{{short description|Canadian actor (born 1972)}} {{use mdy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Use Canadian English|date=November 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Dayo Ade | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1972}} | birth_place = Lagos, Nigeria<ref name=artofactingstudio>{{Cite web|url=https://www.artofactingstudio.com/profiles/dayo-ade-2/|title=Dayo Ade|publisher=Art of Acting Studio|accessdate=November 28, 2022}}</ref> | birth_name = | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1988−present }}
'''Dayo Ade''' (born 1972) is a Canadian actor who is best known for his role as Bryant Lester Thomas "BLT" in the ''Degrassi'' television franchise, appearing in ''Degrassi Junior High'' (1987–89) and ''Degrassi High'' (1989–91). Ade has had numerous film and television appearances, most notably playing the role of Mel Boyd in the CBC sitcom ''Workin' Moms''.
== Biography == He was born in Lagos, Nigeria and moved with his family to Toronto, Ontario, Canada at an early age.<ref>{{cite news |author =Sam Maggs |publisher=CBC Live| title= Before They Were CBC Stars: Dayo Ade |location =Canada | url =http://www.cbc.ca/live/mobile/touch/before-they-were-cbc-stars-dayo-ade.html |date =November 22, 2012|accessdate=1 March 2014}}</ref> He played Bryant Lester "BLT" Thomas in ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dayo Ade|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/dayo-ade/231498|work=TV Guide|publisher=CBS Interactive Inc.|accessdate=18 February 2014}}</ref> He described the payment for the series as "(expletive) nothing" in 2025 documentary ''Degrassi: Whatever It Takes''. The statement was contested by series co-creator Linda Schuyler, who noted cast have a retirement fund and a scholarship foundation. Ade's jobs after that role included working for car rental and security companies.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hughes |first1=Abby |title=Degrassi co-creator settles lawsuit, TIFF premiere to go ahead as planned |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/degrassi-co-creator-sues-1.7630483 |access-date=11 September 2025 |work=CBC News |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=10 September 2025 |location=Toronto ON}}</ref>
In recent decades, he appeared as nurse Leo Beckett on the CBC Television series ''Cracked''.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/cracked/characters/leo-beckett Character/actor profile on the ''Cracked'' website]</ref> He voiced as Hunter Hakka in Starlink: Battle for Atlas.
He also had guest appearances in the ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' episode "Borderland", in the ''Alias'' episode "The Awful Truth", in the ''Scrubs'' episode "My Malpractical Decision", and in the ''Charmed'' episode "We're Off to See the Wizard". He appeared in the ''Lost'' episodes "What Kate Does" and "Lighthouse".
In 2021, he joined the cast of ''Bob Hearts Abishola'' as Abishola's Nigerian husband Tayo Adebambo, and starred in the film ''Cinema of Sleep''.<ref>Andy Howell, [https://filmthreat.com/reviews/cinema-of-sleep/2/ "Cinema of Sleep"]. ''Film Threat'', April 13, 2021.</ref> At the 2021 Whistler Film Festival, he won the award for Best Performance in a Borsos Competition Film for ''Cinema of Sleep''.<ref>Charlie Smith, [https://www.straight.com/movies/cinema-of-sleep-wins-borsos-award-for-best-canadian-feature-at-whistler-film-festival "Cinema of Sleep wins Borsos award for best Canadian feature at Whistler Film Festival"]. ''The Georgia Straight'', December 20, 2021.</ref>
Dayo has spoken of the financial difficulties those in the entertainment industry face in support of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ade |first=Dayo |date=2023-08-21 |title=I'm a Canadian actor on the SAG-AFTRA picket line. Here's why I'm striking. |url=https://macleans.ca/culture/dayo-ade-sag-strike/ |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=Macleans.ca |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {|class="wikitable sortable" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1993 | ''Save My Lost Nigga Soul'' | Matthew | Short film |- | rowspan=2| 1995 | ''Rude'' | Mike | |- | ''Jungleground'' | Cowboy | |- | 2006 | ''Phat Girlz'' | Godwin | |- | 2007 | ''Gettin' Some Jail Time'' | Uncle JG | Short film |- | 2008 | ''Remembering Phil'' | Officer Williams |- | 2010 | ''Unthinkable'' | MP Winston | |- | 2011 | ''Let Go'' | Charles | |- | 2013 | ''Refuge'' | Agent Hammond | Short film |- | 2018 | ''Isabelle'' | Father Lopez | |- | 2018 | ''Fanboy'' | CAA Security Officer | Short film |- | 2020 | ''Toys of Terror'' | David |- | 2022 | ''Labyu with an Accent'' | Officer Kel Isah | |}
===Television=== {|class="wikitable sortable" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Television |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1988–1991 | ''Degrassi Junior High'' / ''Degrassi High'' | Bryant Lester "BLT" Thomas | 48 episodes - 21 uncredited |- | 1991 | ''Top Cops'' | Snaggs / Que | Season 2, episode 9: "Ronald Bratton/John Thompson and Christine Bridges" |- | rowspan=2| 1992 | ''Degrassi Talks'' | Himself | Episode 5: "...On Drugs" |- | ''School's Out'' | Bryant Lester "BLT" Thomas | TV movie |- | 1993–1995 | data-sort-value="Kids in the Hall, The" | ''The Kids in the Hall'' | Male Guard #1 / Rebel | 2 episodes |- | 1996 | ''Due South'' | Trevor - Thug #1 | Season 2, episode 13: "White Men Can't Jump to Conclusions" |- | 1997 | ''Color of Justice'' | Prisoner | TV movie |- | 1998 | ''My Own Country'' | John Okri | TV movie |- | rowspan=2| 2001 | ''V.I.P.'' | B.J. Finley | Season 3, episode 13: "Val on Fire" |- | ''Resurrection Blvd.'' | Taylor "The Hurt" Bryant | 2 episodes |- | rowspan=3| 2002 | ''First Monday'' | Dwayne Yong | Episode 1: "First Monday" |- | ''Charmed'' | Bodyguard #3 | Season 4, episode 19: "We're Off to See the Wizard" |- | data-sort-value="District, The" | ''The District'' | Toro | Season 2, episode 22: "Payback" |- | rowspan=3| 2003 | data-sort-value="Shield, The" | ''The Shield'' | Lionel | Season 2, episode 9: "Co-Pilot" |- | ''Boomtown'' | Banger | Season 2, episode 9: "Co-Pilot" |- | ''10-8: Officers on Duty'' | Spatz | Episode 1: "Brothers in Arms" |- | rowspan=5| 2004 | ''Las Vegas'' | Cedric "The Cannibal" Barimba | Season 1, episode 11: "Blood and Sand" |- | ''Girlfriends'' | Vendor | Season 4, episode 24: "New York Unbound" |- | ''Joan of Arcadia'' | Rueben | Season 2, episode 2: "Out of Sight" |- | ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' | Klingon Tactical Officer | Season 4, episode 4: "Borderland" |- | ''Scrubs'' | Mr. Hovey | Season 4, episode 9: "My Malpractical Decision" |- | 2005 | ''Alias'' | Bank Manager | Season 4, episode 3: "The Awful Truth" |- | rowspan=4| 2007 | ''Without a Trace'' | Omar Manir | Season 5, episode 24: "The Beginning" |- | ''NCIS'' | ER Orderly | Season 4, episode 24: "Angel of Death" |- | data-sort-value="Bill Engvall Show, The" | ''The Bill Engvall Show'' | Bouncer | Season 1, episode 7: "The Birthday" |- | ''ER'' | James Rollins | Season 14, episode 3: "Officer Down" |- | 2008 | ''CSI: NY'' | Robert James | 2 episodes |- | rowspan=4| 2010 | ''Castle Rock'' | Anton Wade | Season 2, episode 15: "Suicide Squeeze" |- | ''Lost'' | Justin | 2 episodes |- | ''NCIS: Los Angeles'' | Nelson Shabazz | Season 1, episode 19: "Hand-to-Hand" |- | ''Chase'' | Tucker Dawes | Episode 3: "The Comeback Kid" |- | 2012 | data-sort-value="L.A. Complex, The" | ''The L.A. Complex'' | Dynasty | 11 episodes |- | 2013 | ''Cracked'' | Leo Beckett | 21 episodes |- | rowspan=2| 2014 | ''Republic of Doyle'' | Brian Mitchell | Season 3, episode 13: "Welcome Back Crocker" |- | ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' | Agent Barbour | Season 1, episode 17: "Turn, Turn, Turn" |- | rowspan=3| 2015 | data-sort-value="Book of Negroes, The" | ''The Book of Negroes'' | Prince | Miniseries<br/> Episode 4 |- | ''Rookie Blue'' | Russ | 3 episodes |- | ''Bones'' | Cooper Blackthorn | Season 11, episode 8: "High Treason in the Holiday Season" |- | rowspan=2| 2016 | ''Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders'' | Paul Ntombi | Season 1, episode 10: "Iqiniso" |- | ''Beauty & the Beast'' | Dawes | 2 episodes |- | 2016–2018 | ''Heartland'' | Jim Parker | 3 episodes |- | 2017–2018 | ''Startup'' | Officer Jules | 5 episodes |- | rowspan=2| 2018 | ''Insomnia'' | Phil | 4 episodes |- | ''Animal Kingdom'' | Detective French | Season 3, episode 1: "The Killing" |- | 2019 | data-sort-value="Rookie, The" | ''The Rookie'' | Jonathan Ryland | Season 2, episode 6: "Fallout" |- | 2019–2021; 2023 | ''Workin' Moms'' | Mel Boyd | 11 episodes |- | rowspan=2| 2020 | ''October Faction'' | Moshe | 5 episodes |- | data-sort-value="Comey Rule, The" | ''The Comey Rule'' | Shaun | Miniseries<br/> 2 episodes |- | 2021 | ''Private Eyes'' | Ben Riggs | Season 4, episode 9: "A Star Is Torn" |- | 2021–present | ''Bob Hearts Abishola'' | Tayo | 11 episodes |- | 2022 | ''Chicago Med'' | Dorian Harwell | Season 7, episode 20: "End of the Day, Anything Can Happen" |}
===Video games=== {|class="wikitable sortable" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Video games |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2007 | ''Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy'' | | Voice |- | 2018 | ''Starlink: Battle for Atlas'' | Hunter Hakka | Voice |- | 2019 | ''Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint'' | Josiah Hill | Voice |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ade, Dayo}} Category:1972 births Category:20th-century Canadian male actors Category:21st-century Canadian male actors Category:Black Canadian male actors Category:Canadian male film actors Category:Canadian male television actors Category:Canadian male video game actors Category:Canadian male voice actors Category:Canadian people of Nigerian descent Category:Living people Category:Nigerian emigrants to Canada Category:Male actors from Lagos Category:Male actors from Toronto Category:Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States
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