O-T Fagbenle

O-T Fagbenle is a British actor, writer, director, and producer known for his work across stage, film, and television. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, joining alumni such as Sean Bean, Ralph Fiennes, and Anthony Hopkins. Fagbenle began acting at age 14 with Ritual Theatre Arts, taking the lead role in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and performing at international venues and London's Bloomsbury Theatre. His early stage career included earning a M.E.N. Theatre Award for best actor in a leading role for his performance in John Guare's play "Six Degrees of Separation." He also played Sportin' Life in Sir Trevor Nunn's production of "Porgy and Bess" at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End.

In theater, Fagbenle led the National Theatre cast of August Wilson's play "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," which won the Olivier Award. He was also nominated for Best Actor at the Evening Standard Awards. Fagbenle transitioned to screen with his feature film debut in Anthony Minghella's "Breaking and Entering" opposite Jude Law and Juliette Binoche, and appeared in British and American productions, including lead roles in the BBC crime drama "The Interceptor" and Harlan Coben's Sky 1 thriller "The Five."

Fagbenle is recognized for his role as Luke Bankole in "The Handmaid's Tale," for which he received an Emmy nomination, and for portraying Barack Obama in "The First Lady." The Emmy-winning series "The Handmaid's Tale" concluded after 66 episodes, with Fagbenle's performance contributing to multiple award nominations and wins, including Outstanding Drama Series at the Primetime Emmy Awards, Best Drama Series at the Critics Choice Television Awards, and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Fagbenle made history as the first person to create, write, direct, compose, executive produce, and star in the pilot of a television series broadcast on a major network with his original comedy series "Maxxx," which debuted on Channel 4 and was later acquired by Hulu. In film, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mason in "Black Widow" and reprised the role in the Disney+ miniseries "Secret Invasion." He also starred as Barack Obama in Showtime's anthology series "The First Lady" and appeared in Apple TV+'s "WeCrashed."

Beyond his on-screen work, Fagbenle is the co-founder of the ABC Foundation, a charity organization providing educational opportunities in technology to children in African nations. With experience in British and Nigerian culture, Fagbenle works across multiple mediums in the entertainment industry, contributing to film, television, and theater as an actor, writer, director, and producer.