Eamonn Walker facts for kids

Eamonn Roderique Walker (born 12 June 1962) is an English actor. He is well-known for his roles in many TV shows and movies. You might recognize him from the HBO series Oz (1997–2003), where he won an award. He also played Wallace Boden in the popular NBC drama Chicago Fire and its spin-off shows from 2012 to 2024.

His early TV work included the BBC sitcom In Sickness and in Health (1985–1987) and the ITV crime drama The Bill (1988–1989). Eamonn Walker has also appeared in films like Young Soul Rebels (1991) and Unbreakable (2000).

Early Life and Start in Acting

Eamonn Walker was born in west London in 1962. His father was from Grenada and his mother was from Trinidad. He grew up in Islington, north London, and even lived in Trinidad for six months when he was nine years old.

He first studied social work at the Polytechnic of North London. Eamonn also trained to be a dancer and joined a dance company in London. However, a calf injury meant he had to stop dancing. After that, he studied at the New York Film Academy in the United States, which helped him become an actor.

Eamonn Walker's Acting Career

Early Roles in the UK

Eamonn Walker started his acting career on stage in London in 1983. His first TV appearance was in 1985 in an episode of Dempsey and Makepeace. The next year, he was in a children's show called Dramarama.

From 1986 to 1988, he played Winston in the BBC show In Sickness and in Health. He then joined the cast of the police drama The Bill as PC Malcolm Haynes, a role he played from 1988 to 1989. His first movie role was in 1991 in Young Soul Rebels. He also appeared in other British TV shows like Birds of a Feather and One Foot in the Grave.

Moving to Hollywood and US TV

In 1997, Eamonn Walker got a big role in the American TV series Oz on HBO. He played Kareem Saïd, a new inmate in a maximum-security prison who was a devout Muslim. To prepare for the role, Eamonn spent time at a mosque in Harlem to learn about American Muslim culture. He wanted his acting to feel real. He won an award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series for his work on Oz.

In 2000, he appeared in two films: Once in the Life and Unbreakable, starring alongside Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. He also returned to British TV in 2001 to star in Othello, a modern version of William Shakespeare's play. He won an award for this role too!

Eamonn continued to appear in many films, including the war film Tears of the Sun (2003) with Bruce Willis, and Lord of War (2005) with Nicolas Cage. In 2005, he made his debut on Broadway, playing Mark Antony in the play Julius Caesar.

From 2006 to 2007, he starred in the Fox Network legal drama Justice. In 2007, he made history by becoming the first black actor to play Othello at Shakespeare's Globe theatre in London.

He also appeared in the biographical music drama Cadillac Records (2008), where he played the famous blues singer Howlin' Wolf. From 2012 to 2024, Eamonn Walker was a main star in the NBC drama Chicago Fire, playing Wallace Boden. He also appeared in its spin-off shows, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med.

Personal Life

Eamonn Walker lives in the United States with his wife, Sandra. They have three children together.

Film and TV Shows

Films

Television Shows

Theatre Roles