10 Things You Didn’t Know About Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

The former fashion model of Nigerian origin and British actor, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born on 27 August 1967 in Islington, London, England to Nigerian parents of Yoruba origin. He is a Nichiren Buddhist and a member of the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist association. He is best known for his role as Simon Adebisi in the 1990’s HBO prison series, Oz and also as Mr. Eko on ABC’s survivor drama titled “Lost”. He has definitely paved a successful path for himself in the international entertainment industry.

Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about the exceptional British-Nigerian actor and model, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje:

1. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born on 27 August 1967 in Islington, London, England to Nigerian parents of Yoruba origin.

2. When he was only six weeks old, his biological parents gave him up to a white working-class family in Tilbury.

3. He is fluent in several languages including Yoruba, Italian, and Swahili.

4. As a teenager facing a cultural identity crisis, he joined a local skinhead gang in order to escape racial persecution at their hands.

5. 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.

6. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Law from the King’s College London and also holds a Masters Degree in Law from the University of London.

7. He worked in a clothing shop while still in university and later was introduced to the world of modelling. His modelling career eventually led him to Hollywood, where he began his acting career in the action adventure film, Congo in 1995.

8. He is best known for his role as Simon Adebisi in the 1990’s HBO prison series, Oz and also as Mr. Eko on ABC’s survivor drama titled “Lost”.

9. He has starred in numerous top Hollywood movies and has worked with prominent stars in the entertainment industry. He also mentioned in an interview that he will be directing a film about his life story.

10. He is a Nichiren Buddhist and a member of the Soka Gakkai International Buddhist association. He has also never been married nor had children. He won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.