Jimmy Akingbola
James Olatokunbo Akingbola | |
---|---|
Jimmy Akingbola in Out of Darkness, 2012 short film by Manjinder Virk | |
Born | |
Education | Academy of Live and Recorded Arts |
Years active | 1999–present |
Relatives | Fola Evans-Akingbola (niece) |
James Olatokunbo Akingbola[1] (born 7 April 1978) is an English television, theatre and film actor.[2]
Early life
Jimmy Akingbola was born in London to parents of the Yoruba tribe who had emigrated from Nigeria.[3]
In 1996, Akingbola started at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) in Wandsworth, London. He completed their three-year, full-time acting diploma.[4]
Theatre
Akingbola started his career on stage at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in The Nativity for Bill Alexander.[5] He continued in a production of Baby Doll at the Royal National Theatre.[6] Next he appeared in "Naked Justice" by playwright John Mortimer at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, opposite Leslie Phillips.[7]
Akingbola played Elvis in the poignant play Behzti at the Birmingham Rep in December 2004.[8] He worked with rapper and actor Riz Ahmed in the hit play Prayer Room.[9] Akingbola earned four-star reviews for his performance as Bunce.
Akingbola acted in the production of Roxanne Silbert's play People Next Door, in which he gave a memorable performance alongside actor Fraser Ayres’ character as his best friend Marco.[10]
Akingbola won his first award (TMA Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actor) for the role of Christopher in Blue/Orange,[11] first produced at the Sheffield Crucible Theatre; the production then went on a national tour. He played opposite Roger Lloyd-Pack and Shaun Evans in Joe Penhall's award-winning play, which was directed by Kathy Burke.[12]
Akingbola later went on to star in The Cut at the Donmar Warehouse opposite Ian McKellen, directed by Michael Grandage.[13] Additional roles include Akingbola playing anti-hero Jimmy Porter in the John Osborne play of Look Back in Anger at the Jermyn Street Theatre in July 2008; he was the first black actor to play the role.[14] The same year he played the title role of Othello for the company Frantic Assembly, which received a TMA Award.[15]
Television
Akingbola's television roles started with the black BBC sitcom "The Crouches" playing the witty character of Dennis Dutton.[16] He has since played roles in Stupid, The Bill, The Royal, The South Bank Show, Roger Roger, Holby City, Doctors, New Tricks, Comedy Lab, and Longford.[17] Akingbola secured his first permanent major television role appearing in BBC's police drama series HolbyBlue, starring alongside Kacey Ainsworth and Tim Pigott-Smith, as PC Neil Parker alongside his on screen colleague PC Kelly Cooper, played by Chloe Howman.[18] In 2009, he played Dean Collier in New Tricks ("Blood Is Thicker Than Water", S6:E7).[19] Akingbola returned to show his comedy talent in 2010, starring in the BBC2 hit series Rev. where he played the popular character "Mick", alongside Tom Hollander and Olivia Colman. For his role as Mick, Akingbola was nominated for "Best TV Comedy Performance" at the Black International Film Festival and Music Video & Screen Awards.[20] Akingbola also played the roles of Malick in Holby City and PC Johnson in Silk, both on BBC One in 2011.
In 2014, Akingbola played blind geography teacher Dr Dalton in episode 2 of the second series of BBC One sitcom Big School.[21]
In 2015, Akingbola plays Baron Reiter in Arrow season 4.[22]
In March 2020, Akingbola played Koji, an asylum seeker, in the first series of the ITV sitcom Kate & Koji but wasn't available for the filming of series two so Okorie Chukwu took on the role.[23] In the same year, he played Carter in Most Dangerous Game for Quibi. He will next reprise his role of Valentine in series 3 of In the Long Run with Idris Elba[24] and will follow that with Ted Lasso for Apple TV+.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Anansi | Kojo | Film |
2005 | The Car | Jarelle | Short film |
2006 | Blackbeard: Terror at Sea | Black Caesar | TV Movie |
2010 | Walls | Joshua | Short film |
2010 | Habibti | Marlon | Short film |
2012 | The Smoke | Marcus Ademola | Short film |
2012 | Glimpse | — | Producer |
2012 | Rage | Raymond | Short film |
2013 | Life's a Bitch | — | Producer |
2013 | Out of Darkness | Male | Short film |
2013 | Ambition to Live | — | Producer |
2013 | Mr. Invisible | Police Officer #2 | Short film |
2014 | Blood Cells | Debo | Film |
2015 | Roald Dahl's Esio Trot | Keen Pet Shop Keeper | TV Movie |
2016 | Spectral | Sgt. Steve McFadden | Film |
2017 | Abe | Matthew | Short film |
2017 | The Machine | Dr. Lubin | TV Movie |
2018 | Hero | Kwame Nkrumah | Film |
2018 | Full-Dress | Bertie | Film; post-production |
2022 | Rise | Kachalla | Film; post-production |
2022 | Freegard | — | Film; post-production |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2003 | Roger Roger | Dion | Season 3, Episode 3 |
2003—2005 | The Crouches | Dennis Ubakema / Dennis Dutton | 9 episodes |
2003—2010 | Doctors | Adam Bede / Jerome Noble / Luke Kabila | 7 episodes |
2004 | Stupid! | Various characters | 8 episodes |
2006 | The Royal | Corporal Frederick Collins | Season 5, Episode 4 |
2006—2009 | The Bill | Dave Clayton / Paul Gilbert | 2 episodes |
2007—2008 | Holby Blue | PC Neil Parker | 20 episodes |
2007—2015 | The Wright Stuff | Himself | 8 episodes |
2009 | New Tricks | Dean Collier | Season 6, Episode 7 |
2010—2014 | Rev. | Mick | 10 episodes |
2011 | Silk | PC Johnson | Season 1, Episode 4 |
2011 | Twenty Twelve | Receptionist | Season 1, Episode 3 |
2011—2013, 2016 | Holby City | Antoine Malick | Regular until 2013, guest in 2016 |
2011 | Planet of the Apemen: Battle for Earth | Morda | Episode 2 of 2 Neanderthal[25] |
2013 | The Key | Himself | Documentary |
2014 | Death in Paradise | Terrance Jackson | Season 3, Episode 7 |
2014 | Big School | Dr. Dalton | Season 2, Episode 2 |
2015 | Very British Problems | Himself | 3 episodes |
2015 | Sons of Liberty | Peter Salem | Season 1, Episode 2 |
2015 | Ballot Monkeys | Baz Adebalu | 5 episodes |
2015 | Fungus the Bogeyman | Reverend Jake Ruto | 3 episodes |
2015—2016 | Arrow | Baron Reiter | 16 episodes |
2016— | Sorry, I Didn't Know | Himself | Host (10 episodes) |
2017 | NCIS | Liberian Ambassador Gabriel Moore | Season 14, Episode 22 |
2017 | Living the Dream | Paul | 5 episodes |
2018 | Scorpion | Jelani | Season 4, Episode 22 |
2018 | In the Long Run | Valentine | |
2018 | MacGyver | Joseph | Series 3, Episode 7 |
2019 | Cheat | DI Hammond | |
2020 | Kate & Koji | Koji | Series 1 |
2020 | Most Dangerous Game | Carter | 4 episodes |
2020 | Ted Lasso | Ollie | Series 1 |
2021 | The Tower | DC Steve Bradshaw | Three-part series[26] |
2022 | Bel-Air | Geoffrey Thompson | [27] |
2022 | Jimmy Akingbola Handle with Care | Himself / presenter | [28] |
Stage
Audio/Radio
Akingbola is the voice in several popular computer games for electronics game brands including EA, Disney, PlayStation and Funcom. Games titles include; Dead Space 2, Pirates of the Caribbean, Gangs of London, Age of Conan, The Secret World, Dirt 2, James Bond: Golden Eye, Brink and Dirty Bomb.
Akingbola works with BBC Radio as a regular voice over contributor to several shows including BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4 and 7.
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | TMA Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Blue/Orange | Won | [11] |
2008 | Screen Nation Film and Television Awards | Best Male Performance in TV | HolbyBlue | Nominated | [29] |
2010 | BEFFTA Awards | Best TV Actor | Rev. | Won | [30] |
Best Film Actor | Habibti | Won | [30] | ||
2011 | Screen Nation Film and Television Awards | Best Male Performance in TV | Holby City | Nominated | [31] |
Movie, Video & Screen Awards | Best TV Actor | Won | [32] | ||
BEFFTA Awards | Best TV Actor | Won | [33] | ||
2012 | Screen Nation Film and Television Awards | Favourite Male TV Star | Nominated | [34] | |
Best Male Performance in TV | Nominated | [35] | |||
Nigerian Entertainment & Lifestyle Awards | Best TV Actor | Won | [36] | ||
Movie, Video & Screen Awards | Best Comedy Performance in TV | Rev. | Won | [37] | |
2014 | Screen Nation Film and Television Awards | Favourite Male TV Star | Holby City | Won | [38] |
Movie, Video & Screen Awards | Best Comedy Performance | Rev. | Won | [39] |
Nominations
- Best Male TV Actor, Screen Nation (BBC's "Holby Blue")
References
- ^ "Jimmy Olatokunbo B Akingbola". Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Moore, Camille (1 February 2021). "10 Things You Didn't Know about Jimmy Akingbola". TVOvermind. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
- ^ Armstrong, Stephen (19 July 2020). "Jimmy Akingbola interview: the In the Long Run actor on his rocketing career and the challenges he has faced along the way". The Times Online. The Times. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ "Alumni". Academy of Live & Recorded Arts. ALRA. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Cavendish, Dominic (15 December 1999). "Arts: Theatre - Plain, unvarnished gospel truth". Independent. Independent. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ "Baby Doll". Baby Doll. Theatricala. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Wood, Emily (27 February 2001). "Naked Justice". DailyInfo.co.uk. DailyInfo.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ "Behzti (Dishonour)". The Stage. The Stage. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Walker, Lynne (2 September 2005). "Prayer Room, Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh". Independent. Independent. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Gardner, Lyn (1 August 2003). "The People Next Door". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Jimmy in line for national award". East London Guardian. 13 November 2005. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Hickling, Alfred (11 February 2005). "Blue/Orange". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ McKellen, Ian. "The Cut". Ian McKellen. Ian McKellen. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Spencer, Charles (4 July 2008). "Look Back in Anger: Jimmy Porter as never seen before". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Hemming, Sarah (11 November 2008). "Othello, Lyric Hammersmith, London". Financial Times. Financial Times. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ "The Crouches". BBC Comedy. BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Akingbola, Jimmy. "Jimmy Akingbola". IMDb. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ "HolbyBlue". Characters & Actors. BBC Online.
- ^ "Blood Is Thicker Than Water". New Tricks. BBC Online. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "EastEnders up for four MVSAs". EastEnders. BBC Online. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ "Big School". Media Centre. BBC Online. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (22 July 2015). "'Arrow' Casts Jimmy Akingbola As Oliver's Nemesis Baron Reiter". Deadline. Deadline. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ Weston, Christopher (16 March 2022). "Why was the Koji actor replaced in Kate and Koji season 2?". HITC. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ Daly, Helen (18 July 2020). "Idris Elba on making sure In the Long Run reflected racial realities: "We wish it could hit more people"". RadioTimes. RadioTimes Online. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "BBC Planet of the Apemen Battle for Earth 2 of 2 Neanderthal". bbc.co.uk. 2011.
- ^ "DNA Family Secrets". metro.co.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ^ "'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Drama Reboot at Peacock Sets Main Cast". variety.com. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
- ^ "Jimmy Akingbola Handle with Care". itv.com/presscentre. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2008/09. Screen Nation. 7 February 2009. p. 36. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ a b "HISTORY/PAST WINNERS". BEFFTA. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2010/11. Screen Nation. 16 October 2011. p. 36. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ "Holby City's Jimmy Akingbola Wins M Visa". YouTube. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ "BEFFTA 2011 WINNERS ANNOUNCED". BEFFTA. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2012/13. Screen Nation. 17 February 2013. p. 41. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2012/13. Screen Nation. 17 February 2013. p. 45. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ "UK NEWS: HOLBY CITY STAR JIMMY AKINGBOLA WINS 'BEST ACTOR' AT THE NEL AWARDS". Mad News UK. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ "MVSA 2012: Jimmy Akingbola". YouTube. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2014. Screen Nation. 23 February 2014. p. 43. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
- ^ "Jimmy Akingbola". Hamilton Hodell. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
External links
- 1978 births
- 21st-century English male actors
- Alumni of the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts
- Black British male actors
- English adoptees
- English male film actors
- English male soap opera actors
- English male stage actors
- English people of Nigerian descent
- English people of Yoruba descent
- Living people
- People from Plaistow, Newham
- Yoruba male actors