# Isaach de Bankolé

Zachari Bankolé (born 12 August 1957), known professionally as Isaach de Bankolé, is an Ivorian actor, active primarily in France and the United States. He won the 1987 César Award for Most Promising Actor for his performance in the film Black Mic Mac, and rose to international prominence for his starring role in Claire Denis's 1988 film Chocolat. He had a significant supporting role as a loyal friend of the main character in The Brutalist (2024).
He is known to international film audiences for his roles in the films of director Jim Jarmusch, Mamadou in James Ivory's A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998), Timothy in Lars von Trier's Manderlay (2005), the villain Steven Obanno in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, and the River Tribe Elder in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Black Panther (2018) and its 2022 sequel. He also played President Ule Matobo on the Fox television series 24 (2008–2009).

## Early life and education

De Bankolé was born in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, to ethnic Yoruba parents from Benin. His grandparents are from Nigeria. He moved to Paris in 1975 for his last year of lycée, and pursued a master's degree in physics and mathematics at the University of Paris. He then attended an aviation school and earned a private pilot licence, before a chance encounter with French director Gérard Vergez led him to enroll in the Cours Simon, a Parisian drama school.

## Career

De Bankolé has appeared in over fifty films, including Jim Jarmusch's Night on Earth, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Coffee and Cigarettes and The Limits of Control. He has been based in the United States since 1997. He appeared in the movie Machetero, in the role of journalist interviewing an imprisoned Puerto Rican revolutionary, along with the members of the New York City-based punk band Ricanstruction.
De Bankolé has also appeared in Lars von Trier's Manderlay. He portrayed Steven Obanno, a terrorist, in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, and "The Lone Man", an assassin in Jim Jarmusch's film, The Limits of Control (2009). In 2013, he starred as Ayodele Balogun in Andrew Dosunmu's Mother of George, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and was the closing night selection for Maryland Film Festival 2013. He has also had roles in Calvary, The Last Witch Hunter, and Black Panther.
In 2007, De Bankolé was ascended to a Knight of the French Legion of Honour for his contributions to the French film industry.

## Personal life

De Bankolé is fluent in Yoruba, Bambara, English, French, German, and speaks some Italian. He was married to musician Cassandra Wilson from 2000 to 2003.
He has resided in the United States since 2000.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | Asphalt Warriors | The Blackie | |
| 1984 | Comment draguer tous les mecs | Honoré Clair | |
| 1984 | L'addition | | Uncredited |
| 1986 | Black Mic Mac | Lemi | César Award for Most Promising Actor |
| 1986 | Taxi Boy | Touré | |
| 1986 | Noir et Blanc | | |
| 1987 | Lady Cops | Inspector Blaise Lacroix | |
| 1988 | Chocolat | Protée | |
| 1988 | Ada dans la jungle | Bumbo | |
| 1989 | How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired | The Old | |
| 1989 | Vanille fraise | Hippolyte N'Go | Also writer |
| 1990 | No Fear, No Die | Dah | |
| 1991 | Night on Earth | The Driver | |
| 1994 | Down to Earth | Leão | |
| 1995 | The Keeper | Jean Baptiste | |
| 1998 | A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries | Mamadou | |
| 1999 | Otomo | Frederic Otomo | |
| 1999 | Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai | Raymond | |
| 1999 | Cherry | Menu Man | |
| 2000 | Bàttu | Saar | |
| 2001 | 3 A.M. | Angus | |
| 2003 | Coffee and Cigarettes | Isaach | |
| 2003 | The Killing Zone | Malcolm | New York VisionFest - Outstanding Achievement Award - Acting |
| 2004 | From Other Worlds | Abraham | |
| 2004 | Homework | Jean | |
| 2005 | Manderlay | Timothy | |
| 2005 | Stay | Professor | |
| 2005 | The Skeleton Key | Gas Station Owner | |
| 2005 | Before It Had a Name | Waiter | |
| 2006 | Casino Royale | Steven Obanno | |
| 2006 | Miami Vice | Neptune | |
| 2006 | 5up 2down | Hunter | |
| 2007 | The Diving Bell and the Butterfly | Laurent | |
| 2007 | Battle in Seattle | Abasi | |
| 2007 | The Fifth Patient | Captain Mugambe | |
| 2008 | The Guitar | Roscoe Wasz | |
| 2008 | Machetero | Jean Dumont | |
| 2009 | White Material | The Boxer | |
| 2009 | The Limits of Control | The Lone Man | |
| 2010 | Getting High! | Hunter | Short |
| 2011 | Oka! | Bassoun | |
| 2012 | Désordres | Vincent | |
| 2013 | Mother of George | Ayodele Balogun | |
| 2014 | Calvary | Simon | |
| 2014 | Run | Assa | Nominated - Trophées du Cinema - Best Supporting Actor |
| 2014 | Mirage | Francis | |
| 2014 | Where the Road Runs Out | George | |
| 2015 | The Last Witch Hunter | Max Schlesinger | |
| 2016 | Norman | Jacques | |
| 2017 | Double Play | Ernesto | |
| 2018 | Black Panther | River Tribe Elder | |
| 2018 | Black is Beltza | Wilson Clever | |
| 2019 | Shaft | Pierro "Gordito" Carrera | |
| 2020 | French Exit | Julius | |
| 2022 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | River Tribe Elder | |
| 2022 | The People We Hate at the Wedding | Henrique | |
| 2024 | The Brutalist | Gordon | |
| TBA | The Cry of the Guards | | Filming |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles | Sgt. Barthelmy | Episode: "German East Africa, December 1916" |
| 1993 | Heart of Darkness | Mfumu | TV movie |
| 2001 | The Sopranos | Father Obosi | Episode: "Amour Fou" |
| 2005 | L'évangile selon Aîmé | Aîmé | TV movie |
| 2006 | The Unit | General Togar | Episode: "Force Majeure" |
| 2008 | 24: Redemption | President Ule Matobo | TV movie |
| 2009 | 24 | President Ule Matobo | 6 episodes |
| 2010 | I Am Slave | Bah | TV movie |
| 2013 | The Ordained | Mr. Obiku | TV movie |
| 2014 | White Collar | Luc Renaud | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | The Good Wife | Larry Oliver | Episode: "Restraint" |
| 2018 | Instinct | Ben Richfield | Episode: "Bye Bye Birdie" |
| 2018 | Sacred Lies | Dr. Carter Elgin | Episode: "Chapter Eight: Wedding Day" |
| 2019 | S.W.A.T. | Aden Syed | Episode: "Monster" |
| 2021–2023 | Godfather of Harlem | Monsieur 98 | 9 episodes |
| 2023 | The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib | Sebastian Amadou (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2024 | Parish | Mr. Tongai | Episode: "A Good Man" |
| 2025 | Task | Father Daniel Georges | Upcoming miniseries |

## Theatre

| Year | Title | Author | Director | Notes |
| 1986 | Quay West | Bernard-Marie Koltès | Patrice Chéreau | Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers |
| 1987 | Dans la solitude des champs de coton | Bernard-Marie Koltès | Patrice Chéreau (2) | Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers |
| 1988 | Le Retour au désert | Bernard-Marie Koltès | Patrice Chéreau (3) | Théâtre Renaud-Barrault |
| 1989 | La Force d'aimer | Martin Luther King Jr. | Patrice Chéreau (4) | Théâtre Renaud-Barrault |

## Awards

* 1987 César Award for Most Promising Actor for his role in Black Mic Mac.