O. T. Fagbenle

Olatunde Olateju Olaolorun "O-T" Fagbenle (Yoruba: Ọlátúndé Ọlátẹ́jú Ọláọlọ́run Fágbénlé; born 22 January 1981) is an English actor, writer, and director.

He has appeared in several films, stage, and television productions.

He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and graduated early to make his graduate debut at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in Les Blancs in 2001.

Fagbenle originated the role of "Perry" in the Royal Court's production of the award-winning production of Fallout.

Fagbenle continued his Shakespearean roles by performing in Romeo and Juliet as Mercutio in a national tour culminating at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2004.

The Evening Telegraph said of his performance, "O-T Fagbenle achieves the impossible by almost overshadowing the young lovers with his inspired performance of Mercutio".

Fagbenle was soon offered his first all-out lead.

Outstanding reviews preceded a M.E.N. Theatre Award for best actor in a leading role for his portrayal of a man claiming to be Sidney Poitier's son in John Guare's award-winning play Six Degrees of Separation.

Fagbenle starred in Little Miss Jocelyn from 2004 to 2006, as various characters in season one and as Mrs. Omwokwopopo's dead husband in season two.

In 2006, Fagbenle appeared as Joe in the feature film Breaking and Entering with Jude Law and Juliette Binoche.

In 2006, Fagbenle starred in a BBC sitcom called Grownups and also appeared in the British TV series Agatha Christie's Marple.

He portrayed Sean, an American television star, opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd, in Amy Heckerling's 2007 I Could Never Be Your Woman.

In 2021, he appeared as Rick Mason in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Widow.

In 2008, Fagbenle flew to Paris with the theatre director Peter Brook to help workshop and develop Brook's international production of Tierno Bokar.

After John W. Bubbles in the original opera and Sammy Davis Jr.. in the film, Fagbenle played the role of Sportin' Life in Sir Trevor Nunn's production of Porgy and Bess - The Musical at the Savoy Theatre in the West End of London.

Fagbenle received outstanding reviews.

Variety magazine's review remarked 'There are moments everything takes wing as a musical, mostly whenever Fagbenle's splendidly serpentine, easeful Sportin' Life is around.

Light on his feet, his every moment is poised and polished.'

In 2008–2009, Fagbenle starred in two dramas for the BBC, including the role of Walter Tull in Walter's War, a biopic of the first mixed-heritage officer in the British Army, in which he again garnered outstanding international reviews.

In 2009, Fagbenle played the role of Topher Kiefer in the ITV series, FM, and in January 2010 Fagbenle took a leading role as Chris in the BBC One show Material Girl, starring Dervla Kirwan and Lenora Crichlow.

He then had a continuing role in both three-episode installments of the 2010 Thorne television series with David Morrissey in the titular role, which were adapted from two Mark Billingham novels, Sleepyhead (episodes 1–2, also starring Natascha McElhone) and Scaredy Cat (episodes 4–6, also starring Sandra Oh), all directed by Stephen Hopkins.

In 2012 in London, England, Fagbenle took on the role of Slupianek in The Conquest of the South Pole at the Arcola and Rose Theatres.

Again Fagbenle won critical acclaim across the board for his performance, with TimeOut, The British Theatre Guide, Spoonfed, Whatsonstage.com, and industry-standard 'The Stage' all praising his performance.

Fagbenle went on to be panel nominated for 'Best Male Performance at the prestigious Off West End Awards.

It was announced by The Royal National Theatre that Fagbenle would be cast as the lead in their 2016 production of the play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Fagbenle led his cast to win the Olivier Award for best revival.

BBC's Radio 4 said of his performance "Mesmeric - almost impossible to take your eyes off him."

"I wanna see him again and again and again."

"Rips your guts out."

Fagbenle is best known for his role as Luke in The Handmaid’s Tale (2017–2022), for which he received an Emmy nomination, and his portrayal of Barack Obama in The First Lady (2022).

Born in London to a Yoruba Nigerian father, journalist Tunde Fagbenle, and a British/English mother, Ally Bedford, Fagbenle was raised by his mother and lived in Nigeria, Spain, and the UK as a child.

He started learning the alto saxophone and within a year joined the South Coast Jazz Band, which toured the Edinburgh Festival.

In the UK he performed as a musician in big bands at the Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall.

His name "Olatunde" means literally "Honour returns" or "Honour is restored" in Yoruba.

This may be in the abstract or literal sense.

His last name, Fagbenle, or "Fágbénlé" in Yoruba, means "Ifa [the Yoruba oracle] makes me triumph," indicating that Fagbenle's paternal ancestors were worshippers of the Ifa religion.

His middle name, Olateju means, "honor is clear," and his other middle name, "Olaolorun," means "the wealth/honor of God."

His younger brothers include actor and film producer Luti Fagbenle, and video director and producer Daps.

His sister is a WNBA player and Olympian Temi Fagbenle.

He started acting at the age of 14 for the Ritual Theatre Arts and was given the lead role in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, performing at international venues and at central London's Bloomsbury Theatre.