Peter Odeke
Peter Odeke | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 November 1970 |
| Occupations | Actor, radio presenter |
| Years active | 2002–present |
Peter Paul Odeke (born 21 November 1970) is a Ugandan actor, radio presenter and voice artist. He first appeared on a national stage in the early 1990s with SPECTRUM, a contemporary dance-drama group that followed in the infamous style of the Namasagali College’s productions.
Early life and education
Odeke was born in Kampala, Uganda and is of Teso descent, and is the fourth of six children.
He was widely exposed to extra-curricular activities while at Kitante Primary School and was quite active in athletics and drama. In his secondary school years at St. Mary's College Kisubi, he was renowned for his robotic moves and break-dancing skills.
He joined the regional start-up airline Alliance Air (SA Alliance Air) as a flight attendant, rising to become purser within three years.
Career
Stage
Odeke's first experience with the National Theatre came in the early 1990s with the contemporary dance-drama group SPECTRUM. He acted as Teezi in the group's most successful production, Unleashed Fury, before taking a sojourn because of his university study.
Television
Odeke made his debut in television drama in 2002 with the highly acclaimed Centre 4,[1] a thirteen-episode health TV drama in which he played the lead role of Moses Wema, a mysterious laboratory technician.
He currently features as "Judge Isaac Jemba" in Junior Drama Club, a family drama screening on DSTV's Pearl Magic Prime channel.
Radio drama
Odeke has also ventured into radio drama in two BBC African radio plays: Kitu Kidogo (by Kenneth Atwiine) and Damn Seconds (by Pamela Otali).
Film
In 2004, Odeke landed his first movie role in Raoul Peck's HBO movie, Sometimes in April, featuring Idris Elba.
Back in Kampala, he played Denis Obua in Dan Gordon's BBC docu-drama The John Akii-Bua Story: An African Tragedy (2008). His first local film project was with renowned Ugandan director Matt Bish; he had a supporting role in the award-winning movie S.R.B (2010) as Julius Dracu.
Odeke was in the 2016 Walt Disney Pictures production Queen of Katwe, starring Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo. Odeke plays Mr. Barumba, the chairperson of the Chess Federation in Uganda.[2][3]
Odeke's most recent project is the film Janani: The Last Stand, a Matt Bish project based on the final days of Archbishop Janani Luwum, who was murdered during the reign of President Idi Amin of Uganda. Odeke plays the lead role of Luwum.
Personal life
Odeke has three boys: Nkosi, Kwame and Diallo. He has been married to Christine since 30 November 2007.
Odeke currently works in the Parliament of Uganda.
Performances
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Sometimes in April | Militia Man #2 | Raoul Peck | TV movie |
| 2007 | Ezra | Snake Savimbi | Newton I. Aduaka | Feature film |
| 2007 | Shake Hands with the Devil | Ghanaian Lieutenant | Roger Spottiswoode | Feature film |
| 2008 | The John Akii Bua Story: An African Tragedy | Denis Obua | Daniel Gordon | Documentary |
| 2010 | State Research Bureau | Julius Dracu | Matt Bish | Feature film |
| 2016 | Queen of Katwe | Enoch Barumba | Mira Nair | Feature |
| 2022 | Kafa Coh | Tereke Stephens | Gilbert K. Lukalia | Feature |
| 2025 | Call 112 | Goliath Ndyanabo | Usama Mukwaya | Short film |
Radio
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Kitu Kidogo | ||
| 2012 | Damn Seconds |
References
- ^ Centre 4 Archived 13 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Desta, Yohana. "TIFF 2016: Magnificent Seven, Loving, and More Announced for Festival Lineup". HWD. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ "'Queen of Katwe' Ugandan premiere set for October 1 – theinsider.ug". Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
External links
- Peter Odeke at IMDb