Philip Akin (born April 18, 1950) is a Canadian actor. Akin has had roles in major American films such as '' The Sum of All Fears'', ''

S.W.A.T. In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

'', and '' Get Rich or Die Tryin'''. He has also done much voice work, including voicing the character of

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

for the ''

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to lo ...

'' animated series and Tripp Hansen in ''

Monster Force ''Monster Force'' is a 13-episode animated television series created in April 9, 1994 by Universal Cartoon Studios and Canadian studio Lacewood Productions. The story is set in approximately 2020 and centers on a group of teenagers who, with hel ...

''.

Life and career

Akin was born in Kingston, Jamaica, as a middle brother of five sons. His parents moved to Oshawa,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

in 1953, and he and his brothers followed suit the next year. He has lived in Ontario ever since. Shortly after attending high school, Akin attended

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ryerson Theatre School Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, although it also operates facilities elsewhere in Toro ...

. In 1975, he became the school's first acting graduate, landing a role just a few days later in a

Shaw Festival The Shaw Festival is a not-for-profit theatre festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is the second largest repertory theatre company in North America. The Shaw Festival was founded in 1962. Originally, it only featured productio ...

production of '' Caesar and Cleopatra''. In 1983, Akin began studying Yoshinkan aikido and is presently a 5th degree black belt in that art. He has also trained in Jing Mo

kung fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...

and

t'ai chi ch'uan Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. ...

. Akin first came to prominence in the early 1980s when he performed on the zany comedy series '' Bizarre''. Other noteworthy roles include boxer Kid Cornelius in the "Shadow Boxer" episode of '' Friday the 13th: The Series'' (1987) and his regular role as the wheelchair-using computer expert Norton Drake in the first season of ''

War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appearance in hardcover was i ...

'', a Canadian/American television series (1988–90). His recurring role as

Charlie DeSalvo Charlie DeSalvo is a fictional character from '' Highlander: The Series'', portrayed by actor Philip Akin. A martial artist and former Navy SEAL, he works with and befriends the series protagonist Duncan MacLeod, an immortal swordsman from the ...

in '' Highlander: The Series'' has also brought him much recognition. In '' Shake Hands with the Devil'', he portrays

Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founde ...

, then United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. In 2007, Akin performed at the

Stratford Festival of Canada The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival ...

, a prestigious summer-long celebration of

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

held each year in Stratford,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. He was cast in the title role of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' Othello'', and also in the role of Crooks in the Festival's rendition of John Steinbeck's novella ''

Of Mice and Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job o ...

''. Philip Akin can also be seen in a long list of guest appearances on television series for example: '' F/X: The Series'', '' Mutant X'', '' Flashpoint'' (2008) and most recently, '' The Expanse'' (2015). Akin is a founding member and was the artistic director (2006-2020) of the Obsidian Theatre Company, a Canadian theatre company comprising seasoned actors of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

n descent, devoted to the work of blacks. He won the

Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Direction of a Play/Musical The Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Direction of a Play/Musical is an annual award celebrating achievements in Toronto theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or ...

in 2012 for his production of

Suzan-Lori Parks Suzan-Lori Parks (born May 10, 1963) is an American playwright, screenwriter, musician and novelist. Her 2001 play ''Topdog/Underdog'' won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002; Parks was the first African-American woman to receive the award for d ...

' ''

Topdog/Underdog ''Topdog/Underdog'' is a play by American playwright Suzan-Lori Parks which premiered in 2001 off-Broadway in New York City. The next year it opened on Broadway, at the Ambassador Theatre, where it played for several months. In 2002, Parks rece ...

'', which starred

Kevin Hanchard Kevin Hanchard (born July 4, 1974) is a Canadian actor, best known for his roles as Det. Arthur Bell in ''Orphan Black'' and Inspector Sematimba in ''The Expanse''. Hanchard currently appears as Superintendent Joseph Donovan in ''Hudson and Rex. ...

and

Nigel Shawn Williams Nigel Shawn Williams is a Canadian actor and theatre director from Toronto, Ontario.

. In his role he helped foster mentorship programs aimed at Black theatre directors. In the final year of his tenure as artistic director of Obsidian, Akin was awarded the biennial Herbert Whittaker Award for Distinguished Contribution to Canadian Theatre - and was named one of the Canadian artists of 2019 by The Globe and Mail."The Globe’s runners-up for Canadian artist of 2019"
''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', December 22, 2019. Upon his departure from Obsidian, the theatre established The Black Shoulders Award in Aikin's honour, to be awarded to Black artists to pursue their craft. Akin was the director for the Shaw Festival's 2020 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 ...

Filmography

Film

*''

Three Card Monte Three-card Monte – also known as Find the Lady and Three-card Trick – is a confidence game in which the victims, or "marks", are tricked into betting a sum of money, on the assumption that they can find the "money card" among three face-dow ...

'' (1978) as Monte Player *''

Running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

'' (1979) as Chuck Stone *''

Improper Channels ''Improper Channels'' is a Canadian comedy-drama film, directed by Eric Till and released in 1981. The film stars Alan Arkin as an architect named Jeff Martley, and Mariette Hartley as his estranged wife Diana. After their daughter Nancy is mil ...

'' (1981) as Motorcycle Cop *''

Gas Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma). A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g. oxygen), or ...

'' (1981) as Lincoln Jones *'' Shocktrauma'' (1982, TV movie) as Sam Hooker *''Covergirl'' (1964) as Cairo *''Deadline'' (1964) as Student #1 *'' Iceman'' (1984) as Dr. Fisterpoon *''

Martin's Day ''Martin's Day'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Alan Gibson. It stars Richard Harris and Lindsay Wagner. Synopsis The film follows an escaped convict named Martin who kidnaps a boy, also named Martin, while trying to flee via plane. W ...

'' (1985) as Cop 1 *'' The Park Is Mine'' (1986, TV movie) as Hardy *'' Prettykill'' (1987) as Joey *'' Nowhere to Hide'' (1987) as Harvey *''

Blue Monkey The blue monkey or diademed monkey (''Cercopithecus mitis'') is a species of Old World monkey native to Central and East Africa, ranging from the upper Congo River basin east to the East African Rift and south to northern Angola and Zambia. It ...

'' (1987) as Anthony Rivers *'' Switching Channels'' (1988) as Guard *''

Millennium A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

'' (1989) as Kevin Briley *'' Stella'' (1990) as Police Officer *''

F/X2 ''F/X2'' (also known as ''F/X2: The Deadly Art of Illusion'') is a 1991 American action thriller film directed by Richard Franklin and starring Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy. It is a sequel to the 1986 film '' F/X''. This was Franklin's final A ...

'' (1991) as Det. McQuay *''

The Big Slice ''The Big Slice'' is a 1991 American and Canadian comedy film directed by John Bradshaw. This film starring Casey Siemaszko, Leslie Hope, Louis Ferreira, Kenneth Welsh and Heather Locklear in the lead roles. Cast * Casey Siemaszko as Mike Sawye ...

'' (1991) as Reggie / Regina *'' Married to It'' (1991) as Limo Driver *'' Liar, Liar'' (1993, TV movie) as Dr. Kerr *''

The Ref ''The Ref'' (''Hostile Hostages'' in some countries) is a 1994 American black comedy film directed by Ted Demme, starring Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey and Glynis Johns. Plot On Christmas Eve in an affluent Connecticut hamlet, Lloyd and ...

'' (1994) as State Trooper *'' The Stupids'' (1996) as Henchman #1 *''

Fly Away Home ''Fly Away Home'' ( ''Flying Wild'' and ''Father Goose'') is a 1996 family drama film directed by Carroll Ballard. The film stars Anna Paquin, Jeff Daniels, and Dana Delany. ''Fly Away Home'' was released on September 13, 1996, by Columbia Pict ...

'' (1996) as Air Force Reporter *'' Talk to Me'' (1996, TV movie) as Public Defender *'' ...First Do No Harm'' (1997, TV movie) *''

Elvis Meets Nixon ''Elvis Meets Nixon'' is a 1997 Canadian-American mockumentary film directed by Allan Arkush and starring Rick Peters, Bob Gunton, and Alyson Court. It is an embellished account of the true story of American singer Elvis Presley meeting Presid ...

'' (1997, TV movie) as Cabbie *'' Time to Say Goodbye?'' (1997) as Airport Police Officer *'' The Don's Analyst'' (1997, TV movie) as Dr. Lusting *'' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'' (1998, TV movie) as ESU lieutenant *''

Woo Woo, WoO, WOO, W.O.O. and variants may refer to: People Woo or Wu, romanization of several East Asian names: * Hu (surname): 胡, 瓠, 護, 戶, 扈, 虎, 呼, 忽, 斛 * Wu (surname): 吳, 伍, 武, 仵, 烏, 鄔, 巫 * Ng (name): 吳, 伍 * ...

'' (1998) as Roger Smith *''Airborne'' (1998) as Romeo Cortez *''

Down in the Delta ''Down in the Delta'' is a 1998 American-Canadian drama film, directed by Maya Angelou in her sole film directorial effort and starring Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman, Jr., Esther Rolle (in her final film appearance before her death), Loretta Devine, ...

'' (1998) as Manager *''

One Tough Cop ''One Tough Cop'' is a 1998 American action crime film. It was directed by Bruno Barreto and written by Jeremy Iacone. The movie stars Stephen Baldwin as the protagonist and first-person narrator Bo Dietl, a real-life New York City detective wh ...

'' (1998) as Insp. Cheney *'' Deep in My Heart'' (1999, TV movie) as Ob-gyn doctor *''

Pushing Tin ''Pushing Tin'' is a 1999 American comedy-drama film directed by Mike Newell. It centers on Nick Falzone (John Cusack), a cocky air traffic controller who quarrels over proving "who's more of a man" with fellow employee Russell Bell (Billy Bob ...

'' (1999) as Paul *'' In Too Deep'' (1999) as Minister *'' Strange Justice'' (1999, TV movie) as Charles Ogletree *'' All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story'' (2000, TV movie) as Det. Albany *'' Who Killed Atlanta's Children?'' (2000, TV movie) as Police Spokesman *''One True Love'' (2000, TV movie) as Mark *''

Left Behind ''Left Behind'' is a multimedia franchise that started with a series of 16 bestselling religious novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It focuses on a seven-year conflict between the Tribulation Force, an underground network of converts, a ...

'' (2000) as Alan Tompkins *'' Range of Motion'' (2000, TV movie) as Flozell *'' Bojangles'' (2001, TV movie) as Williamson *''

Pretend You Don't See Her ''Pretend You Don't See Her'' is a 2002 television film directed by René Bonnière and starring Emma Samms, Hannes Jaenicke, Beau Starr, Reiner Schöne, and Kim Poirier. It is based on the novel by Mary Higgins Clark. Plot summary Lacey Farrell ...

'' (2002, TV movie) as Witness Protection Agent *'' The Sum of All Fears'' (2002) as General Wilkes *'' Cube 2: Hypercube'' (2002) as The General *'' The Skulls III'' (2002) as Captain Harlan *''

How to Deal ''How to Deal'' is a 2003 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Clare Kilner and starring Mandy Moore, Allison Janney, and Trent Ford. The film is based on Sarah Dessen's novels '' That Summer'' and '' Someone like You''. Plot Halley M ...

'' (2003) as Mr. Bowden *''

'' (2003) as Hijacked Passenger (uncredited) *'' The Perfect Man'' (2005) as English Teacher *'' The Man'' (2005) as Second I.A. Agent *''

Get Rich or Die Tryin' ''Get Rich or Die Tryin'' is the debut studio album by American rapper 50 Cent. It was released on February 6, 2003, by Interscope Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, Eminem's Shady Records, and 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. After signing wi ...

'' (2005) as Reverend *'' Knights of the South Bronx'' (2005, TV movie) as Asst. Principal Hill *''Bottom Feeder'' (2007) as Sarge *'' Shake Hands with the Devil'' (2007) as

Boutros Boutros-Ghali Boutros Boutros-Ghali (; , ar, بطرس بطرس غالي ', ; 14 November 1922 – 16 February 2016) was an Egyptian politician and diplomat who served as the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) from 1992 to 1996. An academic ...

*''

This Beautiful City ''This Beautiful City'' is a 2007 Canadian drama film written, directed, produced, and edited by Ed Gass-Donnelly. It premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and had a general theatrical release in 2008. The film depicts the l ...

'' (2007) as Police Chief *'' P2'' (2007) as Karl *''

Taking a Chance on Love "Taking a Chance on Love" is a popular song from the 1940 Broadway musical '' Cabin in the Sky''. It was introduced by Ethel Waters playing the role of Petunia Jackson both on Broadway and later in the 1943 MGM musical Cabin in the Sky (film). ...

'' (2009, TV movie) as Jules Grandfield *'' Who Is Clark Rockefeller?'' (2010, TV movie) as Det. Lewis Cook *'' Prosecuting Casey Anthony'' (2013, TV movie) as Judge Belvin Perry *'' Robocop'' (2014) as Dr. Alan

Television

*''

Night Heat ''Night Heat'' is a Canadian police crime drama series that aired on both CTV in Canada and CBS in the United States. Original episodes were broadcast from 1985 to 1989. ''Night Heat'' was the first Canadian original drama series that was also ...

'' (1985–1987) as various characters (7 episodes) *'' Friday the 13th: The Series'' (1987) as Kid Cornelius (1 episode) *''

'' (1988–1989) as Norton Drake (24 episodes) *''

Swamp Thing The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...

'' (1991) as Bayou Jack (5 episodes) *''Top Cops'' (early 1990s?) as Irving Robinson (1 episode) *''

'' (1992–1995) as Bishop / Lucas Bishop (7 episodes) *'' Highlander: The Series'' (1993–1995) as Charlie DeSalvo (17 episodes) *'' Traders'' (1996) as Carl Davison (7 episodes) *'' PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal'' (1997–2000) as Aubrey / Military Man (2 episodes) *'' Highlander: The Raven'' (1998) as Simon Clark (1 episode) *''

Goosebumps ''Goosebumps'' is a series of children's horror fiction novels by American author R. L. Stine, published by Scholastic Publishing. The protagonists in these stories are tweens or young teens who find themselves in scary circumstances usually ...

'' (1998) as Bob Erikson (3 episodes) *'' H₂O'' (2004) as U.S. President Monroe *''

Caitlin's Way ''Caitlin's Way'' (aired in Australia under the title ''Just a Kid'') is a live action teen drama series that aired on Nickelodeon from 2000 to 2002. The show was co-created by Thomas W. Lynch. Premise ''Caitlin's Way'' focuses on Caitlin Seege ...

'' (2000) as Mr. Watson (4 episodes) *''

Friends and Heroes ''Friends and Heroes'' is a Canadian Christian children's program that airs on TBN, Smile of a Child TV, and was also shown on BBC TV. The show is both traditionally animated (for the adventure story) and computer animated (for the Bible st ...

'' (2008) as Isaac / John Ralston (13 episodes) *'' Flashpoint'' (2008–2011) as Commander Norm Holleran / Commander Holleran (5 episodes) *''

Lost Girl ''Lost Girl'' is a Canadian supernatural drama television series that premiered on Showcase on September 12, 2010, and ran for five seasons. It follows the life of a bisexual succubus named Bo, played by Anna Silk, as she learns to control ...

'' (2011) as Tshombe (1 episode) *''

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

'' (2012) as Drew Bannon (1 episode) *''

Covert Affairs ''Covert Affairs'' is an American action drama television series filmed in Toronto, Canada, starring Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham that premiered on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. On January 6, 2015, USA Network canceled ''Covert Affairs'' afte ...

'' (2012) as Greg McCarthy (1 episode) *''

The Best Laid Plans ''The Best Laid Plans'' is a 1997 novel by Sidney Sheldon. The story details the rise of a handsome, charismatic attorney named Oliver Russel, to political fame, while his jilted fiancée, Leslie Stewart, grows a media empire to eventually destro ...

'' (2014) as Managing Editor (3 episodes) *'' The Book of Negroes'' (2015) as John Cartwright (1 episode) *'' The Expanse'' (2015–2016) as Craig (3 episodes) *''

In Contempt ''In Contempt'' is a television show on BET created by Terri Kopp and starring Erica Ash. BET ordered 10 episodes straight-to-series. The series explores injustice in the American legal system. The series premiered on April 10, 2018. In September ...

'' (2018) as Judge Cannon (1 episode)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Akin, Philip 1950 births Male actors from Oshawa Black Canadian male actors Canadian male film actors Canadian male stage actors Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian theatre directors Emigrants from British Jamaica to Canada Living people Naturalized citizens of Canada People from Kingston, Jamaica Toronto Metropolitan University alumni Canadian artistic directors