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Born in Washington, D.C., actor Gbenga Akinnagbe -- a first-generation Nigerian immigrant -- attended Bucknell University on a wrestling scholarship, where he dual-majored in English and political science, then accepted a position with a government agency but left early on to pursue his interest in drama. He began with various stage assignments in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas, then transitioned to film work in 2002, when HBO tapped him for the recurring role of Chris Partlow in its NARC-themed drama series The Wire; Showtime followed suit, giving Akinnagbe one of the leads in its 2005 sitcom Barbershop; unfortunately, that program failed to catch fire with the public. Akinnagbe took one of his first big-screen assignments with a supporting role in Tamara Jenkins' family-themed ensemble seriocomedy The Savages (2007).