Alex Lanipekun
Born: 7th April
1981; London, UK
Nationality: British Height: 6ft 1in (1.85 m) Character in Spooks: Ben Kaplan Lanipekun was born on 7 April 1981, at St Thomas' Hospital, London, during the Brixton Riots. He father is Nigerian and his mother is half Italian and half English. When he was four, his parents separated and he moved from Brixton to Finsbury Park. where was raised in North London by his single mother, a secondary school music teacher. Lanipekun has a younger brother and sister who live with his father and stepmother in South London. He attended Crowland Junior School, St Aidan's Primary School and then Rokesly Junior School, before attaining a financial scholarship to Christ's Hospital School in Horsham, West Sussex. At age thirteen, Alex auditioned for the National Youth Music Theatre, and became a member, subsequently playing the part of Leroy The Boxer in the musical adaptation of the film Bugsy Malone. At seventeen, he auditioned for the National Youth Theatre, and gained a place. It was then that he first seriously considered acting as a career |
He then attended Westminster College. Lanipekun has A-Levels in English, Psychology, History, Drama and Religious Studies. He then obtained a Grant to study for a BSc in Anthropology at University College London. After University, he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art as a Grant Student but he left early after being cast in Spooks. The part was his first audition, and after four rounds of meetings, the executives at Kudos decided to award him the part.
In 2007 he won the prestigious Carleton Hobbs Award, joining the BBC Radio Drama Rep during their winter season. To date, he has appeared in over fifty radio drama productions. In 2008 after completing his second season on Spooks, he played the part of Ashley in Apples and Oranges for Channel 4 alongside Nathan Stewart-Jarret. He would return to the series in 2012 as Ashley in New Cross, alongside Russell Tovey. In 2008, Lanipekun also played Eric the Red in Wig Out! at the Royal Court Theatre, by Tarrell McCraney, directed by Dominic Cooke.
In 2009, Lanipekun played Danilo in Dimetos, by Athol Fugard, at the Donmar Warehouse with Jonathan Pryce, directed by Douglas Hodge. In series 2 of Jonathan Harvey's comedy Beautiful People, Lanipekun guest starred as the Jamaican personal trainer Tiger. The same year, in series 2 of the BBC's Being Human, Lanipekun guest starred in the opening double episode, playing the character Saul. He then completed roles in the films Clash Of The Titans, starring Sam Worthington and Ralph Fiennes, and the British film Blitz, starring Jason Statham and Paddy Considine.
In Autumn 2010 Lanipekun returned to the stage, taking on the character of Laertes in Nicholas Hytner's production of Hamlet at the National Theatre. Alongside Rory Kinnear, David Calder, Claire Higgins and Ruth Negga the play had a sellout run and tour. .
Returning to TV, Lanipekun appeared as Benjamin Lightfoot in Series 1 of Death In Paradise starring Ben Miller and Sara Martins and playing the role of Mohammed in the Showtime/Sky Atlantic Series The Borgias, starring Jeremy Irons. He then completed roles in the films Twenty8k and Dead Europe.
In Autumn 2012, Lanipekun filmed Way To Go for BBC3 and the regular role of Steve for Comedy Central's new show Big Bad World, alongside Blake Harrison, Caroline Quentin and James Fleet. Lanipekun plays the regular role of DC Sean Armitage alongside Kenneth Cranham in the BBC Radio 4, show The Interrogation, written by Roy Williams and directed by Jessica Dromgoole. He can also be heard as the voice of the 'Use Sports' campaign for Nike Asia.
You can find a full filmography for Alex Lanipekun at IMDb.
In 2007 he won the prestigious Carleton Hobbs Award, joining the BBC Radio Drama Rep during their winter season. To date, he has appeared in over fifty radio drama productions. In 2008 after completing his second season on Spooks, he played the part of Ashley in Apples and Oranges for Channel 4 alongside Nathan Stewart-Jarret. He would return to the series in 2012 as Ashley in New Cross, alongside Russell Tovey. In 2008, Lanipekun also played Eric the Red in Wig Out! at the Royal Court Theatre, by Tarrell McCraney, directed by Dominic Cooke.
In 2009, Lanipekun played Danilo in Dimetos, by Athol Fugard, at the Donmar Warehouse with Jonathan Pryce, directed by Douglas Hodge. In series 2 of Jonathan Harvey's comedy Beautiful People, Lanipekun guest starred as the Jamaican personal trainer Tiger. The same year, in series 2 of the BBC's Being Human, Lanipekun guest starred in the opening double episode, playing the character Saul. He then completed roles in the films Clash Of The Titans, starring Sam Worthington and Ralph Fiennes, and the British film Blitz, starring Jason Statham and Paddy Considine.
In Autumn 2010 Lanipekun returned to the stage, taking on the character of Laertes in Nicholas Hytner's production of Hamlet at the National Theatre. Alongside Rory Kinnear, David Calder, Claire Higgins and Ruth Negga the play had a sellout run and tour. .
Returning to TV, Lanipekun appeared as Benjamin Lightfoot in Series 1 of Death In Paradise starring Ben Miller and Sara Martins and playing the role of Mohammed in the Showtime/Sky Atlantic Series The Borgias, starring Jeremy Irons. He then completed roles in the films Twenty8k and Dead Europe.
In Autumn 2012, Lanipekun filmed Way To Go for BBC3 and the regular role of Steve for Comedy Central's new show Big Bad World, alongside Blake Harrison, Caroline Quentin and James Fleet. Lanipekun plays the regular role of DC Sean Armitage alongside Kenneth Cranham in the BBC Radio 4, show The Interrogation, written by Roy Williams and directed by Jessica Dromgoole. He can also be heard as the voice of the 'Use Sports' campaign for Nike Asia.
You can find a full filmography for Alex Lanipekun at IMDb.