Fandomize Media got the chance to speak with multi-hyphenate actor, producer, writer, and social justice activist Gbenga Akinnagbe.
Gbenga can currently be seen starring in the breakout, action-packed FX series, “The Old Man,” opposite Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, and Amy Brenneman. The drama-thriller series centers on a former CIA officer, Dan Chase (Bridges), who is living off the grid yet finds himself on the run from assassins looking to take him out. Gbenga is a scene stealer as Julian Carson, a highly trained special ops contractor set to hunt down Dan Chase, with whom he begins to realize he shares many similarities.
Additionally, Gbenga is set to star as newcomer Ron Samuel Jenkins AKA ‘RSJ’ in the upcoming third season of STARZ’ “Power Book II: Ghost,” the smash-hit Power universe spinoff series. Many fans will recognize Gbenga for his career-defining role as the cold-blooded assassin Chris Partlow on HBO’s award-winning, crime-drama series, “The Wire,” which was hailed as a vanguard television series of its time. Following “The Wire,” Gbenga went on to book back-to-back breakout roles across television, including starring in two seasons of HBO’s “The Deuce,” a recurring role on season two of Hulu’s “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” and an episode of Amazon Studios’ “Modern Love” opposite Zoe Chao.
Gbenga is no stranger to the big screen, having starred in an extensive list of impressive film credits. He is currently shooting two independent features: Fast Charlie, based on the Edgar Award-nominated crime novel ‘Gun Monkeys’ by Victor Gischler, as well as Black Flies, opposite Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan. Additional film credits for Gbenga include the indie film DC Noir, a 2019 TriBeCa Film Festival selection which he starred in and co-directed, the 2017 Sundance Audience award-winning film Crown Heights, Kathryn Bigelow’s critically acclaimed Annapurna picture Detroit, and the Oscar-nominated film The Savages, to name just a few.
Gbenga is also a veteran of the stage, having most recently starred in the Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park production of “Merry Wives,” now showing on PBS. Gbenga also received rave reviews and a Theatre World Award for his performance of Tom Robinson in his year-long Broadway debut of Aaron Sorkin’s hit stage adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
In addition to his work in Hollywood, Gbenga is a celebrated activist and entrepreneur, currently serving as the founder and managing director of Liberated People, a social justice lifestyle brand, which gives everyday consumers the power to give back to causes they feel passionate about, offering donations to charity organizations with every purchase made. Also founded by Gbenga, Enitan Vintage is a furniture line that combines antique European and Western style pieces with African inspired fabrics, essentially ‘reappropriating the appropriated,’ bringing new life to old pieces while reducing the carbon footprint. Gbenga also serves as a board member of the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art (MoCADA), whose exhibitions and programs highlight pressing social political issues facing Africa today, as well as board president of Refoundry, a non-profit organization whose mission is to train and mentor formerly incarcerated people on their journey towards financial independence and leadership.
Check out our interview with Gbenga:
“The Old Man” was recently renewed for a second season after receiving widespread critical acclaim and is currently available to stream on FX & Hulu in the states, as well as Disney+ internationally.
