Winston Duke

Winston Duke, a Tobagonian actor, was born on 15 November 1986 in the village of Argyle, Tobago. At the age of nine, he and his family moved to Brooklyn. Duke attended Brighton High School in Rochester and he later earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University at Buffalo and a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama. He debuted his acting career with minor roles in theatre productions and recurring roles in TV series such as Person of Interest (2014–2015) and Modern Family (2016). Later on, he gained prominence after playing M'Baku in the highly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe films (2018–2022). His success continued with leading roles in the horror film Us (2019), Nine Days (2020), Spenser Confidential (2020), and The Fall Guy (2024).

In his early years, Winston showed restaurant customers to their seats, learning how to charm strangers. After moving to Brooklyn, he attended a public primary school in Crown Heights, often visiting the local library and comic book store post-classes. He graduated from Brighton High School in Rochester, New York, in 2004 and later pursued theater arts at the University at Buffalo and Yale School of Drama. He initiated his acting career in theatre productions for Portland Stage Company and Yale Repertory Theatre, followed by small roles in various TV series. Duke shone in his role as M'Baku in the Black Panther and was subsequently cast in the Avengers series. He is also known for starring in the blockbuster horror film Us and Netflix thriller Spenser Confidential.