Femi Oguns
Femi Oguns MBE | |
---|---|
Born |
Olufemi Temitope Ogunsanwo 28 October 1977 Paddington, London, England |
Occupation | CEO of Identity Agency Group & Identity School of Acting |
Femi Oguns MBE is a leading British agent, and founder of the Identity School of Acting and Identity Agency Group.[1]
Background
Established actor Femi Oguns founded Identity School of Acting in October 2003. After leaving drama school he went on to university where he obtained a joint honours degree in Race and Culture and Performing Arts. It was here he drew on personal experience and longed to create a drama school which would give actors of all ethnicities the platform to express themselves to their fullest.
Oguns' considerable achievements have led to a series of high-profile commendations. In 2010 he was named as a UK Film Council Breakthrough Brit in the fields of Acting and Writing. He was also named on Powerful Media's Power List of the top 100 most influential figures of African/Caribbean descent.
In 2014, Oguns was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Her Royal Majesty for his services to the acting industry.[2]
Early career
As an actor, Oguns has featured in a number of award winning dramas in both television and film. His credits include: Strange (BBC), Take my Heart Dogma (Ch4), the BAFTA nominated Prime Suspect (ITV), feature film La Chinoise for FilmFour, feature film Last Chance Harvey opposite Dustin Hoffman, and Ron Howard's The Good Lie with Reese Witherspoon.
Oguns has also carved out a successful career in the field of writing, where his debut play Torn received the MSVA Award for Best Stage Production 2008. Torn included the likes of Wil Johnson (Waking the Dead), Kéllé Bryan (from the group Eternal), Antonia Okonma (Bad Girls), Richard Hollis (The Office), Michelle Asante (Monroe) and Brooke Kinsella (Eastenders). The immense success of Torn caught the attention of the Royal National Theatre, and The Royal Court where Oguns developed his second play, Sponge .
Identity School and Agency
The Identity School of acting was founded by Oguns and provides acting training, specializing in minority actors and has demonstrated some success.[3] Founded in 2006, Identity Agency Group (IAG) is an acting agency.
In 2011 IAG US division was formed, merging with some of the top agencies and management companies in the United States, representing clients both in the UK and North America. IAG Los Angeles is now working in partnership with the likes of WME, Gersh, and ICM to name but a few.
Some of IAG's clients include:
- John Boyega
- Malachi Kirby
- Letitia Wright (BAFTA Breakthrough Brit)
- Melanie Liburd
- Damson Idris
- Charlie Covell (BAFTA Breakthrough Brit)
- Cecilia Noble(Laurence Oliver Award nominated)
- Alexis Rodney
References
- ↑ Laughland, Oliver (25 February 2012). "From Hackney to Hollywood: the stars of an all-black drama school". London. The Guardian. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60895. p. b22. 14 June 2014.
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/may/24/malachi-kirby-on-remaking-roots-kunta-kinte-i-could-feel-the-pain-hear-the-screams