |
Music videos [edit]
- "Love No Limit" – Mary J. Blige
- "No No No" – Dawn Penn
- "I Want It All Night Long" – Heather Hunter
- "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" – En Vogue
- "Jealousy" – Pet Shop Boys
References [edit]
- ^ "Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Joins Universal's Thing Prequel". DreadCentral.
- ^ 'The Thing' Prequel Gains Some Muscle
- ^ McNary, Dave (2012-08-22). "Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje joins 'Thor: Dark World'". Variety. Archived from the original on 2012-08-22. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
- ^ 60 SECONDS: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
- ^ born to Nigerian parents ‘Lost’ in Hawaii, Part 2 – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
- ^ William Keck (2006-11-01). "Eko is a Monster Mash". USA Today.
External links [edit]
Media related to Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje at Wikimedia Commons
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje at the Internet Movie Database
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje interview on the Tavis Smiley show
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- 1967 births
- Alumni of King's College London
- English Buddhists
- English film actors
- English male models
- English people of Nigerian descent
- English television actors
- Living people
- People from Islington
- Black British actors
- Black British fashion people
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- Yoruba people
- Members of Sōka Gakkai
- Actors from London
- 20th-century English actors
- 21st-century English actors
- Converts to Buddhism
- Converts to Sōka Gakkai
