Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE was born to Nigerian parents in London, England. After earning a master's degree in law from London's prestigious King's College, he discovered his true calling when acclaimed producer/ director Frank Marshall cast him in Paramount Pictures' blockbuster Congo. This soon led to roles in both film and television, including Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Legionnaire, HBO's Deadly Voyage, the television series Cracker: Mind Over Murder, New York Undercover and the ABC miniseries
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Akinnuoye-Agbaje was seen in Open Road Films' action-thriller Killer Elite, alongside Robert DeNiro, Clive Owen, Jason Statham and Dominic Purcell. Directed by Gary McKendry, the film was released on September 23, 2011. Akinnuoye-Agbaje was also seen in Made Up North Productions' Best Laid Plans, directed by BAFTA-winning director David Blair.

Akinnuoye-Agbaje was also seen in Warner Bros.' Bullet to the Head, starring Sylvester Stallone, Christian Slater and Holt McCallany, and directed by Walter Hill. He also lent his voice to Sony Pictures Animation's The Pirates! Band of Misfits, directed by Peter Lord and Jeff Newitt.

In 2007, Akinnuoye-Agbaje showcased his first feature short, Farming, at Robert Redford's prestigious Sundance Labs, and was selected as one of seven Annenberg Film Fellows for his work on the film.

Always defying stereotypes, Akinnuoye-Agbaje continues to broaden his range and talent while focusing on his film career. He was seen in CBS Films' Faster, starring opposite Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton. He has also starred in successful on-screen hits such as Get Rich or Die Tryin’, The Bourne Identity, The Mummy Returns and the romantic comedy The Mistress of Spices. Additionally, Akinnuoye- Agbaje was dubbed the “action-figure actor” in a magazine for his strong characters in film and television. His strength of presence was never more on display than in Paramount Pictures' blockbuster G.i Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Akinnuoye-Agbaje became a household name for his role as Simon Adebisi, a murderous drug-addicted prisoner, on HBO's groundbreaking television series Oz, a performance for which he received two NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He also played the mysterious Mr. Eko on J.J. Abrams' hugely successful ABC drama Lost. While on Lost, Akinnuoye-Agbaje earned the coveted Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Akinnuoye-Agbaje speaks several languages, including Italian, a bit of French and Yoruba, the Nigerian language that his parents also speak.

© 2011 Universal Pictures