Chiké Okonkwo

Chiké Okonkwo was born on March 18, 1982, in Kingston upon Thames, England. Of Nigerian descent, he pursued academic excellence by earning a First Class degree in Business Computing from the University of Surrey in 2003, having previously declined offers from leading drama schools. His journey into the performing arts began early, as he was accepted into both the National Youth Theatre and the National Youth Music Theatre between 1999 and 2002. Okonkwo’s professional acting career commenced in 2001 when he was selected from 12,000 applicants for the BBC Talent Scheme, leading to his first role in ‘Holby City’. He further honed his craft by spending a year performing at the Royal National Theatre, appearing in productions such as Philip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’, and later worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Throughout his career, Okonkwo has demonstrated versatility across various mediums. His television credits include roles as PC Clark in ‘New Tricks’ (2003–2004), DC Callum Gada in ‘Paradox’ (2009), and Lee Truitt in ‘Being Mary Jane’ (2016–2019). He gained significant recognition for his role as Ty Coleman in the NBC drama ‘LA BREA’ (2021–2024), a series that held the position of the number one new drama for the network and was renewed for a second season. In film, Okonkwo’s breakthrough came with the 2016 Sundance Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award-winning film ‘THE BIRTH OF A NATION’. He also appeared in ‘DEATH SAVED MY LIFE’ alongside Meagan Good (2021) and ‘Blindfire’ (2020).

Beyond live-action roles, Okonkwo has made a significant impact in the voice acting world. He is the lead and cover star for the ‘CALL OF DUTY: VANGUARD’ (2021) video game, marking him as the first actor to appear as the lead face and cover star for the franchise. His character in the game is based on the first Black British soldier to land behind enemy lines on D-Day during WWII. He also voiced characters in ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’ (2020), ‘Anthem’ (2019), and ‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ (2017). His humanitarian efforts include acting as an Ambassador for One United Bank, the largest Black-owned bank in the US, advocating for community banking, and supporting the Children’s Defense Fund in its mission to eradicate child poverty. He is also a member of the Master Artist Council of the Arthur Miller Foundation.