10 things you should know about British born Nigerian on "The Handmaid's Tale"

chibumga izuzu

September 18, 2017 3:20 PM

Meet OT Fagbenle , the British-born Nigerian actor who plays Luke in Emmy winning drama, "The Handmaid's Tale."

On Sunday, September 17, 2017, Hulus "The Handmaids Tale

The series stars British Nigerian actor, OT Fagbenle, who plays the character Luke on the show.

Pulse Movies has put together 10 things you should know about the talented actor.

1. Fagbenle was born in London to a Yoruba Nigerian journalist father and a British mother of Anglo-Irish descent.

His father is Tunde Fagbenle, a respected columnist on Sunday Punch.

2. As a child, Fagbenle learnt the alto saxophone in Spain. He has performed as a musician in big bands at the Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall.

3. In 2001, he graduated from the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

He then got his first lead role for the stage in John Guare's award-winning play ‘Six Degrees of Separation.'

4. In 2006, Fagbenle made his feature film debut in "Breaking and Entering," alongside Jude Law, Robin Wright, and Juliette Binoche.

5. In 2008, he made his first appearance on U.S. television with his role as singer-songwriter John on NBC's "Quarterlife."

6. In addition to his acting career, Fagbenle has a passion for working behind the scenes. He directed, wrote and produced two short films: "Big Bad Blood" and "Moth."

7. In 2016, he took up the role of Luke in Hulu's screen adaption of dystopian novel, "The Handmaid's Tale."

The character Luke Bankole is June's husband and Hannah's father.

8. Besides his acting career, Fagbenle has a music career. He composed the music and the lyrics for several songs for the NBC drama "Quarterlife."

He also co-wrote the song "Storm" for Grammy-nominated artist Tyga.

9. With "Walter's War," Fagbenle became the first British actor of mixed race to play a lead in a period drama in the history of UK television.

And with "Looking," he also became the first to play a leading role in an HBO series.

10. Fagbenle loves to play basketball and go backpacking. He also volunteers at several schools, putting on free drama and music classes for kids.

chibumga izuzu