He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art but left early to join the cast of the BBC drama Spooks as journalist-cum-spy Ben Kaplan, the role for which he is best known.

Originally joining the Sony Street Team under Dj Semtex, he was given the opportunity to write for their promotional website and eventually for their magazine.

Lanipekun began freelancing more widely and was hired as the Entertainment Editor for Alexander Amosu's online magazine 'ICON' where he worked for eighteen months.

In 2009, Lanipekun played Danilo in Dimetos, by Athol Fugard, at the Donmar Warehouse with Jonathan Pryce, directed by Douglas Hodge.

The production received mixed reviews, but Charles Spencer of the Telegraph gave the play 5 stars, highlighting the central performances of Pryce and Anne Reid, as well as the young leads, Lanipekun and Holliday Grainger.

In series 2 of Jonathan Harvey's comedy Beautiful People, Lanipekun guest starred as the Jamaican personal trainer Tiger.

The same year, In series 2 of the BBC's Being Human, Lanipekun guest starred in the opening double episode, playing the character Saul.

In Autumn 2012, Lanipekun filmed Way To Go for BBC3 and the regular role of Steve for Comedy Central's new show Big Bad World, alongside Blake Harrison, Caroline Quentin and James Fleet.

Also in 2013, Alex guest starred in the Channel 4 comedy series London Irish, then played Michael in the Bafta Award-winning Writer/Director, Debbie Tucker Green's first feature Second Coming, alongside Idris Elba.

The reviews were generally positive, with Kate Bassett from The Times writing "Here's hoping that British theatregoers see more of Lanipekun, who is both magnetic and mercurial, switching in a flash between real tenderness and explosive rage".

Lanipekun plays the regular role of DC Sean Armitage alongside Kenneth Cranham in the BBC Radio 4, show The Interrogation, written by Roy Williams and directed by Mary Peate.

In 2018, Alex was part of the great ensemble cast, put together to tell the epic story of Homer's Iliad in Troy: Fall Of A City, playing the role of Pandarus.