Gbenga Akinnagbe

Olugbenga Enitan Temitope Akinnagbe (/ˈbɛŋɡə əˈknəb/ BENG-gə ə-KEEN-ə-bay; born December 12, 1978) is an American actor and writer, best known for his roles as Chris Partlow on the HBO series The Wire[1] and as Larry Brown on the HBO series The Deuce.[2]

Gbenga Akinnagbe
Akinnagbe in 2012
Born
Olugbenga Enitan Temitope Akinnagbe

(1978-12-12) December 12, 1978 (age 45)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • writer
Years active2002–present
RelativesWale (cousin)

Early life

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Akinnagbe was born in Washington, D.C.,[3] the son of Yoruba Nigerian parents,[4][3] and was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is the second oldest of six children, with one older sister and four younger brothers, and the first in his family to be born in the United States. He attended Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High School in Rockville, Maryland. He attended Bucknell University on a wrestling scholarship, and graduated in 2000 with a degree in Political Science and English. Akinnagbe's cousin is rapper Wale.[5]

Career

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Akinnagbe played Ben Ellis in the episode "Contenders" on the TV series Numb3rs. In the summer of 2006, Akinnagbe performed the role of "Zim" in the NYC Fringe Festival's "Outstanding Play" award-winning production of Modern Missionary.[6] In 2003, Akinnagbe auditioned for the role of Chris Partlow on the HBO series The Wire and starting in 2004 began a frequent recurring role. In 2008 during the show's fifth and final season, he was promoted to a series regular.

In 2007, Akinnagbe appeared in the film The Savages with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney, and Philip Bosco. He appeared in the remake of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, which was released by Sony in June 2009. Akinnagbe made a guest appearance on a season 10 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode entitled "Hell" as Elijah Okello, a former Ugandan child soldier living in New York, facing deportation. Akinnagbe's former The Wire castmate Robert Wisdom also appeared in that episode as Father Theo Burdett. In 2010 in Seattle, Washington Akinnagbe starred in the world premiere play The Thin Place at The Intiman Theatre.[7]

He was in the movie Lottery Ticket and appeared on The Good Wife as Pastor Isiah Easton.[3] His former co-star from The Wire,[1] Frankie Faison, portrayed his father on The Good Wife in several episodes.[3] He also appeared as Kelly Slater, a nurse in the third season of the Showtime series Nurse Jackie.[8]

He starred in leading roles in two independent films, as Jack in Home, directed by Jono Oliver, and as James in Big Words, directed by Neil Drumming. He appeared as a drug lord in the USA series Graceland and starred as Tom in The Following. He also starred as CIA Agent Erik Ritter in 24: Live Another Day.[9] In October 2016 he began shooting the feature film Starbright.

In March 2020, Akinnagbe was cast in The Old Man.[10]

Other Ventures

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Akinnagbe is the owner of Enitan, a Brooklyn-based furniture business that he designs vintage furniture with upholster fabrics. [11]

Personal life

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Gbenga has had two articles published in The New York Times, one detailing a trip to Nepal to climb the Himalayas, and the other outlining the medical procedures he underwent to correct his severely flat feet.[12]

Akinnagbe filed a criminal complaint alleging that British female journalist Lola Adesioye had grabbed his buttocks on two occasions in 2020.[13] The journalist was arrested on May 26, 2021, jailed for 28 hours, and charged with forcible touching, sexual abuse, and harassment. The journalist's attorney described Akinnagbe's allegations as "a blatant, brazen lie".[14] In October 2021, the case was dismissed.[15]

Filmography

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Film

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YearTitleRoleNotes
2005They're Made Out of MeatMerlinShort
2007The SavagesJimmy
Man-UpQShort
2009The Taking of Pelham 123Wallace
2010Edge of DarknessDarcy Jones
Lottery TicketLorenzo
2011Red & Blue MarblesCabal
2012OvernightTMJ
Paranormal AbductionAlex Chandler
2013Big WordsJames
HomeJack Hall
Sweet, Sweet CountryErnestoShort
2014Render to CaesarDipo
Fort BlissSgt. Butcher
MallMichel
Phantom HaloRoman
2015KnuckleheadLangston
2016DetourMichael
Independence Day: ResurgenceAgent Travis
2017Crown HeightsSampson
DetroitAubrey Pollard Sr.
MindhackSun Moon
Heart, BabyGeorge
2018EggWayne
All the Devil's MenSamuelson
2019GoldieRichard
Rogers and TildenMarcusShort
DC NoirDetective Mitch Brooks
The Sun Is Also a StarSamuel Kingsley
202016 BarsDeacon
Pitch Black PanaceaCarl (voice)Short
2021PassingDave Freedland
2023Fast CharlieBeggar Mercado
TBAThe ThicketTBAPost-production

Television

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YearTitleRoleNotes
2004–08The WireChris PartlowRecurring cast (seasons 3-4), main cast (season 5)
2005BarbershopYinkaMain cast
2006ConvictionGary Wade/Calvin2 episodes
2007Numb3rsBen EllisEpisode: "Contenders"
2008Cold CaseVictor Nash '05/'08Episode: "Street Money"
2009FringeAkimEpisode: "The No-Brainer"
Law & Order: Special Victims UnitElijah OkelloEpisode: "Hell"
Dark BlueDante RollingsEpisode: "August"
Maggie HillElliot SpringerTV movie
2010–15The Good WifePastor Isaiah EastonRecurring cast (seasons 1-2, 5)
2011Blue BloodsPierreEpisode: "All That Glitters"
ChaseJohn MaconEpisode: "The Man at the Altar"
Brooklyn ShakaraEmeka NwanduEpisode: "Pilot"
A Gifted ManDr. Leo 'Bax' Baxter2 episodes
2011–12Nurse JackieKelly SlaterRecurring cast (seasons 3-4)
2012The UnknownVincentEpisode: "Life Sentence"
DamagesWalid CooperRecurring cast (season 5)
ElementaryJeremy LopezEpisode: "The Leviathan"
2012–14Law & Order: Special Victims UnitFather Biobaku2 episodes
2013GracelandJeremiah BelloRecurring cast (season 1)
The Funtime GangInmateTV movie
201424: Live Another DayErik RitterMain cast
2015The FollowingTom ReyesRecurring cast (season 3)
2015–16LimitlessQuentin Walker2 episodes
2016Madam SecretaryChris SantumariEpisode: "Desperate Remedies"
2017Mercy StreetSagaEpisode: "House of Bondage"
2017–18The DeuceLarry BrownMain cast
2020EvilLando MutabaziEpisode: "Justice x 2"
2021FBI: Most WantedJames JohnsonEpisode: "Criminal Justice"
Modern LoveJordanEpisode: "The Night Girl Finds a Day Boy"
2021–23Wu-Tang: An American SagaMookRecurring cast (season 2)
2022The BlacklistBoukman BaptisteEpisode: "Boukman Baptiste (No. 164)"
The Old ManJulian CarsonMain cast
2023Power Book II: GhostRon Samuel JenkinsRecurring cast (season 3)

Theater

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YearTitleRoleNotes
2001The Oedipus PlaysSoldier
2002Romeo and JulietEnsemble
2002Cyrano de BergeracLe Bret
2003Henry VA French Messenger
2005The Controversy of ValladolidA Black Servant
2006Modern MissionaryZim
2007A View From 151st StreetDwight
2008Lower NinthLowboy
2010A Thin PlaceIsaac
2013The RainmakerBill Starbuck
2015FulfillmentMichael
2018To Kill a MockingbirdTom Robinson

References

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  1. ^ a b Bale, Miriam (21 November 2013). "A Place, and Prescription, of One's Own". New York Times. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  2. ^ Berkowitz, Joe (15 September 2017). "Here's Everybody From 'The Wire' Who Now Works on 'The Deuce'". Fast Company. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d Kim, Jae-Ha (24 May 2011). "Celebrity Traveler: Nigeria to Mexico, actor finds charm". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  4. ^ Lakin, Max (March 19, 2019). "The 'Deuce' Actor Who Also Reupholsters Vintage Chairs". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  5. ^ Drake, David (25 June 2013). "20 Things You Didn't Know About Wale". Complex Music. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  6. ^ He also featured in limitless Modern Missionary
  7. ^ Berson, Misha (17 May 2010). "Actor Gbenga Akinnagbe stars in Intiman Theatre's 'The Thin Place'". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  8. ^ Ausiello, Michael (21 October 2010). "Exclusive: 'The Wire' grad Gbenga Akinnagbe joins 'Nurse Jackie'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (20 December 2013). "24: Live Another Day Adds 2 New Regulars". Deadline. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  10. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 7, 2020). "Gbenga Akinnagbe To Star In 'The Old Man'; Bill Heck Joins FX On Hulu Series In Recasting".
  11. ^ Owens, Mitchell. "Meet The Wire Star Turned Design Impresario".
  12. ^ Steed, Munson (19 July 2013). "'Big Words' Actor Gbenga Akinnagbe finds comfort in the uncomfortable". Rolling Out. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  13. ^ "'The Wire' actor alleges sex abuse by journalist, who calls contact consensual". 2021-07-20. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  14. ^ Goldberg, Noah (2021-07-19). "'The Wire' actor accuses NYC journalist of groping him — she says it happened during consensual relationship". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
  15. ^ Adams, Biba (November 19, 2021). "Lola Adesioye speaks after charges she sexually abused actor Gbenga Akinnagbe are dropped". TheGrio.
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