DAYO OKENIYI

The Hunger Games, released in 2012, was an immensely popular science fiction movie and was based on a Suzanne Collins novel by the same name. Those who saw the movie would recall that the main character ?Katniss Everdeen,? as played by Jennifer Lawrence was saved by ?Thresh?, a character played by Oladayo ?Dayo? Okeniyi. Okeniyi?s rise in Hollywood over a relatively short period of time has been nothing short of remarkable, even as he continues to build a growing fan base.

Okeniyi was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, where he began acting in elementary school. His father is a retired Nigerian customs officer, and his mother, from Kenya, was an English Literature teacher. Following his secondary education, he moved to the United States. He attended Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana, where he studied graphic design and advertising. Shortly after receiving his college education, Okeniyi relocated to Los Angeles, where he began his acting career. He is an example of hard work paying off. “When I headed to L.A., my parents gave me a deadline ? I had to make something of myself ?within a year or come home, sleep on the couch and get a real job. I landed The Hunger Games the last week of that year. I cut it really close. They were already reupholstering the couch,? he said in an interview with American Way.

While Okeniyi is probably still best known as the actor behind The Hunger Game?s character ?Thresh?, he continues to remain active in Hollywood. He is set to play Danny Dyson in Terminator: Genesis, the fifth installment in the Terminator series alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film is slated to be released in July 2015.

Image: Hungertimes