Biography - Isaach de Bankolé

Who is Isaach de Bankolé?

Isaach de Bankolé is an actor by profession and Ivorian, French, and American by nationality. He is best known for starring in the films Casino Royale, Black Panther, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Isaach de Bankolé – Age, Parents, Siblings

Isaach de Bankolé’s birth took place on 12 August 1957 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. His birth name is Zachari Bankolé. His parents were of Yoruba ethnic tribe from the Republic of Benin while his grandparents are Nigerian. There are no details when it comes to his mother’s or his father’s name. Also, nothing is known about his siblings, if he has any.

Education, Ethnicity

In 1975 De Bankolé moved to Paris for his last year of lycée- a secondary education. He went on to study and earn a master's degree in physics and mathematics.

His ethnicity is Yoruba- one of the three largest West African ethnic groups and they mainly inhabit parts of Benin, Togo, And Nigeria.

Isaach de Bankolé – Girlfriend, Wife, Children, Divorce

In 2000, De Bankolé married his longtime girlfriend Cassandra Wilson. She is a musician. Their marriage did not last long- he and his wife divorced in 2003. They did not have any children together.

Currently, Isaach de Bankolé is believed to be a single man.

Isaach de Bankolé – Career

Early Days

After earning his Master’s degree, Isaach de Bankolé went to an aviation school from where he earned a private pilot license. He was eventually discovered by French director Gérard Vergez who encouraged him to join one of the oldest French theatre training centers for actors called René-Simon drama course or Simon course.

De Bankolé’s debut role was in the 1984 film Asphalt Warriors where he played a minor character. This was followed by appearances in the films Comment draguer tous les mecs (1984), Noir et Blanc (1986), Lady Cops (1987), Chocolat (1988), How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired (1989), Down to Earth (1994), A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998), Otomo (1999), to name a few.

He was also active in theatre from the mid-1980s to the late 1980s.

Films, TV Series

Since 2000, Isaach de Bankolé has worked in the TV movies Heart of Darkness (1993), 24: Redemption (2008), etc, and in the episode(s) of TV series The Sopranos (2001), The Unit (2006), 24 (2009), White Collar (2014), Sacred Lies (2018), Godfather of Harlem (2021), among others.

Moreover, his work is prominent in the film industry. He has starred in the films 3 A.M. (2001), From Other Worlds (2004), The Skeleton Key (2005), Casino Royale (2006), The Fifth Patient (2007), The Limits of Control (2009), Mother of George (2013), Mirage (2014), Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (2016), Black Panther (2018), French Exit (2020), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), to name a few.

Co-stars

On the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Isaach de Bankolé has worked with Tenoch Huerta, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, and Florence Kasumba.

Isaach de Bankolé – Awards, Nominations

For his work in the 1886 film Black Mic Mac, Isaach de Bankolé was awarded the César Award for Most Promising Actor. Moreover, he has been nominated for the 2014 Trophées du Cinema - Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film Run.

Isaach de Bankolé – Net Worth, Salary

The figure on the net worth and annual salary of Isaach de Bankolé is under review and will be updated.

Isaach de Bankolé – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

On social media handles, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and De  Bankolé are followed by thousands of followers and counting.