Early Life
William Benson was born on 25 March 1970 in Lagos, Nigeria. His journey into performance began in secondary school at Kosofe College, when a visiting drama instructor cast him as “Baba 70” in a stage piece based on Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. That early experience launched him into the industry. He went on to study English Language and Literature at the University of Lagos, building an academic foundation alongside his growing stage career.
Career
William Benson spent his early years in theatre and radio drama before formally entering film and television. He gained wide recognition for his commanding role as General Apeh in the TV series “Ajoche,” and went on to build a filmography spanning three decades, including “The Herbert Macaulay Affair” (2019), in which he portrayed the historical nationalist figure, “Love Is War” (2019), “Crime and Justice Lagos” (2022), “Obara’M” (2022), “A Green Fever” (2023) and “House of Ga’a” (2024).
His defining role came as Efemini “Efe” Edewor, the chilling antagonist in Kemi Adetiba’s Netflix series “To Kill a Monkey” (2025), a performance that introduced him to a much wider audience and became the role most associated with his name. The performance earned him a nomination for Best Lead Actor at the 12th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards in 2026, part of one of the most competitive Best Lead Actor fields in the ceremony’s history, alongside Lateef Adedimeji, Mike Ezuruonye and Wale Ojo. He has continued working steadily since, with further 2025 and 2026 credits including “Dead Tide” and “IYI: The Hearse Driver.”
Benson has spoken about his approach to acting as rooted in quiet, sustained craft rather than chasing visibility, describing his career as built on authenticity and a deep commitment to storytelling. In mid-2026, he also became a talking point online after responding publicly to comments from content creator Peller regarding the cast of “To Kill a Monkey.”
Personal Life
Beyond acting, William Benson works as a theatre director, playwright and producer, and has spoken about his passion for researching Nigeria’s cultural heritage and identifying gaps in how that history is told on stage and screen.
With an AMVCA nomination, a defining Netflix role, and three decades of theatre and screen work behind him, William Benson remains one of Nollywood’s most respected character actors.
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