Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Ivan Mbakop, an American actor, film director and application designer, was born on October 15, in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He is the first of three boys, and the son of a Supreme Court Justice and a High School Vice Principal. Securing acceptance at an HBCU, he flew to the States to attend Tuskegee University. As he completed his Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering, he married his college crush in 1999 and relocated to Atlanta, GA. He ran into the arts quite by accident, walking into a dance & drama class his wife was attending.

Some of his first acting gigs were commercials for Cox Communications and Coca Cola. He later appeared in a music video for Canton Jones Kingdom Business (2009) and a lead theatrical performance for Christmas in Cambridge that same year. His role in Baby Mama's Club (2010) closed out 2010 as being a very successful year for his acting repertoire.

He took a hiatus from the stage to focus on his business. Seven years and a few business ventures later, he returned with a strong Directorial debut in Victus (2017), a project he created the idea for, would be one of many to come. Following soon after was a television debut in Valor , Season 1 Episode 5 (2017) as Negotiator.

He is gaining momentum in the industry not only as a new talent to look out for, but also as a technologically innovative producer. He lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife April Mbakop and 4 children.

Awards

Ivan Mbakop

Indie Short Fest

Hollywood Gold Awards

Contribute to this page

More from this person

More to explore

Recently viewed