I SEE U

I SEE U, Episode 85: The Fresh Prince of Foster Care with Actor Jimmy Akingbola

Born in London to Nigerian immigrants, British actor Jimmy Akingbola shares his personal narrative as a child in foster care—an experience that inspired his character’s storyline in the hit Peacock series, BEL-AIR.

Share

British Nigerian Bel-Air actor, Jimmy Akingbola

Listen

To embed this piece of audio in your site, please use this code:

<iframe src="https://embed.hpm.io/451031/450912" style="height: 115px; width: 100%;"></iframe>
X

In the Peacock documentary, Handle With Care, British actor Jimmy Akingbola shares his personal experience of growing up in London's foster care system. His father disowned him as a baby. The actor's mother, who suffered from schizophrenia, abandoned him and left him inside an office building when he was 2 years old. Akingbola then found himself in foster care and was raised by a white family for over a decade; but as a kid, he felt ashamed and embarrassed to be seen with them while in public. Join us as I SEE U host Eddie Robinson chats unguarded with acclaimed actor, Jimmy Akingbola. The star of the reimagined, serialized hit drama, BEL-AIR, reminisces about the joys and challenges of growing up with the Crowe family while wondering if the love he possessed for his biological siblings felt mutual. Akingbola also offers up insight into the importance of understanding cultural identity and embracing one's own unique gifts and talents, as performing runs deep in his family. His older brother, Sola Akingbola, is a percussionist for the Grammy-award winning band, Jamiroquai; and his niece, Fola Evans-Akingbola, is a British actress and model who plays a Secret Service agent in the acclaimed Netflix series, The Night Agent.

 

This article is part of the I SEE U with Eddie Robinson podcast

  • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
  • Subscribe on Google Podcasts
  • Subscribe on Spotify
  • Subscribe on TuneIn
  • Subscribe on iHeart
  • Subscribe on Pandora
  • Subscribe on RadioPublic
  • Subscribe on Pocket Casts
  • Subscribe on Overcast
  • Subscribe on Amazon Music
  • Subscribe via RSS
Eddie Robinson

Eddie Robinson

Executive Producer & Host, I SEE U

A native of Mississippi, Eddie started his radio career as a 10th grader, working as a music jock for a 100,000-Watt (Pop) FM station and a Country AM station simultaneously. While Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus had nominated him for the U.S. Naval Academy in 1991, Eddie had an extreme passion...

More Information