Anthony Oseyemi

EARLY LIFE

Anthony Oluwakayode Oseyemi was born on 17 January 1977 in the United Kingdom to a Nigerian family and grew up in South East London. He is fluent in English and Yoruba. His interest in performance began in secondary school and through the Lewisham Youth Theatre. He first visited South Africa in 1997 through Project Phakama, an international youth arts and cultural exchange programme. He later relocated more permanently to South Africa (around 2005) after completing his studies, while maintaining professional ties to both countries.

CAREER

Oseyemi began on stage with Lewisham Youth Theatre and went on to professional theatre work, including performances at the London International Festival of Theatre, Tricycle Theatre, Albany Theatre (with Project Phakama), and the lead in James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner. He has also produced and appeared in multimedia theatre pieces. Television (UK and international): Early credits include recurring work in Is Harry on the Boat? (2002–2003), guest roles in The Bill (2003), Holby City (2005), and Coming Up (2005). Later appearances include Wild at Heart, The Runaway, Strike Back, The Book of Negroes, Our Girl, Troy: Fall of a City, Resident Evil (Netflix, as Roth), Dead Places (as Will Stone), and Agent. South African television: Lead and prominent roles in Jacob’s Cross, Room 9 (as Solomon Onyegu; the series earned SAFTA nominations), Isidingo, Traffick, Shooting Stars, Mzansi Love: Ekasi Style, Shadow, Yoh! Christmas (as Ben Bakare), and Blood Legacy (Netflix, as Akin Adesina, 2024). He has also hosted Survivor: Africa and presented Model Million$. Film: Notable credits include Five Fingers for Marseilles (as Congo, 2017), The Congo Murders (as General Joseph Kazumba), Hector and the Search for Happiness (with Simon Pegg), SEAL Team 8: Behind Enemy Lines (with Tom Sizemore), The Salvation, Gaia (as Winston), The Red Sea Diving Resort, Love, Sex and 30 Candles (as Prof. Kwame), and others. As a writer he contributed to the SABC1 series Tempy Pushas (SAFTA writing nomination, 2014) and has developed projects through Antagonists Studios, including the fantasy series concept 100 Years to Go set in ancient Africa.

PERSONAL LIFE

Oseyemi keeps his private life largely out of the public eye. He is based in South Africa and has spoken about the differences between the UK and South African industries, noting the greater variety of roles available in the developing South African screen sector. He is also active as a musician (releases include the album Load Shedding and singles such as “Life Is Free”) and co-founded the production company Antagonists Studios with Oscar Barby.

Anthony Oseyemi is a versatile multi-hyphenate creative who moves between British, South African, and international productions. He stands approximately 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) tall. Through acting, writing, producing, and music he has built a career spanning stage, television, film, and content development focused on African and diaspora narratives. He continues to work across streaming platforms (including Netflix) and local South African productions.