O-T Fagbenle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids O-T Fagbenle
Fagbenle at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Olatunde Olateju Olaolorun Fagbenle (1981-01-22) 22 January 1981 (age 44) London, England
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actor, screenwriter, songwriter, director
Years active	2002–present
Relatives	Temi Fagbenle (sister) Luti Fagbenle (brother) Daps (brother)

Olatunde Olateju Olaolorun "O-T" Fagbenle (born January 22, 1981) is a talented English actor, writer, and director. He is known for his many roles in movies, plays, and TV shows. You might know him best as Lucas Bankole in The Handmaid’s Tale. He even got an Emmy nomination for this role. He also played Barack Obama in the TV series The First Lady.

Early Life and Family

O-T Fagbenle was born in London, England. His father was a journalist from Nigeria. His mother was British. O-T grew up with his mother. He lived in different countries like Nigeria, Spain, and the UK.

He started playing the alto saxophone when he was young. He quickly joined the South Coast Jazz Band. They even played at the famous Edinburgh Festival. He also performed in big bands at places like Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall.

O-T has talented siblings too. His brother, Luti Fagbenle, is an actor and film producer. Another brother, Daps, directs music videos. His sister, Temi Fagbenle, is a professional basketball player in the WNBA. She has also played in the Olympics.

His Acting Journey

On Stage: Theatre Roles

O-T began acting at 14 with the Ritual Theatre Arts group. He played the main character in William Shakespeare's Macbeth. He performed this play in London and other countries. He later studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

He continued acting in Shakespeare plays. He played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. One newspaper said he almost stole the show with his amazing performance. O-T then won an award for Best Actor for his role in Six Degrees of Separation. In this play, he pretended to be Sidney Poitier's son.

In 2008, he worked with famous theatre director Peter Brook in Paris. He also played Sportin' Life in the musical Porgy and Bess. Critics loved his performance, calling it "splendidly serpentine." In 2012, he earned another nomination for 'Best Male Performance' for his role in The Conquest of the South Pole.

In 2016, O-T played the lead role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. This play won the Olivier Award for best revival. A BBC Radio reviewer said his performance was "mesmeric" and "rips your guts out."

On the Big Screen: Films

O-T Fagbenle has appeared in several movies. In 2006, he was in Breaking and Entering. He acted alongside stars like Jude Law. He also played Sean in the 2007 movie I Could Never Be Your Woman.

More recently, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He played Rick Mason in the 2021 superhero film Black Widow. He returned as Rick Mason for a small part in the 2023 Disney+ show Secret Invasion.

On TV: Popular Shows

O-T has been in many TV shows. From 2004 to 2006, he played different characters in Little Miss Jocelyn. He was also in the BBC sitcom Grownups. In 2008, he appeared in two episodes of Doctor Who. He played "Other Dave" in "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead".

He played a real-life hero, Walter Tull, in Walter's War. Tull was the first mixed-heritage officer in the British Army. In 2010, O-T had a main role in the BBC One show Material Girl. He also appeared in the crime series Thorne.

From 2014 to 2015, he played Frank in the HBO drama Looking. In 2015, he starred as Marcus "Ash" Ashton in the BBC drama The Interceptor. He won an MViSA award for this role.

Since 2017, O-T has played Luke Bankole in Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. This role has earned him several awards nominations. In 2022, he played former President Barack Obama in The First Lady. In 2024, he appeared in the Apple TV+ show Loot.

On the Radio

O-T has also performed on the radio. For several months, he played Kwame in the BBC World Service radio show Westway. He also played Marvin Gaye in a radio story about his life. He was in the BBC Radio version of The Color Purple, which won an award in 2009.

Beyond Acting: Writing and Directing

O-T Fagbenle has also made history behind the camera. He became the first person to write, direct, compose music for, star in, and produce the first episode of a TV show on a major US network. This show was called Maxxx (on Hulu).

His first short film, Moth, won an award at the London Film Festival. The film was about how parents' mental health can affect children. It was also shown at other film festivals.

Music and Songs

Besides acting, O-T also creates music. He wrote songs for the NBC drama Quarterlife. In 2011, he helped write the song "Storm" for the artist Tyga. This song became very popular online.

Awards and Recognitions

O-T Fagbenle has received many awards and nominations for his work.

• He won an Outstanding Achievement Award at the 13th African Film Awards.
• In 2012, he was nominated for Best Male Performance at the Off West End Awards.
• He won Best Actor in a Leading Role at the M.E.N. awards for Six Degrees of Separation.
• In 2015, he was nominated for "Best Male Performance on TV" for his role in Looking.
• He also won Best Male Actor at the MViSA awards for The Interceptor in 2015.
• In 2016, the play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which he starred in, won an Olivier Award. This is a very important award in British Theatre.
• In 2018, he helped The Handmaid's Tale win an International BAFTA Award.
• He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2019 for The Handmaid's Tale.
• In 2021, O-T Fagbenle received an Emmy Award nomination for his role as Luke in The Handmaid's Tale.
• Also in 2021, he was nominated for Best Comedy Performance at the Royal Television Society Awards for his show Maxxx.
• Maxxx was also nominated for Best Scripted Comedy at the National Comedy Awards. O-T was also nominated for Best Comedy Actor.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: O. T. Fagbenle para niños