Benjamin A. Onyango
Born
1960-05-18 (age 66)
Place of Birth
Nairobi, Kenya
Occupations
Musician, Writer, Producer, Director
Alma Mater
United States International University; California State University, Stanislaus
Also known as
Benjamin Alfred Onyango Ochieng, Benji Bendrix, Benjamin Ochieng, Benjamin Oyango
Connect
XBiography
EARLY LIFE
Benjamin Alfred Onyango Ochieng was born on May 18, 1960, in Ofafa Jericho Estate, a neighborhood in Eastlands, Nairobi, Kenya. As the second of seven brothers, he grew up in a close-knit family headed by his parents, Christopher Ochieng and Eudiah Achieng Ochieng, whose roots traced back to Ugenya in Siaya County. He attended Ofafa Jericho Primary School, where he faced academic challenges including failing the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) exam, before transferring to Got Osimbo Primary School. There, he repeated Standard 7 and excelled despite battling malaria. He immersed himself in local community life that included church activities at Jericho Baptist Church, where he participated in youth group events. From a young age, Onyango displayed budding interests in performance, influenced by the rhythmic storytelling and communal gatherings prevalent in his surroundings. Simple acts like participating in church skits highlighted his natural inclination toward expressive arts, rooted in the oral traditions and social dynamics of his Kenyan upbringing, though these remained informal and unguided at the time. After secondary school, at age 18, Onyango joined British American Tobacco Kenya Ltd. (BAT), starting in the wages department as a clerk for four years before advancing to the computer department for an additional three years, totaling seven years of employment. Following his time at BAT, Onyango enrolled at United States International University (USIU) in Nairobi, Kenya, to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems, completing one year of studies before transferring his credits abroad. After transferring, he completed a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at California State University, Stanislaus, graduating in 1992.
CAREER
Benjamin Onyango began his acting career in Hollywood as an extra, appearing in various uncredited roles before securing his first credited television appearance in 1999. He debuted on the long-running series The X-Files in the episode "Biogenesis," portraying the Second African Man, a role he obtained after impressing the production team by demonstrating his fluency in Swahili during filming. His breakthrough came in 2003 with his first major film role in Tears of the Sun, directed by Antoine Fuqua, where he played Colonel Emanuel Okeze. Onyango gained prominence in faith-based cinema through his recurring role as Reverend Jude in the God's Not Dead film series, beginning with the 2014 original, and reprised the character in God's Not Dead 2 (2016), God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness (2018), and God's Not Dead: We the People (2021). In 2018, Onyango delivered a pivotal supporting performance as William Mwizerwa, a Rwandan refugee and adoptive father, in the inspirational drama Beautifully Broken. He has also contributed to voice acting primarily through automated dialogue replacement (ADR) and additional voice work in major Hollywood productions, leveraging his fluency in Swahili. His screenwriting career emerged alongside his acting pursuits, with credits including the short film MISSInformed (2013), Curse of Devil's Mountain (2011), the web series Dysfunctionally Organized (2014), and the Kenyan drama series The Wives (2018–2019). He also received a co-writing credit for the film Cheza and penned the screenplay for Original Man, which earned a Gold Award for Best Screenplay at the International Independent Film Awards. Onyango has maintained strong professional ties to Kenya's entertainment industry through periodic returns for film and television productions, conducting acting workshops and fostering connections between Hollywood and Kenya's burgeoning film sector.
PERSONAL LIFE
Benjamin Onyango was born on May 18, 1960, in Nairobi, Kenya, as the second child in a family of seven brothers to parents Christopher Ochieng and Eudiah Achieng Ochieng. Growing up in the Ofafa Jericho Estate, he shared a close-knit upbringing with his siblings. Onyango's personal interests reflect a deep commitment to his Christian faith, and he continues to enjoy music as a hobby, having served as the lead guitarist in a teenage rock band in Nairobi and later joined the funk-rock fusion group P.F.O. during his time in Hollywood. He also actively preserves Kenyan cultural heritage by incorporating elements of his background into his life and work, such as using Kiswahili in film scenes. Additionally, Onyango has worked as a substitute teacher for children with autism and produced the project Dysfunctionally Organized to raise awareness about autism. Primarily residing in Hollywood, California, since relocating to the United States in 1987, Onyango makes regular visits to Kenya to reconnect with family and contribute to local projects.
Filmography
No filmography available for this person yet.
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