|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 4, 2015 19:31:29 GMT
Adepero Oduye  Oduye was born in Brooklyn, New York, one of seven children of Nigerian parents. She is a graduate of Cornell University. Oduye began appearing in short films such as Water and Fall, and in 2006 appeared in the independent drama Half Nelson. After several roles in off-Broadway production, in 2009, she debuted on Broadway in the musical Fela!. In 2011 she starred in the critically acclaimed independent film Pariah. She has received several awards, including a nomination for Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. Oduye cast in the recent Steel Magnolias remake with the same title as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto, a role that had been originated by Daryl Hannah. In 2013, Oduye appeared in Ava DuVernay's short film The Door part of Miu Miu's ad campaign known as The Women's Tales. She also starred alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor in the film 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen |
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 4, 2015 19:31:54 GMT
Hakeem Kae-Kazim
 Born 1 October, 1962, in Lagos, Nigeria to a Nigerian parents. His Parents emigrated to study in the United Kingdom when Hakeem was 1. Actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim, classically trained in the UK at the highly regarded Bristol Old Vic and soon after graduation was invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. Hakeem's list of impressive credits include Pirates of the Caribbean III, Lost, Cane with Jimmy Smits, Law & Order: SVU with Mariska Hargitay, The Triangle with Sam Neill, The Librarian with Gabrielle Anwar, X-Men: Wolverine with Hugh Jackman, The 4th Kind alongside Milla Jovovich and Darfur with Billy Zane. Hakeem is often recognized for his recurring role as Colonel Dubaku, through which he wowed audiences with his stunning performance in 24's' Season 7, and in the prequel movie Redemption. Hakeem both produced and starred in Black November with Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, as well as the award winning film Man on Ground and Last Flight to Abuja. His distinctive voice has also been shared in many popular video games including Halo, Call of Duty and The Bourne Conspiracy. Hakeem is well loved for his TV work, which recently has included many primetime shows including Human Target, Criminal Minds, NAVY NCIS, Law and Order, Cobert Affairs and Strike Back. Hakeem's latest films Half of a Yellow Sun and A Chance of Rain, are set to be released soon and his role as Mr Scott in Michael Bay's exciting and much awaited new series Black Sails with be premiering in 2014.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 4, 2015 19:40:32 GMT
John Adeleye
 John Adeleye (born 1980) is a British singer from West London, who first became known in the music industry under his stage name J'Nay. As a solo artist, he won a Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBO) for Unsung Artist of the Year[2] for his song "Soul Glo". He released his solo EP Merry Go Round in 2008. In 2010, Adeleye was working as a care worker prior to taking part in the seventh series of The X Factor and was one of the 16 finalists for the live shows starting 9 October 2010. He was eliminated on 24 October 2010 after week 3 of the live shows, finishing in twelfth place.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 4, 2015 19:46:46 GMT
David Ajala
 Born in Hackney, London. David Ajala is an actor, known for The Dark Knight (2008), Fast & Furious 6 (2013) and Jupiter Ascending (2015).
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 4, 2015 23:45:48 GMT
Edun Adetomiwa
 Adetomiwa Edun is a British, Nigerian and Ghanaian actor best known for his role as Sir Elyan in the television show Merlin. Edun was born in Lagos, Nigeria, to a Nigerian father and a half-Ghanaian, half-English mother. Edun moved to the United Kingdom at the age of 11. He attended Eton College from the age of 13, before reading Classics at Christ's College, Cambridge (University of Cambridge). In his final year at Christ's College, he won the dissertation prize for his thesis on Homer's Odyssey.[3] His father, a financier, encouraged Edun to enter banking as a career, and he interned with Citigroup. He considered studying for a Master of Philosophy degree, but decided to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) instead. In 2000, Edun appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as the character Clifford in the show Kassandra by Ivo Stourton. Edun attended RADA, appearing in several productions and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting in 2008. Following his graduation from RADA, he played small parts in productions at the Almeida Theatre and the Liverpool Playhouse. He also played Macbeth in a production of the eponymous play by the National Theatre, earning praise for being "charismatic" and a "fine verse speaker". In 2009, Edun became only the second black actor to play Romeo at the Globe Theatre when he was cast in Dominic Dromgoole's production of Romeo and Juliet. He also appeared in Slaves, a play by Rex Obano. Edun has also appeared in several television shows. In 2009, he appeared in an episode of The Fixer, before a role in Law & Order: UK as a soldier returning from the war in Afghanistan. During series three of Merlin, Edun appeared as Elyan in three episodes, and was upgraded to a recurring character in series four. Elyan was killed off during the fifth and final series of Merlin in 2012. In 2011, he appeared in two episodes of The Hour as the character Sey, and reprised the role for three episodes in 2012.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 4, 2015 23:56:01 GMT
Andi Osho
 Yewande "Andi" Osho (born 27 January 1973) is an stand-up comedian and actress. Osho was born in Plaistow, east London, to Nigerian parents. Having previously worked in television production, Osho turned to acting in 2003. By 2006, she had decided to go into stand-up comedy. Osho spent a number of years working as a receptionist by day, while perfecting her stand-up comedy routine in the evenings. In 2006, Osho starred as Alma in Dael Orlandersmith's drama Yellowman at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre. Other theatre work includes a critically acclaimed performance in the title role of Medea (Barons Court Theatre, 2005), Amanda in Cigarettes, Coffee and Paranoia (King's Head Theatre, 2005) and Zimbabwean exile Faith in the devised piece Qabuka (Oval House Theatre, 2005). Osho's television roles include Lin Colvin in Casualty, Adeola Brooker in Doctors, Dr Rogers in Footballers' Wives: Extra Time and Angela Parker in Sea of Souls. She has also appeared in Waking the Dead, EastEnders and Night and Day and Russell Brand and Friends for Channel 4. Osho is also a playwright and one of the founding members of the London writers' group, Vowel Movement. She has contributed to News Review at London's Canal Cafe Theatre and in 2008, she co-devised a scratch performance of the stage play Up the Café de Paris for the Pulse Fringe Festival. In 2007, Osho wrote the comedy CSI: Nigeria, in production for BBC Three. Osho has performed at various comedy clubs and festivals across Britain, including: Jongleurs, the Comedy Store, the Reading Festival, the Pleasance Dome, the Chuckle Club, the Leicester Festival (Summer Sundae), the Comedy Café, the Shoreditch Comedy Festival, Comedy Camp and the Hackney Empire. Osho won the 2007 Nivea Funny Women award. Osho co-hosted Tonightly on Channel 4 and appeared in an E4 pilot, The Andi O Show. She has also appeared on Mock the Week, Ask Rhod Gilbert, and is a regular performer on Stand Up for the Week. On 26 February 2011, Osho participated in Let's Dance for Comic Relief, performing a dance routine to Michael Jackson's "Bad". Despite positive comments from the judges, she did not progress to the final round after a public vote. Osho is the only person to have won more than one episode of Celebrity Mastermind. In 2011, she won the Comic Relief episode with The Matrix trilogy as her specialist subject and then in 2012, she took part in a regular episode choosing host John Humphrys as her specialist subject. Osho also takes an occasional presenting role for the comedy club section on BBC Radio 4 Extra On 19 June 2012, Osho made her debut in medical drama Holby City as medical student Barbara Alcock for three episodes. In July 2014, she appeared in Finding Carter as Susan Sherman.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 4, 2015 23:57:34 GMT
Rakie Ayola
 Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola (born May 1968) is a Welsh actress, best known for her role as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. Ayola has worked in theatre, film and television, appearing in a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances, Hollywood films The i Inside and Sahara, and British television shows including Soldier Soldier, EastEnders, Sea of Souls and Doctor Who. She appeared in Holby City from its eighth to eleventh series, from 2006 to 2008, and in 2009 starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. Ayola is an advocate of increased ethnic representation in the entertainment industry, and in 2001 founded her own production company, producing the short film Persephone's Playground for the Cannes film festival in order to further her campaign. In 2006, Ayola was shortlisted for the 'Female Performance in TV' award in the Screen Nation Awards, receiving Honourable Mention in the same category in 2007, and a further shortlisted nomination in 2008. She is married to fellow actor Adam Smethurst, with whom she has two daughters. Ayola was born in Cardiff, Wales in May 1968, to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father. She was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. Ayola's heritage means she is Yoruba by descent, although she does not speak the language. Ayola studied at Windsor Clive Primary and Glan Ely High School, and was a member of the Orbit Youth Theatre, South Glamorgan Youth Theatre, South Glamorgan Youth Choir and the National Youth Theatre of Wales. She left high school before sitting her A Levels in order to pursue her ambition of becoming an actress. She explains: "I've always wanted to act. I decided at 16 I wanted to make my living acting, but even if I couldn't, I’d be in an amateur theatre company." She then went on to attend the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying for a three-year acting diploma. Her first acting role was for the Welsh Eisteddfod when still at primary school, playing a lady-in-waiting at the court of King Arthur.Ayola has stated that it was Barbra Streisand's performance in Hello, Dolly! that inspired her to act as a child, though credits her adoptive mother with encouraging her to act professionally. Ayola's first job was selling jeans on Bessemer Road Market in Cardiff. She worked as a chambermaid whilst attending drama school, and, six weeks prior to graduation, was offered a job with the 'Made in Wales' theatre company which enabled her to obtain her union card.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 4, 2015 23:58:59 GMT
Wunmi Mosaku
 Mosaku was born in Zaria, Nigeria, and subsequently emigrated to Manchester, England, where she attended Trinity Church of England High School and Xaverian Sixth Form College. She also sang for eleven years in the Manchester Girls Choir. Wunmi Mosaku (born 31 July 1986) is a Nigerian-born British actress, best known for her role as Joy in the 2009 BBC Two miniseries Moses Jones, for which she was awarded "Best Actress in a Miniseries" at the Roma Fiction Festival. Mosaku graduated from RADA in 2007 and made her stage debut at the Arcola Theatre in a production of Pedro Calderón de la Barca's The Great Theatre of the World. Since then she has also appeared in Rough Crossings, directed by Rupert Goold and based on the book by Simon Schama, at the Lyric Hammersmith; The Vertical Hour by David Hare and Truth and Reconciliation, both at the Royal Court Theatre and Mules at the Young Vic. In 2009 she appeared in Katrina a verbatim play which told six people's stories of their struggles of survival when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans August 2005. Mosaku was originally cast as Sophie in the UK premiere of Ruined by Lynn Nottage at the Almeida Theatre but had to pull out due to an injury. In 2008, she appeared in the first of the UNDEREXPOSED exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery designed to raise the profile of black role models and celebrates the talent that exists among the Black British community. Her photo also appeared on Commercial Way, Peckham, London, as part of the exhibition. She featured on the front cover of Screen International magazine June–July 2009 as one of the UK Stars of Tomorrow, and in 2011 was featured in Nylon Magazine's 2011 Young Hollywood issue. In 2010 Wunmi Mosaku was named one of The Seven Fresh Faces of Toronto International Film Festival, for I Am Slave, in which she starred. She plays Malia, a girl who has been kidnapped from her village in Sudan, and sold into slavery. For her performance Mosaku won awards such as Best Actress at the Birmingham Black Film Festival, Best Onscreen performance at the Cultural Diversity Awards and Best Female performance at the Screen Nation Awards. When asked to list her personal heroes, Mosaku included her grandmother Anike Adisa, whom she described as having "taught me so many lessons", actor Albert Finney who Mosaku said was her inspiration for attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, her colleague and former instructor at RADA, William Gaskill, Paul Newman who she stated she admired not just for his acting but also for his philanthropic efforts with Newman's Own, and Oprah Winfrey who Mosaku said she considers "a superwoman
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 5, 2015 0:02:11 GMT
Nina Sosanya
 Nina Sosanya (born 1969) is a stage, television, and film actress. She was born in London, with a Nigerian father, and trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, gaining A-Levels in performing arts. She has appeared in many roles in the theatre, on television and in films, for example in Sorted, People Like Us, Teachers, Love Actually, Nathan Barley, Renaissance, Casanova, as Karen Blaine in the Jonathan Creek episode "The Three Gamblers", Much Ado About Nothing, Cape Wrath/Meadowlands, the Doctor Who episode "Fear Her", and FM. In 2003, she played Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company ("RSC"wink at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon; in 2008 she returned to the RSC to play Rosaline in Love's Labour's Lost and in 2009 appeared in a radio adaptation of a story from the short story collection The State of the Art. She reads the part of Sephy on the audio book versions of Malorie Blackman's Noughts and Crosses series. In January 2010, Nina appeared as Mae Pollock in Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, at the Novello Theatre, London. She appeared as Colly Trent in series 2 of the BBC television drama, Five Days. Most recently, she appeared in the BBC4 television series Twenty Twelve, a comedy about the London 2012 Olympic buildup, and the BBC1 drama series Silk and Hustle. She also made a brief appearance in the children's CBBC science fiction series, Wizards vs Aliens as Benny Sherwood's mother, Trisha. Sosanya played the character Alibe Silver in Treasure Island (2012). She has played a main character, Kate McKenzie, in series one through three of the BBC original drama Last Tango in Halifax during 2012-2015, and a main character, Lucy Freeman, in the TV series W1A in 2014. In 2015, she starred with Catherine Tate and Mark Gatiss in a new play, The Vote, in the run-up to the UK 2015 General Election.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 5, 2015 0:03:14 GMT
Adelayo Adedayo
 Adelayo Adedayo is a British actress. Her first TV appearance was in The Bill (2007) and she made her film debut in Sket (2011). She currently stars as the main character, Viva Bennett, in Some Girls, which airs on BBC Three. She also appeared in Law & Order: UK and M.I. High.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 5, 2015 0:04:17 GMT
Bola Agbaje
 Bola Agbaje (born c. 1981) is an award-winning British playwright of Nigerian origin, who is under commission with Paines Plough and Tiata Fahodzi. Agbaje was born in London. She briefly lived in Nigeria from the age of six to eight but now lives in Greenwich. She has a degree in media communications and was formerly an actress. Her first play, Gone Too Far!, premièred at the Royal Court Theatre in London in February 2007 and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliated Theatre (2008). Due to the play's success it was revived at a number of theatres in 2008: the Royal Court Theatre, Albany Theatre and Hackney Empire. She adapted Gone too Far into a film script with development funding from the UK Film Council for a film of the same title. In July 2008 her second play opened the Tiata Delights season at the Almeida Theatre. She was nominated for the 2008 Evening Standard Charles Wintour Award For Most Promising Playwright. This, however, went to Tarell Alvin McCraney. In 2009 Agbaje was commissioned by the Tricycle Theatre alongside Roy Williams and Kwame Kwei-Armah to be a part of the "Not Black and White" season. Her play Detaining Justice opened on 25 November 2009 and the show sold out. Agbaje's second play for the Royal Court Theatre, Off the Endz, opened on 19 February 2010, directed by Jeremy Herrin. In 2013 she was commissioned by StoneCrabs Theatre Company to write The Burial, directed by Franko Figueiredo and co-produced by the Albany. Her play Take a Deep Breath and Breathe, a loose adaptation of Aristophanes' Lysistrata, opened at the Ovalhouse Theatre in 2013 and transferred to the CLF Art Cafe in Peckham, running there from 13 to 31 August 2013.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 5, 2015 0:05:03 GMT
Modupe Adeyeye
 Modupe Adeyeye is an English actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Faith Olubunmi in EastEnders and EastEnders: E20 and transgender woman Blessing Chambers in Hollyoaks. Born and raised in London, her name "Modupe" means "I praise or thank God" in Yoruba. Adeyeye is best known for her roles in EastEnders, EastEnders: E20 and Hollyoaks. She has also appeared in the drama series Our Girl and My Murder, as well as Doctors. She will also appear in 2014 film Honeytrap, alongside former E20 co-star Tosin Cole, Lucien Laviscount and Javine Hylton. On 21 February 2014, Adeyeye joined the cast of Hollyoaks as Blessing Chambers, and her character was later revealed to be a transsexual. Also, Blessing began a relationship with Dennis Savage (Joe Tracini), and later found herself competing with Dennis' deceased wife Leanne (Jessica Forrest), being brutally attacked by evil rapist Finn O'Connor (Keith Rice) and she began self-harming when her family disowned her for being a transsexual. Blessing and Dennis later moved to Blackpool on 21 November 2014, which was their final appearances.
|
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 5, 2015 0:05:26 GMT
Emmanuel Akintunde
 Emmanuel Akintunde was born on March 10, 1988 in Nigeria. He is an actor, known for Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Amy (2009) and World War Z (2013). Emmanuel was the drummer in Ayumi Hamasaki's promo videos, "Microphone" and "Sexy Little Things" broadcast in Japan; Directed by Muto Masashi. Trained at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Speaks, Mandarin Chinese, German and Yoruba. Has been a session drummer for over 10 years and has played at renowned venues including the Mermaid Theatre and Royal Festival Hall in London. Runs a drum tuition company, GF Drums, aimed at markets including the entertainment industry. Trained at NYCDA under Pete Matalliano, who was also Matthew Morrison's acting coach on 'Glee' aired on FOX. Graduated in 2011 with a degree in International Business & Marketing. Emmanuel was selected as a Powerlist Future Leader 2011/12! Official reception took place at City Hall with Mayor of London Boris Johnson in September 2011. Emmanuel won the GAB (Gathering of Africa's Best Award) Award in Oct 2011 for his contributions to the promotion of the positive image of Africa and Africans around the world through Entertainment. Awards ceremony took place at London Hilton Paddington with distinguished guests from around Africa, including Mr Richard Taylor OBE and Actress Ellen Thomas.
|
|
|
|
Post by oduabachanal on Dec 5, 2015 18:03:04 GMT
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
 Born and raised in London, England, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje began his career as a model in Milan. He graduated with a masters degree in Law from London's prestigious Kings College, before moving to Los Angeles to make the transition to acting. Fluent in several languages, including English, Italian, Yoruba and Swahili, he is best known for his roles in the movies Congo (1995) and The Mummy Returns (2001), and the HBO series Oz (1997). He is also known for his roles as Lock-Nah in The Mummy Returns, Nykwana Wombosi in The Bourne Identity, Mr. Eko on Lost and Simon Adebisi on Oz. His more recent roles include Malko in the fifth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones, Dave Duerson in the NFL biopic drama Concussion and Killer Croc in the upcoming movie Suicide Squad. Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born in Islington, London to Nigerian parents of Yoruba origin, who were students in the UK. He is fluent in several languages including Yoruba, Italian, and Swahili. He can "get along" in a few other languages, including French.[citation needed] When he was only six weeks old, his biological parents gave him up to a white working class family in Tilbury. His foster parents had at least ten African children, including Akinnuoye-Agbaje's two sisters, living in their house at certain points. His foster father made a living as a lorry driver and struggled to support the family financially.[3] When he was eight years old, his biological parents brought him back to Nigeria but, as he was unable to speak the Yoruba language and forbidden by his parents to speak English, he was returned to Tilbury shortly thereafter. The brief exposure to Nigeria left him struggling to reconcile his heritage with the distinctly English culture and environment he was raised in. As a teenager facing a cultural identity crisis, he joined a local skinhead gang in order to escape racial persecution at their hands. At 16 years old, having become a violent thief, his foster parents sent him to a boarding school in Surrey where he ultimately attempted suicide before coming to terms with his background and turning his life around. This guy must play SANGO! I can't think of anyone else... |
|
|
|
Post by Shymmex on Dec 5, 2015 18:21:08 GMT
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Born and raised in London, England, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje began his career as a model in Milan. He graduated with a masters degree in Law from London's prestigious Kings College, before moving to Los Angeles to make the transition to acting. Fluent in several languages, including English, Italian, Yoruba and Swahili, he is best known for his roles in the movies Congo (1995) and The Mummy Returns (2001), and the HBO series Oz (1997). He is also known for his roles as Lock-Nah in The Mummy Returns, Nykwana Wombosi in The Bourne Identity, Mr. Eko on Lost and Simon Adebisi on Oz. His more recent roles include Malko in the fifth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones, Dave Duerson in the NFL biopic drama Concussion and Killer Croc in the upcoming movie Suicide Squad. Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born in Islington, London to Nigerian parents of Yoruba origin, who were students in the UK. He is fluent in several languages including Yoruba, Italian, and Swahili. He can "get along" in a few other languages, including French.[citation needed] When he was only six weeks old, his biological parents gave him up to a white working class family in Tilbury. His foster parents had at least ten African children, including Akinnuoye-Agbaje's two sisters, living in their house at certain points. His foster father made a living as a lorry driver and struggled to support the family financially.[3] When he was eight years old, his biological parents brought him back to Nigeria but, as he was unable to speak the Yoruba language and forbidden by his parents to speak English, he was returned to Tilbury shortly thereafter. The brief exposure to Nigeria left him struggling to reconcile his heritage with the distinctly English culture and environment he was raised in. As a teenager facing a cultural identity crisis, he joined a local skinhead gang in order to escape racial persecution at their hands. At 16 years old, having become a violent thief, his foster parents sent him to a boarding school in Surrey where he ultimately attempted suicide before coming to terms with his background and turning his life around. This guy must play SANGO! I can't think of anyone else... Yes. He definitely has the looks and presence. |
|
