I Made Up My Mind to Become an Actor at 16 – Jimmy Akingbola

By Samantha Ofole-Prince

Versatile and quite talented, Jimmy Akingbola plays Geoffrey in “Bel-Air,” the remake of the hit ’90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” which starred Will Smith, and has built an impressive resume with several projects that include “Arrow,” the award-winning television series “Ted Lasso,” “Rise” and “Hero: The Extraordinary Life of Mr. Ulric Cross.”

The British thespian, who is of Nigerian descent, was one of several actors, who shared his journey to Hollywood at AAFCA’s annual event Spotlighting Black British Actors in America.

Akingbola, who made his American debut on the television show “Arrow,” had hopes of pursuing a career in sports but sought a career on the screen when he caught the acting bug as a teenager.

“I watched a lot of American films and television and was inspired by what I saw and did a one man monologue stand up show,” he shares. “People laughed and I got a standing ovation and at 16 I decided I wanted to become an actor.”

It was a long road for the Akingbola who worked several odd jobs including a job as an usher to pay his way through drama school before landing his first project.

Despite a successful acting career in the U.K., he was inspired to move to America by actors such as Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba and Emmon Walker and the slew of other Brits who were carving out careers in Hollywood.

“It was a risk as I had to start from scratch,” admits the actor. “It wasn’t paved with gold and I had to be humble.”

Akingbola, who cites actor Don Cheadle (“Hotel Rwanda”) as an inspiration, also runs the Triforce Creative Network which provides opportunities for actors, writers, directors and producers.

Established in 2003, the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) is America’s largest organization of black film critics.