Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (born 22 August 1967) is an English actor famous for playing memorable characters in movies and TV shows. You might know him as Mr. Eko in the TV series Lost, or as the supervillain Killer Croc in the movie Suicide Squad.

He has also appeared in many other big films. He played Lock-Nah in The Mummy Returns, Heavy Duty in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and the powerful warrior Kurse in Thor: The Dark World. He also had roles in the TV shows Game of Thrones and His Dark Materials. In 2018, he directed his first movie, Farming, which tells the story of his own childhood.

Early Life and Education

Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born in London, England. His parents were from Nigeria and were students in the United Kingdom. When he was a baby, his parents arranged for him to be raised by a British family in a town called Tilbury. This was a common practice for some Nigerian families at the time, known as "farming." His new family also cared for other African children.

When he was eight, his birth parents brought him to Nigeria. However, he couldn't speak the local Yoruba language and found it hard to fit in. He soon returned to his family in Tilbury. This experience made it difficult for him to understand his identity, as he felt caught between his Nigerian roots and his British upbringing.

Akinnuoye-Agbaje at a Red Cross event in 2007

Overcoming Challenges

As a young boy, he faced bullying because of his race. He learned to stand up for himself. At age 16, his birth parents sent him to a boarding school in Surrey. There, he focused on his studies, which changed his life for the better.

He later earned a bachelor's degree from the University of London and a Master's degree in Law from the famous King's College London. While he was a student, he worked in a clothing store, which led him to the world of modeling. In 2017, he received an Honorary PhD from the University of London for his achievements.

Acting Career

Akinnuoye-Agbaje's modeling career eventually took him to Hollywood. His acting career began in 1995 with a role in the movie Congo.

His breakout roles were as the powerful prisoner Simon Adebisi in the HBO series Oz and as the mysterious Mr. Eko on the hit show Lost. He has played a wide variety of characters, from an African leader in The Bourne Identity to the tough soldier Heavy Duty in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Superhero Roles and More

In 2009, Akinnuoye-Agbaje talked with Marvel Studios about playing the superhero Black Panther. Although the role later went to Chadwick Boseman, he was excited about the idea of a major black superhero on screen. He later joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the villain Kurse in Thor: The Dark World.

In 2016, he joined the DC Comics movie universe as Killer Croc in Suicide Squad. He also played Malko in the fifth season of Game of Thrones and voiced the main character in the animated film Bilal.

Directing His Own Story

For many years, Akinnuoye-Agbaje wanted to make a movie about his own life. In 2018, he directed the film Farming. The movie shows his difficult childhood and how he found his way. The film won awards at the Edinburgh Film Festival, including Best British Feature.

Personal Life

Akinnuoye-Agbaje lives in Los Angeles. He is a Nichiren Buddhist. He asked to leave the show Lost because he wanted to return to London to be with his family and to direct a movie there. He is also a fan of the Arsenal F.C. soccer team.

Filmography

Film

Television

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)

See also

In Spanish: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje para niños