| Birth date | c. c. 1968 |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Anthony Victor Okungbowa |
| Birth place | London, England |
| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater | Middlesex University |
| Occupation | Actor, film producer, DJ |
| Othername | Tony Okungbowa, DJ Tony O. |
| Yearsactive | 1994–present |
| Website | tonyokungbowa.com |
Anthony Victor Okungbowa (born c. 1967/1968)[1] is an English-American actor, film producer, and DJ. He was the resident DJ for The Ellen DeGeneres Show from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2008 to 2013 when he was replaced by Stephen "tWitch" Boss. He returned as a guest on April 28, 2014. Since 2019, Okungbowa has played Kofo in the CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola.
Early life
Okungbowa is of Nigerian descent and grew up in Nigeria and London.[2] He has a degree in drama from Middlesex University in Middlesex, London.[3] He moved to New York City in 1992 to do post-graduate work at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute; he left for Los Angeles in 1998.[1][3]
Career
The Ellen DeGeneres Show featured a DJ to provide musical accompaniment, a role Okungbowa began in 2003 and continued until the end of season three of the show in 2006, when he left to further his acting career.[4][5] He was replaced at the beginning of season four by Jon Abrahams, who is also an actor. Okungbowa returned in 2007 making occasional substitute appearances. He returned to DJ full-time for the sixth season which began September 8, 2008. He DJ'd for the 2004 Grammy Awards.
His acting roles include guest spots on The X-Files, NYPD Blue, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and NCIS: Los Angeles in 2014. He was executive producer of and acted in the film Restless City which had its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2011.[6] As of January 7, 2013 or earlier, Okungbowa became a naturalized citizen of the United States.[7]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | The Punk | Punk Friend #2 | |
| 2002 | The Wild Thornberrys Movie | Ranger | Voice |
| 2003 | Gate to Heaven | Amadou | |
| 2008 | Miracle of Phil | Seth | |
| 2009 | The One Last Time | Scarecow | |
| 2011 | Restless City | Bekay | |
| CIS: Las Gidi | The Tax Man | ||
| 2013 | Mother of George | Biyi | |
| 2014 | Echo Park | Alex | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999 | The X-Files | Barnes' Driver | Episode: "The Sixth Extinction" |
| 2000 | Arli$$ | Homeless Joe | Episode: "Where There's a Will" |
| 2001 | NYPD Blue | Tristan L. Gibbs | Episode: "Fools Russian" |
| 2001; 2010 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Diver/Dempsey | 6 episodes |
| 2003–06; 2008–13 | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Himself/DJ | 1,672 Episode |
| 2008 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Dr. Bakari | Episode: "Trials" |
| 2014 | NCIS Los Angeles | Bakari Deng | Episode: "Exposure" |
| 2015 | Kids Say the Darndest Things Nigeria | Himself/host | 2 episode |
| 2017 | Ballers | Dr. Dester | Episode: "Alley-Oops" |
| 2017 | Ray Donovan | Bolaji | Episode: "Horses" |
| 2019–2024 | Bob Hearts Abishola | Kofo | Main role |
| 2022 | YE![8] | Lenny | |
Discography
Mixed compilations
- 2005: Hollywood Sessions, Vol. 1
- 2009: Total Dance 2009
- 2012: "A Night to Remember"
References
- ^ King, Susan (January 8, 2006). "Putting his spin on TV talk". Los Angeles Times. Archived August 5, 2020 at the Wayback Machine.
Age: 38
(subscription required) - ^ "Biography: Anthony Okungbowa", TV.com.
- ^ "Actor / DJ". Tony Okungbowa official website. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013..
- ^ Kugel, Allison (June 1, 2006). "Tony Okungbowa: Resident Deejay on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Blazes His Own Trail in Hollywood". Tony Okungbowa. Archived February 2, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. – via PR.com.
- ^ Boone, Keyairah. "Former 'Ellen' DJs Speak Out About Their Experiences On The Set". ESSENCE. Retrieved 7 December 2025.
- ^ Anderson, John (February 1, 2011). "Review: 'Restless City'". Variety
- ^ "Tony is an American Citizen!". The Ellen DeGeneres Show. January 7, 2013. Archived 2021-12-17 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-02-03. – via YouTube
- ^ Otosirieze. "How Dakore Egbuson-Akande and Tony Okungbowa Traverse Trauma in YE!". Open Country Mag. Retrieved 7 December 2025.