Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
My father was a lorry driver, very rarely at home. The house was run by my mother, and because there were 10 or so kids, there was no time for individual attention. It was about survival. It was about where the next meal was coming from.Collection: Home
I think that what 'Oz' did is it spawned a great generation of television production. But people know its place in television and just in great dramas. It's the foundation of my career. Most producers, show runners, directors, and casting directors put me in movies based on my performance in that show.
Multifaceted and textured characters are always more intriguing to me. You never really just want to play one note. It becomes a bit monotone and boring.
I'm of Nigerian descent, from the Yoruba tribe. Names are very significant in that culture. It basically states your purpose in life.
What is a shame is that there isn't stuff that is as great as 'Oz' on a consistent level around today.
Certainly, I look for different characters 'cause I always like to keep people guessing, and I also don't like to get typecast.
I've played different nationalities, and everything from vulnerable to strong to crooked to demented. It just increases your possibilities of work because, if people know you can do just about anything, then you're going to get more offers. That's what I want to do.
I just want to keep the diversity and the options open. In terms of what I'm looking for, I'd like to do a lead action role.
Also, I'd like to play an athlete again, while I'm still physically fit, or a musician, like Nat King Cole, because I play the trumpet and sing. I'd like to incorporate that into a character.
Personally, I love Toronto.
It's a significant question: should black people only adopt black children, and white people white children?
I wanted to wash off the experience of Africa but obviously I couldn't because that's who I was.
When a child wants to be accepted, he'll do anything. And if it means you're getting a certain amount of notoriety from a fight, that's what you'll do.
I was always led to believe you should take care of yourself, trust in your abilities and you're the author of your own destiny.
I've never been really great at trusting anybody, just because of the way I grew up.
The only way I know how to deliver is to focus; some people can turn it on or off - I'd rather stay in character.
The only way you can influence your fate is to put your soul into your performance and hope it registers with the audience.
Well, filming in Hawaii, you know, is a blessing. It's one of the most beautiful places on this planet. It has a very mystic energy which informs you as an actor.
Wale means to arrive home. So the crown has arrived home. Akin is warrior or brave man. Nuoye is a brave man of chieftaincy and Agbaje means wealth and prosperity.
You really have to act your pants off to stay alive. I thrive on that; I rise to the occasion of the circumstances.
By the time I was 16, I was someone to reckon with. I was so eager to repudiate any connection with any immigrant race, I would go above and beyond. I was desperate to belong to something. That was my drive as a teenager.
I've been a huge fan of Quvenzhane Wallis since 'Beasts of the Southern Wild.' To me, she's our Shirley Temple, a phenomenal talent, and I wanted to work with her as soon as I saw that movie.
People haven't seen me in a comedic setting, but that's who I really am.
Grassroots projects are what keep you alive as an actor.
I'm just looking to explore every medium to express my talent, but I think mostly it's going to be a focus on features.
I've played many criminals, but I loved playing somebody on the right side of the law who had a family and who had ethics.
It's wonderful to do these great blockbusters and bigger pictures, but my heart is always with true stories.
I'm very much the type of actor that once I embody the character, I could stay in it from the beginning to the end.
David Ayer is known for being a very serious filmmaker, but he has a very great sense of humor.
With any character I do, I do my due diligence with research.
I think the most appealing characters for the audience are the ones that you never know whether to root for them or whether to hate them. That's what keeps people drawn to their television sets.
I'm here to play certain characters and give them a voice that they might not have had. That's my job, and like it or not, that's what I'm here to do.
I remember when I first came to America, nobody had a clue what a black Englishman was. I was either South African or Australian to them.
As an actor, you just like to be able to play as much range. I just want to be invisible. I want to be able to be perceived as an artist as opposed to 'a black actor': that's the joy.
What I like about the Carpenter take on 'The Thing' is the fact that it just has so much suspense. It seemed like a different story, with the horror elements.
Those films that really speak to the primal fear that we, as human beings, have about the unknown have always intrigued me. That's the really scary thing, not the slasher, macabre movies. It's the ones that deal with the inner fear: the unknown realms and the mysticisms that are scary.
I grew up watching 'Rambo' and 'Rocky' and all of those movies, so you have a surreal moment, even as an actor, when you're in front of these guys, whether it's DeNiro or Stallone. You have a moment like, 'Geez, that's Sylvester Stallone,' and then you have to snap out of it and get back in the pocket of the character.
As an actor, you really want to resonate with your audience.
I don't really look at genre. I mean, sometimes you might be playing heavies a lot, and you're like, 'Hey, it'd be nice to do a romantic comedy.'
To play these twisted, tormented characters is very draining. You have to sit in the pocket of that character for the duration of the shoot, which is normally an average of three months, and that can be taxing!
I don't really discriminate with my art. To me, it's my art, and it's to be expressed through whichever medium is there, whether it's treading the boards in the theater, on the small-screen TV, or on the large screen. I love theater, and it's definitely something I would love to do.
The practice of pumping up before the scene, especially if you've got your shirt off, most actors will do that.
I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.
When you're a large black man in Hollywood, the obvious stereotype is one of force and menace.
What you desire, as an actor, is to have an impact. That's why you did it. You want to move people, and you want to resonate with your audience. It's always a great compliment to have people appreciate and speak of the characters. I can go anywhere in the world, to places where people don't actually speak English, and people can say, verbatim, what I said on the show as Mr. Eko, which is great. That's fun!Collection: Fun
What I like about the Carpenter take on The Thing is the fact that it just has so much suspense. It seemed like a different story, with the horror elements. Those films that really speak to the primal fear that we, as human beings, have about the unknown have always intrigued me. That's the really scary thing, not the slasher, macabre movies.Collection: Scary
As an actor, you really want to resonate with your audience. I played a character on Oz and people still approach me in the streets today.Collection: Character
You don't want it to be a replica or an imitation. You want to create something fresh, original, very unique.Collection: Unique
It's the ones that deal with the inner fear, the unknown realms and the mysticisms that are scary. You had that in the Carpenter version, and you have that in this prequel. It's paying homage, very much, to that.Collection: Scary
I remember in the Carpenter version, you got acquainted with the characters and really knew them. It was a real character piece. Each actor was serviced in the movie, and we tried to do that in this movie as well. I like the fact that there was a European, first-time director. I'd known of him because I'm from Europe. I knew him as a commercial director and thought one of his commercials was great. I thought it was an interesting take on such a big-budget cult classic.Collection: Real