Biography
Gbenga Akinnagbe is an American actor and writer. Born Olugbenga Enitan Temitope Akinnagbe on 12 December 1978 in Washington, D.C., he was raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, by Yoruba Nigerian parents. He graduated from Bucknell University in 2000 with degrees in political science and English, having attended on a wrestling scholarship.
Akinnagbe is known for his role as Chris Partlow in the HBO series The Wire (2002–2008) and as Larry Brown in The Deuce (2017–2019). His film credits include Dave in Passing (2021), Eustace in The Thicket (2024), and a role in the forthcoming The Social Reckoning (2026). He is the cousin of rapper Wale and has also written for The New York Times.
