Gbenga Akinnagbe

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Gbenga Akinnagbe (born on ???????? in Washington, DC) is an African American actor of African descent, currently guest-starring on the HBO original series The Wire as Chris Partlow.

1 Early Life
2 College
3 The Work Force
4 Acting
5 Referances

[edit] Early Life

Born and raised in Washington, D.C. to Nigerian parents, Gbenga Akinnagbe was in-and-out of trouble as a youth, having no definite goals at the time. Gbenga is the second oldest of six children, one older sister and four younger brothers. His older sister is a sole proprietor of Rest Assure Sleep Labs, located in Annapolis and Crofton Maryland. One younger brother graduated with a teaching degree, and the second oldest is actively pursuing a degree in Television Production. The youngest are still in school. It wasn’t until he joined the wrestling team in his junior year at High School that he gained focus with his life.

[edit] College

Gbenga attended Bucknell University on a wrestling scholarship and majored in Political Science and English. During his time at Bucknell, Akinnagbe joined the wrestling team and became a champion all-state and all-conference competitor.

[edit] The Work Force

After graduating, his next move was working at the Corporation for National Service, the federal agency in Washington D.C. that administers Americorps and other volunteer programs. A year later, while sitting in his cubicle at work. Gbenga decided that he wanted to break from the monotony of a standard 9 to 5 job and learn about acting.

[edit] Acting

He bought books and deeply researched his future profession. After attending many auditions, Gbenga earned a role at the Shakespeare Theater in D.C., and later worked his way into various productions in the area, performing for crowds at the prestigious Kennedy Theater and Shakespeare in the Park. While taking acting classes in New Jersey, Gbenga was invited to audition for a recurring role on The Wire. He earned the part of Chris Partlow for the series.