You may recognise him as the arrogant registrar Antoine Malik in BBC
hospital drama “Holby City,” Mick, the cash-strapped crack-head, in the comedy “Rev,” or even PC
Johnson in the legal drama “Silk.”
Please describe the character Malick.
“The ambitious, Antoine Malick, or ‘The Malick’ as he calls himself, doesn't suffer fools gladly. He's proud of whom he is, passionate about what he believes in, is a hard grafter and is ready to take the role of consultant. However, his strong opinions and instinctive moral compass often get the better of him, landing him in more trouble than he feels he deserves. My personal opinion is that he’s passionate, caring, confident, arrogant, volatile, rebellious and a joy to play!”
What’s the storyline, as I glimpsed you in a passionate embrace with a man during an episode?
“The story line is he’s a fantastic doctor with amazing potential, and a burning ambition to be a consultant. He’s focused and will not let anything get in his way. He’s not afraid for people to know he’s gay; he’s 100% out and confident. The kiss story is actually Dan’s. Malick never kissed Dan, it was Dan who kissed Malick and Malick happily responded!”
Did you know he was gay when you auditioned?
“Yep of course I did. It was one of the reasons I auditioned and subsequently accepted the role. His sexuality made him even more of an exciting character to play. I’m an actor that likes to be stretched and challenged so it was a brilliant opportunity.”
Are you gay in real life?
“No, however this question is becoming one of the most asked questions in the last few months! I wonder if Will Smith is asked this too, as he kissed a man in the film, “6 Degrees of Separation.” So if he is asked, then I suppose I’m in great company.”
How did your friends and family react when you told them about the role?
“I didn’t tell anyone. I wanted people to just watch and connect with my character and see him for the top doctor that he is. It’s not about him being gay. Hold on, (laughs) no actually... I only told a few of my family and close friends and they were all fine, supportive and are proud of what I’m doing.”
On a wider note, how has your appearance been received by the Black African & Caribbean Communities?
“Living in East London I’m recognised quite often, and I’m happy to say I receive a lot of love and praise. It’s rewarding to hear that people from the black community feel proud through what I’m doing on prime time TV; it makes me feel extremely humbled. I think it’s because Malick is such a good and strong character. Also, there are not many black actors on TV in lead roles, so I suppose that resonates too. It’s great that Malick’s character is someone who is in a position of authority, the older men in local barber shops regularly tell me they love it when Malick is in charge, running the ward!”
Tell me the negatives & positives of playing a gay alpha male.
“For me it’s all positive. I’m doing the job that I love on prime time TV playing a fantastic character that has everyone talking. Malick isn’t a stereotypical black character or gay character; this makes him more fun to play. He’s actually the best character I have played on TV and he is pushing all sorts of boundaries in the UK especially within the black community.”
Do you think this role has helped bridge the gap to make people, especially black men, more accepting?
“I hope so. Homosexuality shouldn’t still be a taboo in the black community.”
Do you find the public find it hard to differentiate between the real Akingbola & the fictitious Malick?
“No not really. I have been able to do a mixture of work and characters over the years...some people see me more as a comic actor from my early work in ‘The Crouches.’”
Oh yes, The Crouches was an all black sitcom which got shelved after a handful of episodes. Why do you think it didn’t work & how can the BBC get a winning formula in the future?
“Thinking back now I think the BBC needed to just attach a black writer or a few writers to the project, like they do in America. A lot of people switched off right away once they heard it was the first black sitcom in 25yrs on BBC1 and it was written by a white writer. They felt the BBC were not handing it over in a complete way. It’s a shame really; Ian Pattison is a good friend of mine and a brilliant writer. Now I’m worried we might have to wait another 25 years until we see a black family sitcom or drama on TV. Just because one show fails, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t support and try again.”
Prior to acting you were a semi-pro footballer and a stand-up comedian, how and why did you become an actor – who or what inspired you?
“I saw a fantastic acting theatre company called, The Posse. They did a show on Channel 4 that blew my mind called, ‘Armed and Dangerous.’”
Yes I remember it from the early ‘90s with Victor Romero Evans, Brian Bovell, Gary McDonald, Robbie Gee & Eddie Nestor and others!
“Yes.”
How do you get into character as you’ve been called “Mr Nice” unlike the Malick?!
“I create back story and people watch. I see a lot of characters I play when I’m on the street or travelling on the train and bus. I call myself a semi method actor....i.e. I don’t need to smoke crack to play a crack head or kiss men to play a gay guy! And badies are much more interesting to play than goodies.
From the catalogue of actors & actresses you have worked with, who have you had the best experience with & why?
“Robbie Gee (Snatch) (Desmonds)(The Real McCoy), Sir. Ian McKellen (The Lord of The Rings) and the wonderful Kathy Burke (Gimme,Gimme, Gimme,) they are all superb actors and they are my idols so working with them was a dream, but more importantly, I learnt a lot from watching and working with each of them.”
Who has been the most influential person who has helped with your outlook on your career?
“I have amazing friends, but there are two actor friends that I love and respect that have helped me get by in this tough industry - Rez Kempton and Anthony Taylor. I am where I am because of them.”
Tell me about your networking company Triforce Promotions & other productions you put on.
“TP has become the leading networking organisation of the entertainment industry, providing bespoke services centred on a core theme of inclusivity, NOT exclusivity. Our member base spans far and wide and our events; be they social, corporate or theatrical, have become renowned for their excellent atmosphere, uniqueness and striking quality. Whether it’s a sitcom reading attended by 500 people, our competitions with the BBC offering commissions to writers from varied backgrounds that would not usually have the opportunity, or our social events attended regularly by the top industry movers, we strive to produce a comfortable environment to mingle and speak, so that talent can have direct contact with those in the industry in a position to move the them, and their project forward.”
With that in mind, which young thespian should we be looking out for?
“Definitely, John Boyega from, “Attack the Block.” I worked with him in 2009, in a Roy Williams play called “Category B,” and it was clear that he would be a star.”
You played Winston Silcott in a BBC film “Who Killed PC Blakelock?” about the first Tottenham Riots in 1985. Would you like to comment on the latest riot in August 2011?
“The Riots were full of all sorts of people of different ages, classes, backgrounds and races. I didn’t agree or like how the media chose to ignore this, as it then fuelled debates re the riots being a race issue. David Starkey’s comments on Newsnight were shocking. Maybe a debate should be arranged between Starkey and comedian Nabil Abdul Rashid? He raised some great points in a recent video he did for the youth online channel UpShot TV. You can view his response to Mr Starkey by following this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tacNkKjxPA&feature=player_embedded”
