Let’s look at Hollywood actors who are from the Yoruba tribe…
Nigerians are doing really well in the entertainment sector all over the world, and no matter where we end up, we always attempt to make a difference. Apart from being of Nigerian ancestry, several of these famous persons are also of Yoruba descent, and while some are well-known, many people are unaware that they are of Yoruba descent.
Some of these Yoruba International performers have filled some roles in Hollywood’s American film business and have done well. These actors have appeared in major American films and television series and are doing well in the industry. The following are five Yoruba actors from Hollywood.
1. EDUN ADETOMIWA
Babatunde Adetomiwa Stafford Edun is a British-Nigerian actor who was born in 1984. He is well known for his appearances in the popular television show Merlin as Sir Elyan.
Young, Marcus In Bates Motel and Alex Hunter in the football video games FIFA 17, 18, and 19. In MERLIN, he played a knight of Camelot as well as the queen of Camelot’s sister.
Tomiwa was born in Lagos, Nigeria to Olawale Edun, a Nigerian father, and Amy Adwoa, a half-Ghanian, half-English mother. Tomiwa came to the United Kingdom with his family when he was 11 years old, where he attended Eton College until the age of 13. He then studied Classics at Christ’s College, Cambridge (University of Cambridge).
2. DAVID OYELOWO
David Oyelowo, born April 1, 1976, is a British-Nigerian actor and producer who holds dual British and American citizenship. His most well-known performance to date was that of Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 biographical drama picture Selma. He also starred as the lead in A United Kingdom (2016) and as a chess tutor in “Queen of Katwe” (2016). He has appeared in films such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) and Lincon, among others.
Oyelowo was born to Nigerian parents in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. His father is from Oyo State in Nigeria, and his mother is from Edo State.
He was raised as a Baptist. He grew raised in Tooting Bec, South London until he was six years old when his family relocated to Lagos, Nigeria, where his father, Stephen, worked for the national airline and his mother for a railway firm. While growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, David attended a “military-style” boarding school.”
When Oyelowo was fourteen, they moved back to London and settled in Islington.
3. JOHN BOYEGA
John Boyega, born John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega, is a British-Nigerian actor and producer. He rose to notoriety in his native Britain for his role as Moses in the sci-fi comedy film Attack the Block (2011), but his international success came with his portrayal as Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy films The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2016), and The Last Jedi (2017). (2017).
John Adedayo Bamidele Adegboyega was born on March 17, 1992, in the London borough of Peckham, to Abigail (née Aboderin), a social worker, and Samson Adegboyega, a Pentecostal minister. Both are Nigerians.
4. AKINNOUYE AGBAJE, ADEWALE
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is a British actor, director, former fashion model, and writer who was born in Washington, D.C. to Nigerian parents. Adewale has appeared in blockbuster films such as “The Bourne Identity,” “Pompeii,” “The Mummy Returns,” and many others.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje was born in Islington, London, to Nigerian parents of Yoruba ancestry who were students in the UK. When he was six weeks old, his biological parents gave him up to a white working-class family in Tilbury, Essex.
His biological parents sent him to Nigeria when he was eight years old, but because he couldn’t speak Yoruba and was prevented by his parents from speaking English, he was quickly returned to Tilbury.
5. HAKEEM KAE KAZIM
Kae-Kazim, who is originally from Ogun state, was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where he spent his childhood before moving to London, England, with his family.
His most well-known part was in the 2004 drama film “Hotel Rwanda.” He also appeared in several episodes of the iconic BBC show Grange Hill.
Kazim has also appeared in Nigerian films such as “The Last Flight to Abuja,” “Half of a Yellow Sun,” and “Black November.”
