O. T. Fagbenle

O. T. Fagbenle is an English actor, writer and director. He is an award-winning stage performer in his native England, and also proved to be a versatile presence in features and on television, most notably in the HBO series "Looking," Sky1's crime series "The Five," the Hulu adaptation of Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale" and Black Widow. Fagbenle made history when he became the first person to write, direct, compose, star and executive produce the opening episode of a TV series on a major U.S. network with his show Maxxx (Hulu).

As a young man, Fagbenle learned the alto saxophone and played with a variety of groups, including the South Coast Jazz Band, at major venues like the Royal Albert Hall. He then landed his first stage role at 16 in a Nigerian production of Shakespeare's "Macbeth." The experience convinced him to pursue acting as his true calling, and after training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he made his professional debut in a 2001 production of "Les Blancs" at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, England. Fagbenle earned much recognition on the stage with a nomination for 'Best Male Performance' at the prestigious Off West End Awards and the Olivier Award for best revival. Fagbenle appeared in guest roles on several television series before making his feature film debut "Breaking and Entering." Subsequent screen appearances included "I Could Never Be Your Woman" and the American web series "Quarterlife," which allowed him to create original songs for his role as a professional musician. Fagbenle also played the real-life Walter Tull, the first mixed-race officer in the British Army, in the BBC production "Walter's War," and starred in the HBO series "Looking" and the BBC crime drama "The Interceptor." Fagbenle also wrote and directed a pair of short films, "Big Bad Blood" and "MOTH (Man of the House)" which won Best Sci-fi Horror at the London Film Festival. In 2021 Fagbenle was cast to play Barack Obama in "The First Lady" and Cameron Lautner in "WeCrashed." For his standout role as Luke Bankole in "The Handmaid's Tale" he was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.