Despite his resolution to be a theatre professional from the outset, music intruded on his ambition, constituting an initial distraction to his creative energies. However, Alex Lanipekun was able to retrace his steps to acting after his    short spell as a musician. LAWRENCE AMAKU writes

I learnt a lot about screen acting from Spooks and it was a massive trial by fire. Learning how to act for the screen in a goldfish bowl with everybody watching was a challenging thing. It’s kind of learn fast or die really. I wanted to do theatre; as much as anything it’s been part of that training and part of my aspiration. So I was very thankful (to leave Spooks) and I think my agent was too because it meant that I could get straight back into what I trained for.”

With those words, Alex Lanipekun strongly expressed his sentiments on his chosen career (acting) and how the role he got with a British Broadcasting Corporation drama, Spooks, made it blossom.
Lanipekun was born on  April 7, 1981 in the United Kingdom. He is a British actor of Nigerian and Italian/English origin. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) but left early to join the cast of Spooks, starring as Ben Kaplan, a journalist cum spy.

Despite being a member of the National Youth Theatre and first applying to drama school aged 18– he wasn’t accepted– Lanipekun spent several years before attending RADA during which he involved himself in an eclectic and intriguing array of activities, including working for a music label, performing and writing for a Music of Black Origin Awards (MOBO)-nominated hip hop collective ‘ONE’, freelancing as an entertainment journalist and studying Anthropology at the university. In 2002, he released the album ‘Onederful World.’

In 2008, after completing his second season on Spooks, he played the part of Ashley in Apples and Oranges for Channel 4.

In 2009, he played Danilo in Dimetos, by Athol Fugard, a renowned South African playwright, at the Donmar Warehouse with Jonathan Pryce directed by Douglas Hodge. The play was last performed in 1976 with Paul Scofield in the title role and Ben Kingsley playing Danilo.

Lanipekun relishes working with the likes of  Pryce and Hodge, who he described as “legends,” on Dimetos. He also testified to the inspiration he got from starring with actors like Kevin Harvey and Danny Sapani on Wig Out!, directed by Dominic Cooke where he played Eric the Red, saying that it gave him the chance to take giant steps along the steep learning curve he has been travelling on since leaving the school of drama.

In series two of Jonathan Harvey’s British Comedy, Beautiful People, he guest starred as the Jamaican personal trainer tiger.
In series 2 of the BBC’s Being Human Alex guest starred in the opening double episode playing the character Saul.

The six feet one inch dude has also featured in the film, Clash Of The Titans, starring Sam Worthington and Ralph Fiennes, and the British film Blitz starring Jason Statham and Paddy Considine.

He has featured in several dramas including As You Like It, Cupid’s Revenge, A Mouthful of Birds and Scenes from the Big Picture, Through the Shadows with O’Henry, Odysseus, Barbarians, among others.

In 2007 he won the prestigious Carleton Hobbs Award.