Gbenga Akinnagbe

• Name — Gbenga Akinnagbe • Birth Name — Olugbenga Enitan Temitope Akinnagbe • Born — 12 December 1978 • Birthplace — Washington, D.C., U.S. • Years Active — 1999–present • Occupation — * Actor • writer • Relatives — Wale (cousin)

Akinnagbe was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Yoruba Nigerian parents, and was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is the second oldest of six children, with one older sister and four younger brothers, and the first in his family to be born in the United States. He attended Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High School in Rockville, Maryland. He attended Bucknell University on a wrestling scholarship, and graduated in 2000 with a degree in Political Science and English. Akinnagbe's cousin is rapper Wale.

Akinnagbe played Ben Ellis in the episode "Contenders" on the TV series Numb3rs. In the summer of 2006, Akinnagbe performed the role of "Zim" in the NYC Fringe Festival's "Outstanding Play" award-winning production of Modern Missionary. In 2003, Akinnagbe auditioned for the role of Chris Partlow on the HBO series The Wire and starting in 2004 began a frequent recurring role. In 2008, during the show's fifth and final season, he was promoted to a series regular. In 2007, Akinnagbe appeared in the film The Savages with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Laura Linney, and Philip Bosco. He appeared in the remake of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, which was released by Sony in June 2009. Akinnagbe made a guest appearance on a season 10 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode entitled Hell as Elijah Okello, a former Ugandan child soldier living in New York, facing deportation. Akinnagbe's former The Wire castmate Robert Wisdom also appeared in that episode as Father Theo Burdett. In 2010, in Seattle, Washington Akinnagbe starred in the world premiere play The Thin Place at The Intiman Theatre. He was in the movie Lottery Ticket and appeared on The Good Wife as Pastor Isiah Easton. His former co-star from The Wire, Frankie Faison, portrayed his father on The Good Wife in several episodes. He also appeared as Kelly Slater, a nurse in the third season of the Showtime series Nurse Jackie. He starred in leading roles in two independent films, as Jack in Home, directed by Jono Oliver, and as James in Big Words, directed by Neil Drumming. He appeared as a drug lord in the USA series Graceland and starred as Tom in The Following. He also starred as CIA Agent Erik Ritter in 24: Live Another Day. In October 2016, he began shooting the feature film Starbright. In March 2020, Akinnagbe was cast in The Old Man.

Akinnagbe is the owner of Enitan, a Brooklyn-based furniture business, where he designs vintage furniture with Dutch wax-resist fabrics that are a fashion staple in West Africa.

Gbenga has had two articles published in The New York Times, one detailing a trip to Nepal to climb the Himalayas, and the other outlining the medical procedures he underwent to correct his severely flat feet. Akinnagbe filed a criminal complaint alleging that journalist Lola Adesioye grabbed his buttocks on two occasions in 2020. Adesioye was arrested on May 26, 2021, jailed for 28 hours, and charged with forcible touching, sexual abuse, and harassment. Her attorney described Akinnagbe's allegations as "a blatant, brazen lie". In October 2021, the case was dismissed.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2004–08 — The Wire — Chris Partlow — Recurring cast (seasons 3–4), main cast (season 5) • 2005 — Barbershop — Yinka — Main cast • 2006 — Conviction — Gary Wade/Calvin — 2 episodes • 2007 — Numb3rs — Ben Ellis — Episode: "Contenders" • 2008 — Cold Case — Victor Nash '05/'08 — Episode: "Street Money" • 2009 — Fringe — Akim — Episode: "The No-Brainer" • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Elijah Okello — Episode: "Hell" • Dark Blue — Dante Rollings — Episode: "August" • Maggie Hill — Elliot Springer — TV movie • 2010–15 — The Good Wife — Pastor Isaiah Easton — Recurring cast (seasons 1–2, 5) • 2011 — Blue Bloods — Pierre — Episode: "All That Glitters" • Chase — John Macon — Episode: "The Man at the Altar" • Brooklyn Shakara — Emeka Nwandu — Episode: "Pilot" • A Gifted Man — Dr. Leo 'Bax' Baxter — 2 episodes • 2011–12 — Nurse Jackie — Kelly Slater — Recurring cast (seasons 3–4) • 2012 — The Unknown — Vincent — Episode: "Life Sentence" • Damages — Walid Cooper — Recurring cast (season 5) • Elementary — Jeremy Lopez — Episode: "The Leviathan" • 2012–14 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Father Biobaku — 2 episodes • 2013 — Graceland — Jeremiah Bello — Recurring cast (season 1) • The Funtime Gang — Inmate — TV movie • 2014 — 24: Live Another Day — Erik Ritter — Main cast • 2015 — The Following — Tom Reyes — Recurring cast (season 3) • 2015–16 — Limitless — Quentin Walker — 2 episodes • 2016 — Madam Secretary — Chris Santumari — Episode: "Desperate Remedies" • 2017 — Mercy Street — Saga — Episode: "House of Bondage" • 2017–18 — The Deuce — Larry Brown — Main cast • 2020 — Evil — Lando Mutabazi — Episode: "Justice x 2" • 2021 — FBI: Most Wanted — James Johnson — Episode: "Criminal Justice" • Modern Love — Jordan — Episode: "The Night Girl Finds a Day Boy" • 2021–23 — Wu-Tang: An American Saga — Mook — Recurring cast (season 2–3) • 2022 — The Blacklist — Boukman Baptiste — Episode: "Boukman Baptiste (No. 164)" • 2022–24 — The Old Man — Julian Carson — Main cast • 2023 — Power Book II: Ghost — Ron Samuel Jenkins — Recurring cast (season 3) • 2024 — Genius — Earl Little — Episode: "Graduation"

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2001 — The Oedipus Plays — Soldier • 2002 — Romeo and Juliet — Ensemble • Cyrano de Bergerac — Le Bret • 2003 — Henry V — A French Messenger • 2005 — The Controversy of Valladolid — A Black Servant • 2006 — Modern Missionary — Zim • 2007 — A View From 151st Street — Dwight • 2008 — Lower Ninth — Lowboy • 2010 — A Thin Place — Isaac • 2013 — The Rainmaker — Bill Starbuck • 2015 — Fulfillment — Michael • 2018 — To Kill a Mockingbird — Tom Robinson

Gbenga Akinnagbe was recorded at birth as Olugbenga Enitan Temitope Akinnagbe. The authorities additionally record the heading Olugbenga Enitan Temitope Akinnagbe. His recorded languages were English and Yoruba. Other recorded relations include Wale.

Gbenga Akinnagbe is recorded as actor, screenwriter and film producer.