Cyril Ikechukwu Nri (born 25 April 1961) is a Nigerian-born British actor who is best known for playing Superintendent Adam Okaro in the police TV series ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

''.

Early life

Nri was born in on 25 April 1961 in Nigeria. Nri's family are

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a t ...

; they fled the country in 1968 prior to the end of the

Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Nigerian–Biafran War or the Biafran War, was a civil war fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a secessionist state which had declared its independence f ...

. He moved to Portugal when he was seven, and later to London. Nri attended

Holland Park School Holland Park School is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form in Holland Park, London, England. In 2013, it has attained academy status. Opened in 1958, the school became the flagship for comprehensive education, and at one time had ove ...

in West London and appeared in a school production of ''

Three Penny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...

''. He attended the Young Vic Youth Theatre in Waterloo, London. He trained at the

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is a drama school in Bristol, England. The institution provides training in acting and production for careers in film, television and theatre. BOVTS is an affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. I ...

. Nri has lived in

south London South London is the southern part of London, England, south of the River Thames. The region consists of the Districts of England, boroughs, in whole or in part, of London Borough of Bexley, Bexley, London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borou ...

since the 1980s.

Career

He is best known for playing the role of Superintendent

Adam Okaro ''The Bill'' is a long-running British television police procedural television series, named after a slang term for the police. The characters are all police officers or civilian staff at the fictional Sun Hill police station in London. Senior ...

, later

chief superintendent Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces, especially in those organised on the United Kingdom, British model. Rank insignia of chief superintendent File:Sa-police-chief-superintendent.png, South Australia Police File:RCMP Chief Su ...

, in the long-running

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

police drama ''

''. He also had a role as Graham, a barrister colleague of Miles and Anna, in both series of the cult

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

TV drama series ''

This Life This may refer to: * ''This'', the singular proximal demonstrative pronoun Places * This, or ''Thinis'', an ancient city in Upper Egypt * This, Ardennes, a commune in France People with the surname * Hervé This, French culinary chemist Arts, e ...

''. After drama school at the Bristol Old, Vic Nri started acting life at The Royal Shakespeare Company where his first role was Lucius in Ron Daniel's 1982 production of ''Julius Caesar''. He played Ariel to

Max Von Sydow Max von Sydow ( , ; born Carl Adolf von Sydow; 10 April 1929 – 8 March 2020) was a Swedish-French actor. He had a 70-year career in European and American cinema, television, and theatre, appearing in more than 150 films and several television ...

's Prospero in

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, humourist and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...

's 1988 production of '' The Tempest''. In 2008, he starred alongside other former ''

'' favourites

Philip Whitchurch Philip Whitchurch (born 30 January 1951) is an English stage, film, and television actor. He is best known for playing Captain William Frederickson in three episodes of the Sharpe series between 1994-1997 and the role of Chief Inspector Philip ...

and

Russell Boulter Russell Boulter (born 7 April 1963 in Liverpool) is an English actor and documentary narrator. He is a communications coach. Career As a teenager he was one of the original members of the Concrete Theatre Company which toured several theatre p ...

in an episode of BBC1's '' Waking the Dead''. In 2009, he appeared in ''The Observer'' at the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

. In 2009 and 2010, he appeared in ''

Law & Order UK ''Law & Order: UK'' is a British police procedural and legal television programme broadcast from 2009 to 2014 on ITV, adapted from the American series '' Law & Order''. Financed by the production companies Kudos Film and Television, Wolf Fi ...

'' as Judge Demarco and again reprised this role in the 2012 and 2013 series of the show. In February 2010, he guest starred in ''Doctors''. In November 2010, he appeared in Series 4 of ''

The Sarah Jane Adventures ''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BBC sc ...

'', in the "Lost in Time" episodes. He later reappeared in October 2011, in the opening episode of Series 5, "Sky". In 2012–13, he played Cassius in

Greg Doran Gregory Doran (born 24 November 1958) is an English director known for his Shakespearean work. ''The Sunday Times'' called him 'one of the great Shakespearians of his generation'. Doran was artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RS ...

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

production of ''Julius Caesar'' in Stratford upon Avon, London and New York, where in his ''New York Times'' review

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 to ...

said of Nri, "Mr. Nri's expression as he registers Caesar's words is that of a man who feels a noose tightening around his neck. Wary and sly, scared and manipulative, Mr. Nri is an excellent Cassius, capturing the climate of paranoia and politicking that thickens the air." In 2016, he earned a

British Academy Television Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the BAFTA. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories. Until ...

nomination for his performance as Lance in the

Russell T. Davies Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include '' Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One sci ...

TV series ''Cucumber''. He also appeared in an episode of ''Goodnight Sweetheart'' playing a doctor at the hospital where Yvonne Sparrow loses her unborn child (series 4). In 2016, he played

Polonius Polonius is a character in William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet''. He is chief counsellor of the play's ultimate villain, Claudius, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Generally regarded as wrong in every judgment he makes over the course of ...

Simon Godwin Simon Godwin is an English theatre director based in Washington, DC, where he is currently serving as artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Previously he was based in London, serving as associate director of London's Royal National ...

's production of ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' for the

. In late October 2016, he made his debut as a recurring character in the ''Doctor Who'' spin-off ''Class''. In 2017, he also had a minor role in an episode of the long-running BBC detective programme '' Death in Paradise'', playing a corrupt mayor. In 2020, he played a barrister in the BBC drama ''

Noughts and Crosses Tic-tac-toe (American English), noughts and crosses (Commonwealth English), or Xs and Os (Canadian or Irish English) is a paper-and-pencil game for two players who take turns marking the spaces in a three-by-three grid with ''X'' or ''O''. T ...

''. In 2021, he played Sheldon in the

's production of ''Trouble in Mind'' by

Alice Childress Alice Childress (October 12, 1916 – August 14, 1994) was an American novelist, playwright, and actress, acknowledged as "the only African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic ...

Personal life

Nri has been married, and now identifies as gay. He has two grown-up children.

Partial filmography

* ''

Strapless ''Strapless'' is a 1989 film written and directed by David Hare. Plot summary An expatriate American doctor in London allows herself to lighten up when her freewheeling younger sister and a mysterious man enter her life. Her inhibitions releas ...

'' (1989) .... Harold Sabola * ''

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

'' (1989, TV Series) .... Desmond * ''

'' (1990–2006, TV Series) .... Barrister Julian Bates / Borough Commander Adam Okaro / Pascal Illunga * '' Runaway Bay'' (1992, TV Series) .... Paul * ''

Frank Stubbs Promotes ''Frank Stubbs Promotes'' (alternative title: Frank Stubbs) is a British comedy drama series by Simon Nye, that starred Timothy Spall, Lesley Sharp, Danniella Westbrook, Choy-Ling Man, Anne Jameson, Nick Reding, Trevor Cooper and Roy Marsden. Tw ...

'' (1993, TV Series) .... Baxter * ''Calling the Shots'' (1994, TV Series) .... Paul * ''

The Steal The Steal were an English hardcore punk band, from Kingston upon Thames and Brighton. History They formed in late 2005, and were influenced by Minor Threat, 7 Seconds (band), 7 Seconds and Kid Dynamite (band), Kid Dynamite. In 2006 they compl ...

'' (1995) .... Council Computer Operator * ''

Pie in the Sky Pie in the sky, an idiom meaning an impossible or unlikely idea or plan as well as an empty wish or promise. Pie in the sky may refer to: * ''Pie in the Sky'' (TV series), a UK television series about a police officer turned restaurateur * ''Pie ...

'' (1996, TV Series) .... Stuart Crowe * ''

'' (1996–1997, TV Series) .... Graham * ''Behind the Mask'' (1997, Short) .... Kano * '' Goodnight Sweetheart'' (1997, TV Series) .... Dr. Obote * ''

Tale of the Mummy ''Tale of the Mummy'' (also known as ''Russell Mulcahy's Tale of the Mummy'' and ''Talos – the Mummy'') is a 1998 adventure horror thriller film directed by Russell Mulcahy. The film stars Jason Scott Lee, Jack Davenport, Louise Lombard and Chr ...

'' (1998) .... Forensics * ''Only Love'' (1998, TV Movie) .... Eric Blair * ''

Besieged Besieged may refer to: * the state of being under siege * ''Besieged'' (film), a 1998 film by Bernardo Bertolucci {{disambiguation ...

'' (1998) .... Priest * ''

Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

'' (1999) .... Security Officer * ''

A Touch of Frost A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' (1999, TV Series) .... Warren Barber * ''

Family Affairs ''Family Affairs'' is a British soap opera that aired on Channel 5. It debuted on 30 March 1997, the day of the launch of said channel and was the first programme broadcast on the channel. It was screened as five thirty-minute episodes per w ...

'' (2000, TV Series) .... William McHugh * ''

Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

'' (2000, TV Mini-Series) .... Schaca * ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', and pr ...

'' (2000–2011, TV Series) .... Pastor Carl / Lawrence Marshall / Ben Sinclair * '' Down to Earth'' (2001, TV Series) .... Henry Jones * ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' (2001–2002, TV Series) .... DS Burton * ''

Doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

'' (2001–2017, TV Series) .... Inspector Tony Callaghan / Thomas Hakizimana / Mark Harmer / Andrew Lombard * ''

Long Time Dead ''Long Time Dead'' is a 2002 British horror film, co-written and directed by Marcus Adams in his directorial debut. Set in the United Kingdom, the film follows a group of college students in which they experiment with an Ouija board and inadv ...

'' (2002) .... Dr. Wilson * ''

Harry Hill's TV Burp ''Harry Hill's TV Burp'' (also known as just ''TV Burp'') is a British television comedy programme broadcast between 2001 and 2012 on ITV. The show was produced by Avalon Television and was written and hosted by comedian Harry Hill. Each epis ...

'' (2002, TV Series) .... Supt. Adam Okaro * ''

Murder Investigation Team Major Investigation Teams (MIT) are the specialised homicide squads of the Metropolitan Police in London, England. Forming part of the Homicide and Major Crime Command, there are 24 MITs within the Met. MITs investigate cases of murder, manslau ...

'' (2003, TV Series) .... Supt. Adam Okaro * '' Cold Blood'' (2007, TV Series) .... Colonel Harrington Smith * '' Deadmeat'' (2007) .... Prime Minister * ''Survivor'' (2008, Short) .... Boss * ''Bad Day'' (2008) .... Restaurant Manager * '' Waking the Dead'' (2008, TV Series) .... Raymond Ayanike * '' Law & Order: UK'' (2009–2010, TV Series) .... Judge Demarco * ''

Tinga Tinga Tales ''Tinga Tinga Tales'' is a British flash animation, flash animated children's television series based on African folk tales and aimed at 4 to 6-year-olds. It was commissioned by the BBC for its CBeebies channel, and by Disney Channel for its D ...

'' (2010, TV Series) ....

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...

* ''

'' (2010–2011, TV Series) .... The Shopkeeper * ''

House of Anubis ''House of Anubis'' is a Mystery fiction, mystery television series developed for Nickelodeon based on the Dutch–Belgian television series ''Het Huis Anubis''. The series was created by Hans Bourlon and Gert Verhulst and premiered on Nickel ...

'' (2011, TV Series) .... Philip Lewis * ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

'' (2012, TV Movie) .... Cassius * ''

Wizards vs Aliens ''Wizards vs Aliens'' is a British science fantasy television programme produced by BBC Cymru Wales and FremantleMedia Enterprises for CBBC (TV channel), CBBC and created by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford (writer), Phil Ford. The series focuses ...

'' (2012, TV Series) .... Nathaniel Nightjar * ''

Cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.

'' (2015, TV Series) .... Lance * ''Crims'' (2015, TV Series) .... Mr Gardener * ''Royal Shakespeare Company: Hamlet'' (2016) .... Polonius * ''

Class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

'' (2016, TV Series) .... Chair * '' Death in Paradise'' (2017, TV Series) .... Mayor Joseph Richards * ''

Jellyfish Jellyfish and sea jellies are the informal common names given to the medusa-phase of certain gelatinous members of the subphylum Medusozoa, a major part of the phylum Cnidaria. Jellyfish are mainly free-swimming marine animals with umbrella- ...

'' (2018) .... Adam Hale * ''Cult-Movie'' (2019) .... DI Makepeace * '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019) ....

First Order In mathematics and other formal sciences, first-order or first order most often means either: * "linear" (a polynomial of degree at most one), as in first-order approximation and other calculus uses, where it is contrasted with "polynomials of high ...

officer #2

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nri, Cyril Living people 1961 births 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Alumni of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Bisexual male actors Black British male actors English male film actors English male soap opera actors English people of Nigerian descent English people of Igbo descent Igbo male actors LGBT Black British people LGBT actors from England LGBT people from Nigeria Nigerian emigrants to the United Kingdom People educated at Holland Park School 21st-century LGBT people