A biography for Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbajehasn’t been written yet.
“I'm very much the type of actor that once I embody the character, I could stay in it from the beginning to the end.”
“When you're a large black man in Hollywood, the obvious stereotype is one of force and menace.”
“Wale means to arrive home. So the crown has arrived home. Akin is warrior or brave man. Nuoye is a brave man of chieftaincy and Agbaje means wealth and prosperity.”
“It's a significant question: should black people only adopt black children, and white people white children?”
“I've been a huge fan of Quvenzhane Wallis since 'Beasts of the Southern Wild.' To me, she's our Shirley Temple, a phenomenal talent, and I wanted to work with her as soon as I saw that movie.”
“I don't really look at genre. I mean, sometimes you might be playing heavies a lot, and you're like, 'Hey, it'd be nice to do a romantic comedy.'”
“My father was a lorry driver, very rarely at home. The house was run by my mother, and because there were 10 or so kids, there was no time for individual attention. It was about survival. It was about where the next meal was coming from.”
“I grew up watching 'Rambo' and 'Rocky' and all of those movies, so you have a surreal moment, even as an actor, when you're in front of these guys, whether it's DeNiro or Stallone. You have a moment like, 'Geez, that's Sylvester Stallone,' and then you have to snap out of it and get back in the pocket of the character.”
“What I like about the Carpenter take on 'The Thing' is the fact that it just has so much suspense. It seemed like a different story, with the horror elements.”
“By the time I was 16, I was someone to reckon with. I was so eager to repudiate any connection with any immigrant race, I would go above and beyond. I was desperate to belong to something. That was my drive as a teenager.”
“I've played many criminals, but I loved playing somebody on the right side of the law who had a family and who had ethics.”
“I'm here to play certain characters and give them a voice that they might not have had. That's my job, and like it or not, that's what I'm here to do.”
“You really have to act your pants off to stay alive. I thrive on that; I rise to the occasion of the circumstances.”
“The practice of pumping up before the scene, especially if you've got your shirt off, most actors will do that.”
“It's wonderful to do these great blockbusters and bigger pictures, but my heart is always with true stories.”
“As an actor, you really want to resonate with your audience.”
“Also, I'd like to play an athlete again, while I'm still physically fit, or a musician, like Nat King Cole, because I play the trumpet and sing. I'd like to incorporate that into a character.”
“I just want to keep the diversity and the options open. In terms of what I'm looking for, I'd like to do a lead action role.”
“I was always led to believe you should take care of yourself, trust in your abilities and you're the author of your own destiny.”
“David Ayer is known for being a very serious filmmaker, but he has a very great sense of humor.”