Meet Adetokumboh M’Cormack

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adetokumboh M’Cormack.

Hi Adetokumboh, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am originally from Sierra Leone but grew up mostly in Kenya. I did a lot of school plays and musical theatre as a kid. I was cast as one of the leads in a film called “The Great Elephant Escape” when I was twelve alongside Leo Burmester and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I think that was when I decided that I wanted to be an actor professionally. Surprisingly my African parents were totally cool with it (laughs). I studied Acting at Purchase College Conservatory of Theatre Arts and Film in New York and had this idea that I was going to graduate and do Shakespeare in the Park. But I ended up getting a manager in Los Angeles and came out see what it was like for a couple of weeks. I remember booking roles on Blood Diamond and Lost within my first few weeks of being here and my manager was like “why don’t you just stay?”. So I did. I’ve always been interested in both sides of the camera so I write, direct and produce a lot too.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the biggest issues I’ve faced are the type of roles I get offered. For some reason every time someone wants to do a movie about Africa, it’s about war, famine and disease with kids with flies all over their faces. We’ve seen enough of these negative, stereotypical images. So whenever I do a role or direct a project, I try to do the opposite. I choose projects which uplift and empower historically marginalized people.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an actor, writer, director and producer. I’ve been in films like Blood Diamond, Battle: Los Angeles, and Captain America: Winter Soldier and shows like Lost, NCIS, Heroes, The OA and The Chosen. Right now, I’m probably best known for voicing the role of Isaac on the Netflix animated show Castlevania and Kofi on Blood of Zeus. As a filmmaker, I love creating content that inspires and compels social change. I am committed to telling impactful stories from diverse and marginalized individuals and ensuring their voices are at the forefront of their narratives.

My first short film, “Irish Goodbye” about a Syrian refugee living in America screened at the Cannes Emerging Filmmaker Showcase and is currently on Amazon Prime Video. My second short film “The German King” was a major achievement for me because it tells an important part of African history that has been forgotten. It’s about Rudolf Manga Bell, a Cameroonian king who leads his nation in a rebellion against German colonial rule in WWI. It was E.P’d by Pauley Perrette and stars Constance Ejuma and Scottie Thompson. Justin Janowitz was my phenomenal cinematographer. The film also screened at Cannes, qualified for consideration for the 2020 Oscars in the Best Live Action Short category and can now be seen on cameolaunch.com.

What are your plans for the future?
I’m developing the feature-length version of The German King as well as animated and live-action shows with predominantly African stories and characters.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.lomamansa.com
• Instagram: @adetokumboh
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lomamansa
• Twitter: @adetokumboh