{{short description|American actor}} {{Infobox person | name = Kwesi Boakye | image = Kwesi Boakye at Hub Network Halloween Bash 2013.jpg | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = Boakye at Hub Network Halloween Bash 2013 | birth_name = Kwesi Nii-Lante Boakye | birth_date = | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | occupation = Actor | years_active = 2005–present | relatives = Kofi Siriboe (brother) | website = }} '''Kwesi Nii-Lante Boakye'''{{pronunciation needed}} is an American actor. He is best known as the original voice of Darwin, Gumball's best friend and adoptive brother on the Cartoon Network animated TV series ''The Amazing World of Gumball''. He also voiced Gossamer on ''The Looney Tunes Show'' and The Passenger on ''Bravest Warriors''. He also played Manny in the 2009 Tyler Perry film ''I Can Do Bad All By Myself''.
==Early life== Kwesi Nii-Lante Boakye is the youngest of three brothers who are also actors; Kwame Boateng, and Kofi Siriboe. Boakye's family is originally from Ghana.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090828101256/http://www.africanloft.com/kwesi-boakye-hollywood%E2%80%99s-cutest-kid/ "Kwesi Boakye: Hollywood's Cutest Kid"], AfricanLoft.com</ref>
==Career== Boakye began his acting career at the age of six, making one-episode appearances on the television shows ''Strong Medicine'' and ''Inconceivable''. He then appeared in eighteen episodes of the NBC soap opera series ''Days of Our Lives''. In 2006, he appeared in five episodes of ''Day Break'' as James Mathis. He then began his voice acting career at the age of seven, where he provided several voices to the animated film ''Happy Feet''. He then continued to make one-episode appearances on ''The Shield'' and '''Til Death'', the latter in 2007. In the same year, he appeared as a little boy in the film ''If I Had Known I Was a Genius''. He then appeared on an episode as Turnip in the legal drama series ''Boston Legal''. In 2009, he appeared in Tyler Perry's ''I Can Do Bad All by Myself'' as Manny. He voiced Newspaper Boy on the Disney animated film ''The Princess and the Frog'' and starred on the TV series ''Men of a Certain Age'' as Jamie Thoreau.
In 2010, he appeared on the NBC television series ''Community'' as Elijah Bennett and the romantic comedy film ''Valentine's Day'' as a soccer kid. He also appeared as Andrew on an episode of the Playhouse Disney television series ''Special Agent Oso'' and William Glass in the TNT TV series ''Hawthorne''. From 2011 to 2014, he voiced Darwin Watterson on Cartoon Network's ''The Amazing World of Gumball''. During 2014, he was replaced by Terrell Ransom Jr. due to puberty. He appeared on an episode of ''Southland'' as Richard, ''Hawaii Five-0'' as Kevin and ''The Mentalist'' as Anthony Rome. He also played young Narrator on two episodes of the TV series ''The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers''. From 2011 to 2013, Boakye provided the voice of Gossamer on the television cartoon ''The Looney Tunes Show'', which also aired on Cartoon Network. In 2012, he appeared on an episode of ''Touch'' as Farai and the biographical drama film ''Unconditional'' as Macon. He then provided the voice of The Passenger on the YouTube/VRV television series ''Bravest Warriors''. In 2014, Boakye appeared on an episode of the ABC comedy-drama series ''Mind Games'' as Tyler.
He appeared in the black comedy film ''Pocket Listing'' as Billy and made three-episode appearances on ''Murder in the First'' and ''Colony''. He most recently appeared in the TNT drama series ''Claws'' as Malik and the drama film ''Tazmanian Devil'' as Ike.
==Filmography==
===Film and television===
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | rowspan="2" | 2005 || ''Strong Medicine'' || Lavonne || rowspan="2" | 1 episode |- | ''Inconceivable'' || Kid |- | 2005–2007 || ''Days of Our Lives'' || Artemis / Scott<ref>{{cite web |title=Days Nick Fallon's new storyline! |url=https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/1036/days-nick-fallons-new-storyline/ |website=soaps.sheknows.com |date=21 September 2007 |access-date=2023-07-28 |archive-date=2023-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728011830/https://soaps.sheknows.com/days-of-our-lives/news/1036/days-nick-fallons-new-storyline/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Q&A with Kwesi Boakye |url=https://michiganchronicle.com/2009/08/26/qaa-with-kwesi-boakye/ |website=michiganchronicle.com |access-date=2023-07-28 |archive-date=2023-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728011831/https://michiganchronicle.com/2009/08/26/qaa-with-kwesi-boakye/ |url-status=live }}</ref> || 18 episodes |- | 2006–2007 || ''Day Break'' || James Mathis || 5 episodes |- | rowspan="2" | 2006 || ''Happy Feet'' || Other Voices || Film |- | ''The Shield'' || Wendell || rowspan="2" | 1 episode |- | rowspan="2" | 2007 || '''Til Death'' || Kid |- | ''If I Had Known I Was a Genius'' || Little Boy || Film |- |- | 2008 || ''Boston Legal'' || Turnip || 1 episode |- | rowspan="2" | 2009 || ''I Can Do Bad All By Myself'' || Manny<ref>{{cite web |title=Ten-Year Old Kwesi Boakye Stars in The Number One Box Office Film and Finds Tyler Perry An Inspiration |url=https://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/09/prweb2915424.htm |website=PRWeb |access-date=2022-11-26 |archive-date=2022-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126034604/https://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/09/prweb2915424.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> || Film |- | ''The Princess and the Frog'' || Newspaper Boy |Voice, film |- | 2009–2011 || ''Men of a Certain Age'' || Jamie Thoreau<ref>{{cite web |title='Men of a Certain Age' Series Preview: Cast, Plot Details, and Trailer |url=https://www.showbizjunkies.com/tv/men-of-a-certain-age/ |website=www.showbizjunkies.com |date=13 June 2011 |access-date=2023-07-28 |archive-date=2023-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728011943/https://www.showbizjunkies.com/tv/men-of-a-certain-age/ |url-status=live }}</ref> || 14 episodes |- | 2010–2012 || ''Community'' || Elijah Bennett || 2 episodes |- | rowspan="4" | 2010 || ''Faith and Dreams'' || Student || Short Film |- | ''Valentine's Day'' || Soccer Kid{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} || Film |- | ''Special Agent Oso'' || Andrew || Episode: "Thunderbubble" |- | ''Hawthorne'' || Willam Glass |1 episode |- | 2011–2014 || ''The Amazing World of Gumball'' || Darwin Watterson || Voice, main role (seasons 1-3) |- | rowspan="4" | 2011 || ''Southland'' || Richard || rowspan="3" | 1 episode |- | ''Hawaii Five-0'' || Kevin<ref>{{cite web |title=Kwesi Boakye stars with hip-hop mogul Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs on Hawaii Five-O |url=https://lasentinel.net/kwesi-boakye-stars-with-hip-hop-mogul-sean-p-diddy-combs-on-hawaii-five-o.html |website=lasentinel.net |access-date=2022-11-26 |archive-date=2022-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126034133/https://lasentinel.net/kwesi-boakye-stars-with-hip-hop-mogul-sean-p-diddy-combs-on-hawaii-five-o.html |url-status=live }}</ref> |- | ''The Mentalist'' || Anthony Rome |- | ''The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers'' || Young Narrator || 2 episodes |- | 2011–2013 || ''The Looney Tunes Show'' || Gossamer<ref>{{cite web |title=The Voice Artist's Spotlight official Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/vas_90s/status/1322004165002956800?lang=en |website=twitter.com |access-date=2022-11-26 |archive-date=2023-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230802004111/https://twitter.com/vas_90s/status/1322004165002956800?lang=en |url-status=live }}</ref> || Voice, recurring role (14 episodes) |- | rowspan="2" | 2012 || ''Touch'' || Farai || 1 episode |- | ''Unconditional'' || Macon || Film |- | 2012–2018 || ''Bravest Warriors'' || The Passenger ||Voice |- | rowspan="2" | 2014 || ''Sketch'' || Sketch || Short Film |- | ''Mind Games'' || Tyler || 1 episode |- | rowspan="2" | 2015 || ''Pocket Listing'' || Billy<ref>{{cite web |title=Pocket Listing Cast and Crew - Cast Photos and Info |url=https://www.fandango.com/pocket-listing-198106/cast-and-crew |website=www.fandango.com |access-date=2023-07-28 |archive-date=2023-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728012246/https://www.fandango.com/pocket-listing-198106/cast-and-crew |url-status=live }}</ref> || Film |- | ''Murder in the First'' || Kormega || 3 episodes |- | 2017 | ''Colony'' || Emmett<ref>{{cite web |title=Koshie Mills Presents THE DIASPORA DIALOGUES Live Tour 2019 |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Koshie-Mills-Presents-THE-DIASPORA-DIALOGUES-Live-Tour-2019-20191003Koshie |website=www.broadwayworld.com |access-date=2023-07-28 |archive-date=2023-07-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230728012538/https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Koshie-Mills-Presents-THE-DIASPORA-DIALOGUES-Live-Tour-2019-20191003Koshie |url-status=live }}</ref> || 3 episodes |- | 2018 | ''Claws'' || Malik<ref>{{cite web |title=Video: Abraham Attah, Kwesi Boakye In Official Trailer For Tazmanian Devil Movie |url=https://www.nydjlive.com/video-abraham-attah-kwesi-boakye-in-official-trailer-for-tazmanian-devil-movie/ |website=www.nydjlive.com |date=25 July 2020 |access-date=2023-07-28 |archive-date=2021-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623141842/https://www.nydjlive.com/video-abraham-attah-kwesi-boakye-in-official-trailer-for-tazmanian-devil-movie/ |url-status=live }}</ref> || 2 episodes |- | 2019 || ''Costume Quest'' || Benji Nichols || Voice, 3 episodes |- | 2020 || ''Tazmanian Devil'' || Ike<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Trailer for 'Tazmanian Devil' Film About a Nigerian Immigrant |url=https://www.firstshowing.net/2021/official-trailer-for-tazmanian-devil-film-about-a-nigerian-immigrant/ |website=firstshowing.net |date=25 January 2021 |access-date=2022-11-26 |archive-date=2022-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126040300/https://www.firstshowing.net/2021/official-trailer-for-tazmanian-devil-film-about-a-nigerian-immigrant/ |url-status=live }}</ref>|| Film |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|2173078}} * {{webarchive |date=2013-01-25 |url=https://archive.today/20130125152547/http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/3580394/Kwesi_Boakye |title=Kwesi Boakye at Hollywood.com}} * [http://www.blackcelebkids.com/tag/kwesi-boakye/ Kwesi Boakye at Blackcelebkids.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091211220349/http://www.blackcelebkids.com/tag/kwesi-boakye/ |date=2009-12-11 }} * [https://www.myspace.com/kwesiboakye Kwesi Boakye Official Myspace]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boakye, Kwesi}} Category:21st-century African-American male actors Category:21st-century African-American male singers Category:21st-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male singers Category:African-American male child actors Category:American male child actors Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male voice actors Category:American people of Ghanaian descent Category:Living people Category:Male actors from Los Angeles Category:Year of birth missing (living people)