Olatunde Olateju Olaolorun "O-T" Fagbenle (Yoruba: Ọlátúndé Ọlátẹ́jú Ọláọlọ́run Fágbénlé; born 22 January 1981) is a British actor, writer, and director. He has appeared in several films, stage, and television productions. He is best known for his role as Lucas Bankole in The Handmaid’s Tale (2017–2025), for which he received an Emmy nomination, and his portrayal of Barack Obama in The First Lady (2022).
Early life Born in London to a Yoruba Nigerian father, journalist Tunde Fagbenle, and an English mother, Ally Bedford, Fagbenle was raised by his mother and lived in Nigeria, Spain, and the UK as a child. He started learning the alto saxophone and within a year joined the South Coast Jazz Band, which toured the Edinburgh Festival. ashbee.net, 15 March 2001. In the UK he performed as a musician in big bands at the Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall.
His younger brothers include actor and film producer Luti Fagbenle, and video director and producer Daps. His sister is WNBA player and Olympian Temi Fagbenle.
Career Acting Theatre Fagbenle started acting at the age of 14 for the Ritual Theatre Arts and was given the lead role in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, performing at international venues and at central London's Bloomsbury Theatre. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and graduated early to make his graduate debut at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in Les Blancs in 2001. Fagbenle originated the role of "Perry" in the Royal Court's production of the award-winning production of Fallout.
Fagbenle continued his Shakespearean roles by performing in Romeo and Juliet as Mercutio in a national tour culminating at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2004. The Evening Telegraph said of his performance, "O-T Fagbenle achieves the impossible by almost overshadowing the young lovers with his inspired performance of Mercutio".
Fagbenle was soon offered his first leading role. Outstanding reviewshttp://www.reviewsgate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1715 reviewsgate.com, 26 April 2004. preceded a M.E.N. Theatre Award for best actor in a leading role britishtheatreguide.com, 9 December 2004. for his portrayal of a man claiming to be Sidney Poitier's son in John Guare's award-winning play Six Degrees of Separation.
In 2008, Fagbenle flew to Paris with the theatre director Peter Brook to help workshop and develop Brook's international production of Tierno Bokar.
After John W. Bubbles in the original opera and Sammy Davis Jr. in the film, Fagbenle played the role of Sportin' Life in Sir Trevor Nunn's production of Porgy and Bess - The Musical at the Savoy Theatre in the West End of London.O-T Fagbenle London.Broadway.com, 7 February 2007. Fagbenle received outstanding reviews.http://www.reviewsgate.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3150 reviewsgate.com, 22 November 2006.http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Theatre-Review/porgy-and-bess-savoy-theatre-review indielondon.com, 10 November 2006.http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/porgybessnunn-rev.htm British theatre guide.com, 10 November 2006. Variety magazine's review remarked, "There are moments everything takes wing as a musical, mostly whenever Fagbenle's splendidly serpentine, easeful Sportin' Life is around. Light on his feet, his every moment is poised and polished."https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932102.html?categoryid=33&cs=1&query=porgy+and+bess+nunn Variety.com, 12 November 2006.
In 2012 in London, England, Fagbenle took on the role of Slupianek in The Conquest of the South Pole at the Arcola and Rose Theatres. Again Fagbenle won critical acclaim across the board for his performance, with TimeOut, The British Theatre Guide, Spoonfed, Whatsonstage.com, and industry-standard The Stage all praising his performance.http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/the-conquest-of-arcola-theatre-7478 britishtheatreguidet.co.uk, 2 May 2012. Fagbenle was nominated by panel for the 2012 Offie for Best Male Performance. offwestend.com, 25 May 2012.
It was announced by The Royal National Theatre that Fagbenle would be cast as the lead in their 2016 production of the play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Fagbenle led his cast to win the Olivier Award for best revival.http://www.olivierawards.com/video/view/item358998/best-revival-ma-raineys-black-bottom/ olivierawards.com, 25 May 2016.
Film
In 2006, Fagbenle appeared as Joe in the feature film Breaking and Entering with Jude Law and Juliette Binoche. He portrayed Sean, an American television star, opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd, in Amy Heckerling's 2007 I Could Never Be Your Woman.
In 2021, he appeared as Rick Mason in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Widow.
Television Fagbenle starred in Little Miss Jocelyn from 2004 to 2006, as various characters in season one and as Mrs. Omwokwopopo's dead husband in season two. In 2006, Fagbenle starred in a BBC sitcom called Grownups and also appeared in the British TV series Agatha Christie's Marple. Fagbenle played "Other Dave" in the 2008, two-part Doctor Who story, "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead". In 2008–2009, Fagbenle starred in two dramas for the BBC, including the role of Walter Tull in Walter's War, a biopic of the first mixed-heritage officer in the British Army, in which he again garnered outstanding international reviews.http://torontoist.com/2009/1/televisualist_the_best_comedy_show_on_tv_has_a_fart_machine.php torontoist.com, 23 November 2009.
In 2009, Fagbenle played the role of Topher Kiefer in the ITV series, FM, and in January 2010 Fagbenle took a leading role as Chris in the BBC One show Material Girl, starring Dervla Kirwan and Lenora Crichlow. He then had a continuing role in both three-episode installments of the 2010 Thorne television series with David Morrissey in the titular role, which were adapted from two Mark Billingham novels, Sleepyhead (episodes 1–2, also starring Natascha McElhone) and Scaredy Cat (episodes 4–6, also starring Sandra Oh), all directed by Stephen Hopkins. After his Material Girl performance, he went on to be cast in the 2011 American romantic comedy Double Wedding. Fagbenle also appeared as Mark Lightfoot in episode six of the first season of Death in Paradise in that same year.
In 2012, Fagbenle accepted a lead role in the 2013 BBC comedy Quick Cuts alongside actress and Smack the Pony star Doon Mackichan. That same year, he starred in the first season of HBO's original drama Looking, where played Frank, a sweet-hearted Ohio musician with troubles from a live-in partner (reprising the role in season 2). BBC Drama cast Fagbenle in the lead role of their criminal drama The Interceptor, which began filming in London in April 2014; in 2015 he was won the MViSA awards for best male actor for his performance in that work.
After appearing in the second season of HBO's Looking, Fagbenle was cast as the lead in American crime writer Harlan Coben's original drama series The Five which first aired in April 2016 on Sky 1 in the United Kingdom. On 14 November 2016 he appeared in a BBC2 adaptation of Zadie Smith's novel NW. In 2017, he began the role of Luke Bankole in Hulu's screen adaption of Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale, for which he has received multiple nominations for Screen Actors Guild awards.
On 16 August 2021, it was announced that Fagbenle had joined the cast of Apple TV+ limited series WeCrashed in a recurring role as Cameron Lautner.
In 2023, Fagbenle reprised his role as Rick Mason from Black Widow in a cameo appearance in the Disney+ miniseries Secret Invasion, also set in the MCU. In 2024 he was featured in Apple TV's Loot, starring Maya Rudolph, as Sophia Salina's boyfriend.
In 2024, he played Nico Della Guardia in Presumed Innocent.
Radio For several months in 2004 he took the part of Kwame in the BBC World Service radio soap opera Westway.
He has performed multiple times for the BBC including the lead role in Six Degrees of Separation, playing Marvin Gaye in a biopic, and two roles in the BBC Radio adaptation of The Color Purple, which went on to win the Sony Radio Academy Awards for Drama in 2009.
Writing and directing
In April 2020 Fagbenle made history when he became the first person to write, direct, compose, star and executive produce the opening episode of a TV series on a major US network with his show Maxxx (Hulu).
In 2021 Deadline reported that following the success of Maxxx "The multi-hyphenate currently has drama, comedy and non-scripted content in development."
Fagbenle's debut short film Moth won Best Sci-fi Horror at the London Film Festival The film, which was a metaphor for the effect of mentally ill parenting on children, was also made a part of a number of film festivals including the official selection at the Los Angeles Screamfest Film Festival, New York City Horror Film Festival, Austin Film Festival.
After a being awarded a fund by the Nigerian high commission/TRSE to write and direct a teaser for his movie idea, Fagbenle was commissioned by Bafta-nominated Lutimedia to develop Big Bad Blood, a teen comedy television series.
Music Along with a starring actor credit, Fagbenle composed the music and penned the lyrics for several songs for the NBC drama Quarterlife, created by Marshall Herskovitz and Oscar-winner Ed Zwick. quarterlife.com, 18 September 2008.
In 2011 Fagbenle co-wrote the song "Storm" for Grammy nominated artist Tyga on his Black Thoughts Vol. 2 mixtape and received over 8 million hits on worldstarhiphop.com.http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh36q6FyR5Qvx4eH42 worldstarhiphop.com, 25 May 2012.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes 2006 Breaking and Entering Joe 2007 I Could Never Be Your Woman Sean 2008 Radio Cape Cod Sunday Umankwe 2014 Non-Stop Jack Rabbitte (voice) Uncredited 2021 Black Widow Rick Mason 2025 Splitsville Brent TBA Eleven Missing Days Allen Lane Filming
Television YearTitleRoleNotes 2002 EastEnders Angel Heavy 2 episodes 2004 Casualty Terry O'Brien 1 episode As If Tyler Recurring role, 7 episodes Hollyoaks James Walker 1 episode 2005 Doctors Todd Dexter 1 episode 2006 Agatha Christie's Marple Chris Murphy Episode: "By the Pricking of My Thumbs" Grownups Dean Main role, 8 episodes 2006–2008 Little Miss Jocelyn Various 4 episodes 2007 The Last Detective Gary Green 1 episode 2008 Quarterlife John 4 episodes Dirt O-T 1 episode Doctor Who Other Dave 2 episodes: "Forest of the Dead" and "Silence in the Library" My Boys Dez 1 episode Consuming Passion: 100 Years of Mills & Boon Jake 1 episode 2009 FM Topher Kiefer Main role, 6 episodes Monday Monday Mark 1 episode Brothers Walter 1 episode 2010 Material Girl Chris Main role, 6 episodes Double Wedding Tate Television film Thorne Dave Holland Miniseries, 6 episodes 2011 Happy Endings Adrian 1 episode Death in Paradise Mark Lightfoot 1 episode 2012 Secrets and Words Eddie 1 episode 2013 Pat & Cabbage Steve 1 episode 2014–2015 Looking Frank Recurring role, 8 episodes 2015 The Interceptor Marcus "Ash" Ashton Miniseries, 8 episodes 2016 The Five D.S. Danny Kenwood Miniseries, 10 episodes Looking: The Movie Frank Television film 2017–2025 The Handmaid's Tale Luke Bankole Main role, 39 episodes 2020 Maxxx Maxxx Main role, 6 episodes 2022 The First Lady President Barack Obama Main role, 10 episodes WeCrashed Cameron Lautner Miniseries, 5 episodes 2023 Secret Invasion Rick Mason Miniseries, 1 episode 2024 Loot Isaac Recurring role, 5 episodes Presumed Innocent Nico Della Guardia Miniseries 2024 No Good Deed Dennis Main cast2025All's FairDr. Reginald "Reggie" RamirezRecurring2026The Old Stories: MosesPharaohMiniseries2026 The Miniature Wife Richard Main role, 10 episodes
+Video gameYearTitleRole2013Assassin's Creed IV: Black FlagJohn Rackham
Awards and nominations