Eka Darville
Many fans knew Eka Darville from his memorable turns on shows like "Empire" (Fox, 2014-) and "Jessica Jones" (Netflix, 2015-). The Australian native knew from an early age that his creative impulses would one day determine his career, and he spent much of his childhood learning about music, dance, and theater. While Darville didn't spend much time with his biological father, reggae musician Ray Darwin, his mother and stepfather fostered a sense of creativity and adventure in Darville, even relocating the family to a West African village for a year when he was five. Encouraged by an inspiring drama teacher, Darville began going out for professional auditions after finishing high school, soon landing a role on the Australian teen drama series "Blue Water High" (ABC1, 2005-). He followed this with a string of starring roles on series "Power Rangers R.P.M." (ABC, 2009-), "Spartacus: War of the Damned" (Starz, 2010-13), and "The Elephant Princess" (Network Ten, 2008-2011). Darville began making waves in the U.S. when he was cast in the "Vampire Diaries" (CW, 2009-17) spinoff, "The Originals" (CW, 2013-) in 2013. Within two years, he had landed a recurring role on the acclaimed hip-hop themed drama "Empire" and a starring role on the superhero-themed crime drama "Jessica Jones."