Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje: 'Only competition I have is with myself'
theGRIO REPORT - TheGrio's Lilly Workneh talked to Adewale Akkinuoye-Agbaje Thursday, hours after the Golden Globe nominees were announced, and he shared his thoughts on the nominations...
From action-packed motion pictures like G.I. Joe to more lighthearted fares like the upcoming musical Annie, it seems as though there is no role British actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje can’t master.
He first gained a strong following of fans from his tough-as-nails role as an African prisoner on HBO’s scripted series Oz and has since gone on to conquer Hollywood through a number of standout character roles including the mysterious Mr. Eko on ABC’s survivor-series Lost and Kurse in this year’s superhero film Thor: The Dark World.
Now, he returns to the big screen in yet another attention-grabbing action film titled Pompeii, which is scheduled to hit theaters on February 21.
Over the years, Agbaje worked to become one of Hollywood’s elite thespians and has co-starred alongside a handful of famous names including Chiwetel Ejiofor, a fellow black British actor who starred in 12 Years a Slave and was nominated Thursday for a Golden Globe award.
Idris Elba, yet another black British actor, was also nominated for his role as Nelson Mandela in Long Walk to Freedom.Â
Agbaje has a close relationship with both nominees — he filmed a movie with Ejiofor in 1996, Deadly Voyage, when Ejiofor was just 17 years old and the two have remained friends since.  Agbaje even refers to Chiwetel Ejiofor as “Chewy.”
TheGrio’s Lilly Workneh talked to Agbaje Thursday, hours after the Golden Globe nominees were announced, and he shared his thoughts on their nominations.
When asked whether there is a competitive nature among his old friends, Agbaje said no, and explains that their relationships are built on love and support.
“The thing is I came here first so I paved the way so that these guys are coming in after and it’s great to see they’re creating roles, if Idris wins, if ‘Chewy’ wins, it’s great for all of us,” Agbaje told theGrio. “The more black faces I see on the screen, the better it is because I grew up when you could only see one and they were in the background. Now you’re seeing us in front of the camera, behind the camera.”
He went on to say:Â “The only competition I have is with myself and I’m just trying to bring out the best I can in me. I just need to bring out all of the creativity that exists in me and find the medium [in which] I can do it. If I see other brothers out there doing it, more power to them.”
Agbaje will be starring in a new movie titled Pompeii — an adventure film set in 79 A.D. that follows one man’s quest to save his one true love before the island’s bubbling volcano erupts.
Watch the trailer for the film below:
Follow Lilly Workneh on Twitter @Lilly_Works
