Jimmy Akingbola - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Jimmy Akingbola is a British television, theatre and film actor. Born in 1978 in Plaistow, London to Nigerian parents, he was the youngest of four children (two brothers and one sister). His eldest brother Sola Akingbola is head percussionist to British jazz funk band Jamiroquai

Jamiroquai

Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...

and also lead vocalist to African funky roots band Critical Mass

Critical Mass

Critical Mass is a cycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. The ride was originally founded in 1992 in San Francisco. The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and...

Early life

During his early years Akingbola’s parents’ divorced. At the age of two Akingbola’s mother became extremely ill and he was eventually sent to a children’s home. Aged three, he was fostered by the white Crowe family, as the youngest of four children in Silvertown

Silvertown

Silvertown is an industrialised district on the north bank of the Thames in the London Borough of Newham. It was named after Samuel Winkworth Silver's former rubber factory which opened in 1852, and is now dominated by the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery and the John Knight ABP animal rendering...

, East London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. The family later moved back to Plaistow

Plaistow

Plaistow is the name of several places in England, and the USA:in England:*Plaistow, Bromley, London*Plaistow, Derbyshire*Plaistow, Newham, London**Plaistow *Plaistow, West Sussexin the USA*Plaistow, New Hampshire...

, where he eventually grew up.

In 1996 he started at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) in Wandsworth, London and completed their 3 year full time acting diploma. He was a popular student and well known for his jokes and good humour.

Theatre

Akingbola started his career on stage at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Birmingham Repertory Theatre is a theatre and theatre company based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England...

in “The Nativity” for Bill Alexander

Bill Alexander

William Vollie “Bill” Alexander, Jr. is a retired politician who represented the U.S. state of Arkansas in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1993, rising to the post of Chief Deputy Majority Whip.-Biography:...

. He continued to develop his art in theatre in a production of “Baby Doll” at the Royal National Theatre

Royal National Theatre

The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...

, then appearing in “Naked Justice” by playwright John Mortimer

John Mortimer

Sir John Clifford Mortimer, CBE, QC was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...

at the West Yorkshire Playhouse

West Yorkshire Playhouse

The West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, England is a theatre which opened in March 1990 as part of the regeneration of the Quarry Hill area of the city...

, opposite Leslie Phillips

Leslie Phillips

Leslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:...

.

Akingbola played Elvis in the poignant play “Behzti” at the Birmingham Rep in December 2004. He then went on to work the talented rapper and actor Riz Ahmed

Riz Ahmed

Rizwan Ahmed , also known as Riz Ahmed, the Rizmeister General, or Riz MC, is a British MC, musician and actor. He is noted for his lead performances in The Road to Guantanamo, Shifty, Britz, and Four Lions.-Ethnic background:Ahmed is a British Pakistani...

in the hit play “Prayer Room” which secured Akingbola four star reviews for his performance as Bunce.

Akingbola continued to secure his place as a prominent stage actor in London

London

in the production of Roxanne Silbert’s play “People Next Door” where he gave a memorable performance alongside actor Fraser Ayres’s character in the role as his best friend Marco.

Akingbola won his first award (TMA Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actor) for the role of Christopher in “Blue/Orange” initially at the Sheffield Crucible Theatre which then went on a national tour. His character saw him play opposite Roger Lloyd-Pack and Shaun Evans

Shaun Evans

Shaun Evans is an English actor.Evans completed a course with the National Youth Theatre before relocating to London at the age of eighteen to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His first major role was that of gay French teacher John Paul Keating in the Channel 4 comedy-drama...

in Joe Penhalls award winning play which was directed by Kathy Burke

Kathy Burke

Katherine Lucy Bridget Burke is an English actress, comedienne, playwright and theatre director. She is best known for her portrayals of Perry in the Harry Enfield film Kevin and Perry Go Large, and of Linda La Hughes in the British sitcom Gimme Gimme Gimme...

.

Akingbola later went onto to star in “The Cut” at the Donmar Warehouse

Donmar Warehouse

Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...

opposite Ian McKellen

Ian McKellen

Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...

directed by Michael Grandage

Michael Grandage

Michael Grandage CBE is a British theatre director and producer, and current Artistic Director at the Donmar Warehouse, London. Grandage won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for Red.-Early years:...

. Further roles include Akingbola playing anti-hero Jimmy Porter in the John Osbourne play of “Look Back in Anger” at the Jermyn Street Theatre

Jermyn Street Theatre

Jermyn Street Theatre is a performance venue situated in Jermyn Street, London.Formerly a restaurant, under the leadership of Howard Jameson, it was transformed into a 70-seat studio theatre right in the heart of London's West End...

in July 2008 which made him the first black actor to play the role. The same year he played the title role of “Othello” for award winning theatre company Frantic Assembly which received a TMA Award.

TV

Akingbola’s television roles started with the black BBC sitcom “The Crouches” playing the witty character of Dennis Dutton where he received favourable reviews which was rumoured to lead him being listed for a possible Bafta nomination. He has since played roles in “Stupid! The Bill

The Bill

The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...

, The Royal, The South Bank Show

The South Bank Show

The South Bank Show was a television arts magazine show, originally made by London Weekend Television , presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast on ITV and seen in over 60 countries worldwide — including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States...

, Roger Roger, Holby City

Holby City

Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...

, Doctors, New Tricks, Comedy Lab and Longford.

Akingbola secured his first permanent major television role appearing in BBC’s police drama series Holby Blue, starring alongside Kacey Ainsworth

Kacey Ainsworth

Kacey Ainsworth is an English actress, best known for playing the long-suffering Little Mo in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Life and career:Kacey Ainsworth, is the only soap actress who has won three Soap Actress awards in one single year in 2002...

and Tim Pigott Smith, as PC Neil Parker alongside his on screen colleague PC Kelly Cooper, played by Chloe Howman

Chloe Howman

Chloe Howman is an English actress.The daughter of actor Karl Howman , her sister is fellow actor Katy-Jo Howman....

.

Jimmy 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

Tom Hollander

Thomas Anthony "Tom" Hollander is a British actor who has appeared in productions such as Enigma, Gosford Park, Cambridge Spies, Pride and Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean, In the Loop, Valkyrie and Hanna.-Early life:Tom Hollander was born in Bristol and raised in Oxford, Oxfordshire, the son...

and Olivia Coleman.

Jimmy also plays the roles of Malick in Holby City and PC Johnson in Silk, both on BBC One in 2011

Film

Akingbola featured in the film “The Car” in addition to appearing in the international film “Anansi” as starring alongside Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris

Naomie Melanie Harris is an English screen actress. She is best known for her starring role as Selena in 28 Days Later, as well as her supporting turn as Tia Dalma/Calypso in the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films...

, Danny Sapani and Maynard Eziashi

Maynard Eziashi

Maynard Eziashi is a British/Nigerian actor. In 1991, he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival for his starring role in Mister Johnson alongside Pierce Brosnan....

. He played the main lead in the film “The Dimples Cry” and in 2010 starred alongside Ray Fearon

Ray Fearon

Fitzroy Raymond "Ray" Fearon is a British actor who has worked extensively in theatre, and is known for playing garage mechanic Nathan Harding on ITV's long-running soap opera Coronation Street.-Early life:...

in the BBC film “Hominid” and featured in Nour Wazzi’s short film “Habibti” alongside Hiam Abbas.

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, Dirt 2, James Bond: Golden Eye and Brink.

Akingbola works with BBC Radio as a regular voice over contributor to several shows including BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4 and 7.

Interests

For many years Akingbola has been known by many to bring like minded people together within the London acting community and it is from this the nickname “Mr Nice” was born. The love of connecting individuals within the London acting scene turned into a business venture in 2008 when he co founded the company Triforce Promotions with business partners Fraser Ayres and Jason Angol. Triforce Promotions is an organisation which hosts monthly events for acting professionals to meet, creating opportunities between actors, casting directors, producers and directors across film and TV. In 2010, Triforce Promotions and the BBC developed an initiative, calling budding writers to submit scripts in the bid for winning scripts to be commissioned by the BBC. The relationship between the two organisations continues to grow with future projects in development.

Akingbola maintains his passion for connecting individuals from the entertainment industry by lending his time to host the monthly London show of “Monologue Slam”, an event developed by Goldrush Entertainment, known as the ultimate actor’s showcase which has seen attendance by household personalities including Lenny Henry

Lenny Henry

Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...

and James Alexandrou

James Alexandrou

James Alekos Alexandrou is an English actor of Greek Cypriot descent, best known for playing Martin Fowler in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life:...

Awards

Best Supporting Actor, Theatrical Management Association Annual Awards (“Blue/Orange”)
Best Male TV Actor, BEFFTA Awards (BBC’s “REV”)
Best Male Film Actor, BEFFTA Awards (“Habibti”)

External links

[www.triforcepromotions.co.uk Triforce Promtions website]

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