Biography

Chiké Okonkwo is an award-winning international star on the rise.

He stars in the NBC drama LA BREA, a high-concept disaster series that begins when a massive sinkhole opens in the middle of Los Angeles, pulling in a disparate group of people who find themselves in a mysterious primeval land and have no choice but to band together to survive. The show has a highly coveted slot on the network in primetime and the first season held as the #1 new drama series for NBC. Due to this success, the series was renewed for a second run, which will premiere this fall.

He is also the lead and cover star of the massive global video game franchise, CALL OF DUTY's latest installment, CALL OF DUTY: VANGUARD. He makes history as the first actor (previously all models) to appear as the lead face and cover star of the franchise and throughout all of their materials. His character is based on the first Black British soldier to land behind enemy lines on D-Day during WWII.

He was also recently seen leading the film DEATH SAVED MY LIFE opposite Meagan Good and on BET's hit show BEING MARY JANE with Gabrielle Union. His breakthrough role came in the 2016 Sundance Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award winning film THE BIRTH OF A NATION.

Hailing from London, his journey as an artist began when he was accepted to both the National Youth Theatre and the National Youth Music Theatre. He started his professional career working at the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he performed in a number of plays, most notably JULIUS CAESAR, which ended its award-winning run in New York in 2013.

He also voices Sleep Stories for The Calm App to great acclaim. Their Sleep Stories are soothing tales that mix music, sound effects and incredible voice talent to help you drift off to dreamland.

His activism focuses on community banking in his role as Ambassador for One United Bank, the largest Black-owned bank in the US. Okonkwo is an advocate for the eradication of child poverty with the Children's Defense Fund. He is also a proud member of the Master Artist Council of the Arthur Miller Foundation, alongside Daniel Day Lewis, Scarlett Johansson and others.
- IMDb mini biography by: Slate PR