Kola Bokinni

Kola Bokinni
Born (1992-08-05) 5 August 1992 (age 32)
Peckham, London, England
EducationBRIT School
OccupationActor
Years active2015–present
Notable work
RelativesYinka Bokinni (sister)

Kola Bokinni (born 5 August 1992) is an English Actor. He is known for his role as Isaac McAdoo, the captain of AFC Richmond, in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso (2020–2023).

Early life

Bokinni's mother is Irish, and his father is Nigerian.[1] He attended the BRIT School, initially on Saturdays before an opportunity opened up to attend the main school.[2] His first public performance was an original play, first performed at the Bussey in Peckham, before moving to the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square. Following good reviews for his performance he signed with his first agent.[3]

Career

Bokinni played Lennard in a 2016 episode of Black Mirror entitled "Men Against Fire". He also had a recurring role as Leyton on the television series Top Boy.[4]

From 2020 he played Isaac McAdoo, the AFC Richmond centre-back and vice-captain, and then captain on the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso with his character maturing during his portrayal from immature and a "bully" to a leadership role.[5][6] With members of the ensemble cast of Ted Lasso, he visited The White House and met President Biden and Vice-president Kamala Harris.[7] Bokinni has spoken about the teamwork and camaraderie on the set of Ted Lasso.[8][9] He described having his Ted Lasso character turned into a playable character with his likeness in the video game FIFA as "something I don't think I'll ever be able to get over".[10]

Personal life

Bokinni is a football fan himself, and is a fan of Arsenal.[11] He typically plays football more as an attacker than his defence-playing character from Ted Lasso.[12] He is good friends with fellow actor Will Poulter,[13] and his sister is broadcaster and DJ Yinka Bokinni.[14]

Selected filmography

Key
† Denotes works that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
2016 Black Mirror Lennard Episode: "Men Against Fire"
2019 Top Boy Leyton Recurring character
2020—2023 Ted Lasso Isaac Recurring character
2024 Celebrity Race Across the World series 2 Himself

Awards and nominations

Year Association Category Project Result Ref.
2022
 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso Won [15]
2023
 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Song – Onscreen Performance (TV Show/Limited Series) "So Long, Farewell" (from Ted Lasso) Nominated [16]
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Ted Lasso Nominated [17]

References

  1. ^ Bokinni, Kola; Armstrong, Meg (17 February 2023). "Kola Bokinni". Euphoria.
  2. ^ Latinwo, Kyra (13 August 2022). "Energy, Family and Good Times – In Conversation with Kola Bokinni". Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Apple TV+ Ted Lasso Actor Kola Bokinni Says Patience Is Key". nycastings.com. 29 October 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  4. ^ Hibbs, James (3 April 2023). "Ted Lasso season 3 cast: Meet the stars of Apple TV+ comedy". Radio Times. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  5. ^ Stallone, Michael (14 March 2023). "'Ted Lasso' star Kola Bokinni joins GDNY: What comes after Season 3?". FOX 5 NY. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  6. ^ "Ted Lasso's Kola Bokinni Talks 'Rollercoaster' Season 3, Recalls Final Day of Filming (Exclusive)". toofab.com. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  7. ^ Uppert, Lauren (3 April 2023). "Ted Lasso's Kola Bokinni Wears Inherent During White House Visit To Discuss Mental Health". 303Magazine. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  8. ^ Singh, Sanjesh (22 March 2023). "'I'm A Part of Something Special': 'Ted Lasso' Star Kola Bokinni on Season Three". NBC New York. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, and Cast of 'Ted Lasso' Advise on How to Be a Teammate WWYD". Rolling Stone. 3 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  10. ^ Bennett, Beth (22 March 2023). "A Greyhound Barks: Kola Bokinni". ssentialjournal. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  11. ^ Reed, Matt (10 December 2021). "Kola Bokinni Talks Ted Lasso and Arsenal". One37pm.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  12. ^ Friedtanzer, Abe (11 February 2022). "Interview: Kola Bokinni on Isaac's Trajectory and Relationships with Other Characters on 'Ted Lasso'". Awardsradar.com. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Kola Bokkini". Photobookmagazine.com. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Kola Bokinni instagram, Nigerian independence with my sibling". 2 October 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  15. ^ Lewis, Hilary; Coates, Tyler (12 January 2022). "SAG Awards: 'House of Gucci,' 'The Power of the Dog' Lead Film Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  16. ^ "Nominations unveiled for Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2023". Shoot Online. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®" (Press release). Screen Actors Guild. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
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