Gbenga Akinnagbe
Gbenga Akinnagbe is a film and TV character actor who became best known for his role as a murderous Baltimore drug dealer named Chris Partlow on HBO's "The Wire" (2002-08). The son of Nigerian parents, Akinnagbe was the first of his siblings to be born in the United States. He was born in Washington, D.C. on December 12, 1978, but grew up in the D.C. suburb of Silver Spring, Maryland. Although he always dreamt of being an actor, Akinnagbe spent the better part of his teens and early 20s as a star wrestler. He earned a wrestling scholarship to Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, where he studied Political Science and English. After graduating, however, Akinnagbe came to the realization that in order to pursue his dream of acting, he'd have to hang up his wrestling shoes for good. He then started acting in plays in and around Maryland, where he honed his craft while learning to perform in front of an audience. His true passion, however, was to act in film and on television. Then in 2003, Akinnagbe was granted the opportunity of a lifetime when he was asked to audition for the role of Chris Partlow on a new TV drama called "The Wire." Akinnagbe nailed the role and from seasons one to four he was one of the best-known recurring characters on the show. In 2008, as "The Wire" entered its fifth and final season, Akinnagbe was bumped up to series regular, which would prove to be the biggest break of his career. After his bump up to series regular on "The Wire," the roles started pouring in. Over the next few years, Akinnagbe landed supporting roles in "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" (2009), "Edge of Darkness" (2010), and "Red & Blue Marbles" (2011), to name a few. He also landed recurring parts on several television shows, like "Nurse Jackie" (Showtime, 2009-2015), "The Good Wife" (CBS, 2009-16), and "The Following" (Fox, 2013-15). Returning to movies in 2015, Akinnagbe landed a supporting part in the crime thriller "Phantom Halo." The film was the directorial debut of Antonia Bogdanovich, daughter of Oscar-nominated director Peter Bogdanovich.
Photos
Gbenga Akinnagbe
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
80% |
|
The Thicket | Unknown (Character) | - | 2024 |
74% |
|
Rob Peace | Unknown (Character) | $374.7K | 2024 |
45% |
|
Asphalt City | Verdis (Character) | $216.9K | 2023 |
83% |
|
Fast Charlie | Beggar Mercado (Character) | - | 2023 |
91% |
|
Passing | Dave (Character) | - | 2021 |
95% |
|
Goldie | Richard (Character) | $1.2K | 2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Pitch Black Panacea | Carl (Voice) | - | 2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | DC Noir |
Detective Mitch Brooks (Character), Director |
- | 2019 |
52% |
|
The Sun Is Also a Star | Samuel Kingsley (Character) | $4.9M | 2019 |
100% |
|
Egg | Wayne (Character) | - | 2018 |
25% |
|
All the Devil's Men | Samuelson (Character) | - | 2018 |
No Score Yet |
|
Heart, Baby! | George (Character) | - | 2017 |
No Score Yet |
|
Mindhack | Sun Moon (Character) | - | 2017 |
82% |
|
Detroit | Aubrey Pollard Sr. (Character) | $16.8M | 2017 |
63% |
|
Detour | Michael (Character) | - | 2016 |
No Score Yet |
|
Knucklehead |
Langston (Character), Producer |
- | 2015 |
9% |
|
Phantom Halo | Roman (Character) | - | 2014 |
No Score Yet |
|
Mall | Michel (Character) | - | 2014 |
75% |
|
Fort Bliss | Sgt. Butcher (Character) | - | 2014 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Children of the Wind | Narrator | - | 2013 |
100% |
|
Big Words | James (Character) | - | 2013 |
88% |
|
Home |
Jack Hall (Character), Executive Producer |
- | 2013 |
71% |
|
Newlyweeds | Producer | - | 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Somnambulist | Alex Chandler (Character) | - | 2010 |
No Score Yet |
|
Overnight | TMJ (Character) | - | 2010 |
34% |
|
Lottery Ticket | Lorenzo (Character) | $24.7M | 2010 |
54% |
|
Edge of Darkness | Det. Darcy Jones (Character) | $43.3M | 2010 |
51% |
|
The Taking of Pelham 123 | Wallace (Character) | $65.5M | 2009 |
89% |
|
The Savages | Jimmy (Character) | $6.6M | 2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | They're Made Out of Meat | Merlin (Character) | - | 2005 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
79% | 69% | The Old Man | Julian Carson (Character) | 2022 2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dr. Phil | Guest | 2023 |
91% | 79% | The Blacklist | Boukman Baptiste (Guest Star) | 2022 |
69% | 66% | Modern Love | Unknown (Character) | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Antiques Roadshow | Guest | 2021 |
No Score Yet | 48% | FBI: Most Wanted | James Johnson (Guest Star) | 2021 |
96% | 86% | Evil | Lando Mutabazi (Guest Star) | 2020 |
93% | 86% | The Deuce | Larry Brown (Character) | 2017-2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Film School Shorts | Ndizeye (Character) | 2017 |
No Score Yet | 79% | Madam Secretary | Chris Santumari (Guest Star) | 2016 |
58% | 85% | Limitless | Quentin Walker (Guest Star) | 2015-2016 |
58% | 66% | The Following | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2015 |
93% | 90% | The Good Wife | Pastor Isaiah Easton (Guest Star) | 2010-2011 2015 |
87% | 87% | 24 | Erik Ritter (Character) | 2014 |
78% | 83% | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Father Biobaku (Guest Star) | 2009 2012 2014 |
86% | 85% | Graceland | Jeremiah Bello (Guest Star) | 2013 |
95% | 89% | Elementary | Jeremy Lopez (Guest Star) | 2012 |
66% | 75% | A Gifted Man | Dr. Leo "Bax" Baxter (Guest Star) | 2011 |
81% | 88% | Nurse Jackie | Kelly Slater (Guest Star) | 2011 |
No Score Yet | 81% | Blue Bloods | Pierre (Guest Star) | 2011 |
90% | 80% | Fringe | Akim (Guest Star) | 2009 |
No Score Yet | 95% | Cold Case | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2008 |
94% | 96% | The Wire | Chris Partlow (Guest Star) | 2004 2006 2008 |
No Score Yet | 93% | Numb3ers | Ben Ellis (Guest Star) | 2007 |
22% | 79% | Conviction | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2006 |
64% | No Score Yet | Barbershop | Unknown (Character) | 2005 |