Chukwudi Iwuji

**Chukwudi Iwuji** is an episodic actor on The CW's *Dynasty*, portraying the role of Landon III in "Shoot From the Hip".

## Biography

### Early Life

Iwuji is one of five Nigerian siblings born to diplomat parents. When Iwuji was age 10, they joined the United Nations, and the family moved to Ethiopia. At age 12, Iwuji was sent to boarding school in England. Between 1987 and 1993, he was a student at Caterham School, Surrey. He was elected Head Boy, the first Black student to be so in the school's history. He then attended Yale University and earned his undergraduate degree in economics in 1997. He attended the Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2000. He then moved back to the United Kingdom.

### Career

#### Theatre

Iwuji began to perform at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2001. He had roles in Edward Hall's production of *Julius Caesar* and as Claudius in *Hamlet*, both in 2001. In 2002, he played Fenton in *The Merry Wives of Windsor* and Aufidius in *Coriolanus*. In 2006, he replaced David Oyelowo in the title role of the Henry VI trilogy in the revival of the This England: The Histories project). Iwuji described the role, "In Henry VI, the musicality is different: the thoughts are very structured." The production won the Olivier Award for Best Revival.

In 2013, Iwuji played Enobarbus in the Caribbean-themed *Antony and Cleopatra* directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney that was a joint production between the RSC and The Public Theater in New York. In 2014, he played Edgar in *King Lear*. In 2016, he played Hamlet for The Public's Mobile Unit, and he described his portrayal of the role as "this ugly, relentless beast that’s about to be unleashed." In 2018, he starred as Othello at the Delacorte Theater for Shakespeare in the Park opposite Corey Stoll as Iago, and as Blanke in *The Low Road* at the Public.

Iwuji has worked with numerous other theaters. In 2002, he was in Peter Hall's *Bacchai* at the Royal National Theatre. He played Booth in *Topdog/Underdog*, Christy in *Playboy of the Western World* at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Julian in Thea Sharrock's production of *The Misanthrope*, and played in the large cast of *The Vote* at the Donmar Warehouse in 2015. He performed at the Royal National Theatre in *Welcome to Thebes* in 2010, the Old Vic in a 2011 *Richard III*, in 2014 off-Broadway in *Tamburlaine* for which theater critic Ben Brantley called him "a standout," and in 2016-17 with director Ivo van Hove in both *Obsession* and *Hedda Gabbler*.

#### Television

Iwuji appeared on a number of shows, including Barry Jenkins's 2021 *The Underground Railroad*. In 2018, became a series regular on the legal drama *The Split*. That year, he played the King of France for the BBC recording of *King Lear* starring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, and Florence Pugh. He had a recurring role on Netflix's *When They See Us* and *Designated Survivor* in 2019, and starred in *Peacemaker* in 2022.

In 2019, he portrayed Landon III in an episode of the third season of The CW's *Dynasty*.

#### Film

Iwuji was in the 2016 film *Barry* and played Akoni in *John Wick: Chapter 2* in 2017. Iwuji played as the High Evolutionary in the 2023 film *Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3*.

### Personal Life

Iwuji lives in New York with his wife, actress/singer Angela Travino.