Biography
EARLY LIFE
Lanre Olabisi is an award-winning writer-director known for emotionally charged, character-driven stories that fuse drama, humor, and soul. His work often explores identity, moral complexity, and legacy—recurring themes across both his television credits and his independent films. A former collegiate wrestler at the University of Michigan and a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Lanre brings physical authenticity to all of his action and combat sequences. He holds an MFA in Film Production from The City College of New York and a BA in English Literature from the University of Michigan.
CAREER
He has directed multiple episodes of ABC’s The Rookie and its spinoff The Rookie: Feds. Lanre first gained critical acclaim with his debut feature, August the First, which premiered at SXSW, was nominated for an IFP Gotham Award, won the top prize at seven international festivals, and aired on Showtime, Netflix, Hulu, and PBS. His follow-up feature, Somewhere in the Middle, was nominated for Outstanding Independent Feature at the Black Reel Awards. Lanre’s short film A Storybook Ending streamed on HBO for three years and earned him a spot in the HBOAccess Directing Program. Before directing television, Lanre spent 14 years teaching Screenwriting, Directing, and Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy.
PERSONAL LIFE
His long-standing Vipassana meditation practice fuels a calm, focused approach to working with actors and navigating high-pressure production environments. Fluent in Spanish after living in Madrid for four years, he continues to craft stories that live in the body, move through emotion, and land with meaning.
Filmography
No filmography available for this person yet.
Box Office
Weekly Top Grossing3 Cold Dishes
₦5,331,351.00
Gingerrr
₦12,727,775.00
Gingerrr
₦21,139,500.00
The Herd
₦16,977,673.00
3 Cold Dishes
₦15,261,240.00
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Popularity Score
Top 100% of African actors
