James Olatokunbo Akingbola
Jimmy Akingbola in Out of Darkness, 2012 short film by Manjinder Virk
Born (1978-04-07) 7 April 1978
Plaistow, London, England
NationalityEngland, Nigeria
Years active1999–present
RelativesFola Evans-Akingbola (niece)

James Olatokunbo Akingbola[1] (Listenⓘ) (born 7 April 1978) is a Nigerian-British television, theatre and film actor.[2] He rose to fame playing PC Neil Parker in Holby Blue, and subsequently Antoine Malick in its parent series Holby City. He has subsequently appeared as Koji in the first series of the sitcom Kate & Koji, Valentine Easmon in In the Long Run, and Geoffrey Thompson in Bel-Air.

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

List of film performances
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
2022 Rise Kachalla Film
2022 Rogue Agent Andrew Film

Television

List of television performances
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 HolbyBlue 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—present Sorry, I Didn't Know Himself Host (15 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—2020 In the Long Run Valentine 19 episodes
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—2023 The Tower DC Steve Bradshaw [26]
2022—2023 Bel-Air Geoffrey Thompson [27]
2022 Jimmy Akingbola Handle with Care Himself / presenter [28]

Stage

Year Title Role Venue Notes
1999 Ready or Not Raw Mr MV / Customs Officer Theatre Royal Stratford East, Stratford, London
Nativity Chief of the Guard Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham
2000 Baby Doll Norm Royal National Theatre, South Bank, London & Albery Theatre, West End, London
Ramayana Mahaparashwa Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham
2001 Royal National Theatre, South Bank, London
Naked Justice Byron Williams West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds & UK Tour
2002 Playing Fields Pete Soho Theatre, Soho, London
2003 Thumbelina Hans Christian Andersen Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
The People Next Door Marco Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh & Theatre Royal Stratford East, Stratford, London
2004 Behzti Elvis Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham
The Shooky Onga Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham in partnership with Birmingham schools
2005 Blue/Orange Christopher Crucible Theatre, Sheffield & UK Tour Winner of Best Supporting Actor, TMA Awards 2005
Prayer Room Bunce Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
After the End Mark Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh & Bush Theatre, Shepherd's Bush, London Paines Plough Production
2006 The Cut John Donmar Warehouse, Covent Garden, London
Henry VIII Duke of Surrey Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon
White Open Spaces Courage Soho Theatre, Soho, London
2007 The Christ of Coldharbour Lane Omotunde Soho Theatre, Soho, London
2008 Look Back in Anger Jimmy Porter Jermyn Street Theatre, London
Othello Othello Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London
2009 Everything Must Go! Various roles Soho Theatre, Soho, London
Category B Saul Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn, London
Detaining Justice Alfred Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn, London
2013 The Island Winston Young Vic, The Cut, London
2016 Father Comes Home from the Wars - Parts 1,2 & 3 Homer Jerwood Theatre, Sloane Square, London

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

  1. ↑ "Jimmy Olatokunbo B Akingbola". Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  2. ↑ Moore, Camille (1 February 2021). "10 Things You Didn't Know about Jimmy Akingbola". TVOvermind. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ "Alumni". Academy of Live & Recorded Arts. ALRA. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ "Baby Doll". Baby Doll. Theatricala. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  7. ↑ Wood, Emily (27 February 2001). "Naked Justice". DailyInfo.co.uk. DailyInfo.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "Behzti (Dishonour)". The Stage. The Stage. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  9. ↑ Walker, Lynne (2 September 2005). "Prayer Room, Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh". Independent. Independent. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  10. ↑ Gardner, Lyn (1 August 2003). "The People Next Door". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Jimmy in line for national award". East London Guardian. 13 November 2005. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  12. ↑ Hickling, Alfred (11 February 2005). "Blue/Orange". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  13. ↑ McKellen, Ian. "The Cut". Ian McKellen. Ian McKellen. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  14. ↑ Spencer, Charles (4 July 2008). "Look Back in Anger: Jimmy Porter as never seen before". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  15. ↑ Hemming, Sarah (11 November 2008). "Othello, Lyric Hammersmith, London". Financial Times. Financial Times. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  16. ↑ "The Crouches". BBC Comedy. BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  17. ↑ Akingbola, Jimmy. "Jimmy Akingbola". IMDb. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  18. ↑ "HolbyBlue". Characters & Actors. BBC Online.
  19. ↑ "Blood Is Thicker Than Water". New Tricks. BBC Online. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  20. ↑ "EastEnders up for four MVSAs". EastEnders. BBC Online. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  21. ↑ "Big School". Media Centre. BBC Online. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  22. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (22 July 2015). "'Arrow' Casts Jimmy Akingbola As Oliver's Nemesis Baron Reiter". Deadline. Deadline. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  23. ↑ Weston, Christopher (16 March 2022). "Why was the Koji actor replaced in Kate and Koji season 2?". HITC. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  24. ↑ 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.
  25. ↑ "BBC Planet of the Apemen Battle for Earth 2 of 2 Neanderthal". bbc.co.uk. 2011.
  26. ↑ "DNA Family Secrets". metro.co.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  27. ↑ "'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Drama Reboot at Peacock Sets Main Cast". variety.com. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  28. ↑ "Jimmy Akingbola Handle with Care". itv.com/presscentre. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  29. ↑ Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2008/09. Screen Nation. 7 February 2009. p. 36. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  30. 1 2 "HISTORY/PAST WINNERS". BEFFTA. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  31. ↑ Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2010/11. Screen Nation. 16 October 2011. p. 36. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  32. ↑ "Holby City's Jimmy Akingbola Wins M Visa". YouTube. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  33. ↑ "BEFFTA 2011 WINNERS ANNOUNCED". BEFFTA. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  34. ↑ Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2012/13. Screen Nation. 17 February 2013. p. 41. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  35. ↑ Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2012/13. Screen Nation. 17 February 2013. p. 45. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  36. ↑ "UK NEWS: HOLBY CITY STAR JIMMY AKINGBOLA WINS 'BEST ACTOR' AT THE NEL AWARDS". Mad News UK. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  37. ↑ "MVSA 2012: Jimmy Akingbola". YouTube. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  38. ↑ Screen Nation Awards Souvenir Brochure 2014. Screen Nation. 23 February 2014. p. 43. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  39. ↑ "Jimmy Akingbola". Hamilton Hodell. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
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