10 Things You Didn’t Know About Gbenga Akinnagbe

The American writer and actor, Gbenga Akinnagbe was born on 12 December 1978 in Washington, D.C to Nigerian parents. He is the second oldest of six children. He is best known for his role as Chris Partlow on the HBO series, The Wire. He attended Bucknell University on a wrestling scholarship, majoring in Political Science and English. In 2015, he won the Audience Award, Industry Choice Award and Jury’s Choice Award for the film, Knucklehead alongside Milos Silber and Todd Wiseman Jr. 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 American-Nigerian actor and writer, Gbenga Akinnagbe:

1. Gbenga Akinnagbe was born on 12 December 1978 in Washington, D.C to Nigerian parents. He is the second oldest of six children.

2. He attended Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High School in Rockville, Maryland.

3. He attended Bucknell University on a wrestling scholarship, majoring in Political Science and English.

4. He was a star wrestler in college.

5. He is currently playing a drug lord in the USA series, Graceland and starred as Tom in the drama series “The Following”.

6. He has 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.

7. He is a cousin of the American rapper, Wale Folarin.

8. He ran the 2011 and 2012 NYC Marathon in support of All for Africa’s Palm out Poverty initiative.

9. He speaks fluent Spanish.

10. In 2015, he won the Audience Award, Industry Choice Award and Jury’s Choice Award for the film, Knucklehead alongside Milos Silber and Todd Wiseman Jr.