- Born
- Birth nameArinze Kenechukwu Mokwe
- Nickname
- Riz
- Quite possibly the most underrated and underexposed actor of his caliber in both theatre and screen, Arinze Kene's undeniable talent and ability to successfully bring to life any role he undertakes is on a par with the most praised and revered A-list actors in the business.
Kene was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in Hackney, London. He spent his gap year gigging as lead vocalist in a jazz band, and nurturing his hobby: acting. He went on to university studying Physiotherapy but dropped out after only two months to pursue acting full time.
With roles in 2008's West End production of Daddy Cool and Lion King, and 2009's Been So Long (in which he led the play to scoop an Edinburgh Fringe Award), within a relatively short time Kene was able to show off his exceptional talent and ability on both stage and screen alike. His first major on-screen performance came in 2010 in the Kolton Lee directed film Freestyle. Hopefully the near future will bring an influx of more varied lead roles for black actors so that Kene can continue to astonish his colleagues and fans alike with the intensity of his skill.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Sam4Films
- Gender / Gender identityMale
- In January 2011, his play Suffocation opened at the Oval House Theatre in London.
- In October 2010, his play Estate Walls opened at the Oval House Theatre in London.
- He was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to Drama and Screenwriting in London, Greater London, England.
- Three-time Laurence Olivier Award nominee for playing 'Biff Loman' in 'Death of a Salesman' (2020) and both writing and performing in 'Misty' (2019).
- Double Off-West End Theatre Award (OFFIE) winner and six-time nominee, winning Most Promising New Playwright for 'Estate Walls' (2010) and Performance Piece for 'Misty' (2019).
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