‘Killer Elite’s’ versatile actor

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Jason Statham (left) and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje in “Killer Elite,” opening Friday.

Updated: November 10, 2011 4:53PM

Musician, boxer and lawyer are some of the hobbies and jobs that British actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has pursued. He holds a law degree from the University of London but caught the acting bug after first becoming an international model.

Born to Nigerian immigrants in London, Akinnuoye-Agbaje is known for playing Simon Adebisi in the HBO series “Oz” and Mr. Eko in the ABC drama “Lost.” He has starred in movies such as “The Bourne Identity,” “The Mummy Returns” and “Congo.” This Friday, fans can see him in the action movie “Killer Elite,” alongside Jason Statham, Robert De Niro and Clive Owen.

The film is based on the 1991 non-fiction book The Feather Men, by Ranulph Fiennes, about special forces troops who penetrate the British Special Air Service to take down a rogue cell of soldier assassins.

Q. What’s your role in the movie?

A. I play a character who only goes by the name Agent. It is an interesting character for me because it is a departure from what people are used to seeing me play. He is a very intriguing character because he is the mastermind of the plot. He has a firm of elite killers that he finds assignments. However, you never know whether his true loyalty is to his guys or if he is playing them all against each other.

Q. How was it working with De Niro?

A. He is fantastic to work with, a legend. You realize why actors like that are where they are. He is meticulous as am I. Preparation is the key. If you are prepared, you are ready for anything. If you’re both ready, the scene will be great and I think it was. I really enjoyed working with him. Knowing his style is another element in your repertoire.

Q. What roles would you like to play?

A. I’d like to play the lead action guy. I’d love to play a boxer, because I used to box during my summer breaks as a teenager. It kept me out of trouble. I’d like to play a musician as well because I play the trumpet all the time. I am very good friends with jazz musicians Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. I use the trumpet as a tool in my acting. When I play an American accent it really helps me with the baritone. The way I talk after I’ve played naturally leads to an American accent.

Q. What’s coming up?

A. I am starring in the film “Best Laid Plans,” a modern British adaptation of the John Steinbeck book Of Mice and Men. I play a character similar to Lenny, a 37-year-old man with a 7-year-old mentality. The places I had to go to find the balance of the character were really challenging.

I also play an archvillain in the upcoming Sylvester Stallone movie“Bullet to the Head.” It is an action revenge movie starring Stallone as a hit man who gets double crossed and takes out those people responsible one by one, which eventually leads up to me. Then there is the quintessential showdown between the bad guy and the good guy. The movie also stars Christian Slater and “Conan the Barbarian” star Jason Momoa and is scheduled to be released in 2012.

Allison Horton