# Saycon Sengbloh

Saycon Sengbloh (born October 23, 1977) is an American actress and singer. She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play and an Obie Award for Outstanding Performance for her role in Danai Gurira's play Eclipsed in 2016.

## Life and career

Sengbloh was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She first began acting at Tri-Cities School for the Visual and Performing Arts. Sengbloh then attended Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, where she studied music and Spanish before leaving to pursue a career in acting and music.

### Stage

Sengbloh has starred in a number of Broadway musicals, including Aida, Wicked (as a standby for Elphaba), The Color Purple, Hair, Fela!, Motown: The Musical, and Holler If Ya Hear Me. Her breakthrough came in 2015, when Danai Gurira cast Sengbloh in Eclipsed, a play about five Liberian women and their tale of survival near the end of the Second Liberian Civil War. It became the first play with an all-black and female creative cast and team to premiere on Broadway. Eclipsed opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater in October 2015 with positive reviews and ran until November 2015. The following year, it transferred to Broadway, premiering at the John Golden Theatre with an opening on March 6, 2016. Her performance received positive reviews from critics. She won Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for original Off-Broadway production, and Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play nomination for Broadway production.

### Television and film

Sengbloh made her screen debut playing opposite Kimberly Elise in the 1997 television film The Ditchdigger's Daughters. In 1999, she made her big screen debut appearing in the independent drama film Funny Valentines starring Alfre Woodard. She later played small parts in films Across the Universe and American Gangster. She also made guest appearances on television series including Law & Order and The Good Wife.
In 2017, Sengbloh was cast in a recurring role as Angela Webster for the sixth season of Shonda Rhimes' political drama Scandal. She played the role of Roberta in the 2018 historical drama film Ask for Jane. In 2021, she starred opposite Jennifer Hudson in the biographical drama film Respect playing Erma Franklin, the elder sister of Aretha Franklin. In 2021, it was announced that she would play lead role Lillian Williams in the reboot of the TV series, The Wonder Years.

### Miscellaneous

In 2019, Sengbloh launched a personal lifestyle podcast called SayconTalks.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1997 | The Ditchdigger's Daughters | Kimberly | TV movie |
| 1998 | Kismet | Sasha | Short |
| 1999 | Funny Valentines | Young Dearie B. | |
| 2007 | Across the Universe | Sadie's Singer | |
| 2007 | American Gangster | Tango's Woman | |
| 2008 | 44 | Sophie | Short |
| 2008 | The Prince of Motor City | Roz | TV movie |
| 2012 | Love & Squalor | Carly | Short |
| 2017 | Double Play | Nora | |
| 2018 | Ask for Jane | Roberta | |
| 2020 | A Shot Through The Wall | Community Organizer | |
| 2021 | Respect | Erma Franklin | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999 | Dawson's Creek | Conspiracy Theorist | Episode: "Escape from Witch Island" |
| 2008 | Law & Order | Nurse Jamie Peltzer | Episode: "Falling" |
| 2014 | The Good Wife | Stacie Wagner | Episode: "Dear God" |
| 2016 | The Night Of | Tombs Officer | Episode: "Subtle Beast" |
| 2017 | Scandal | Angela Webster | Recurring Cast: Season 6 |
| 2017 | Ten Days in the Valley | Diane | Episode: "Day 7" & "Day 8" |
| 2019 | The Passage | Jeanette Bellafonte | Episode: "You Are Like the Sun" |
| 2019-20 | In the Dark | Jules Becker | Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2 |
| 2021 | Delilah | Leah Dorsey | Recurring Cast |
| 2021-23 | The Wonder Years | Lillian Williams | Main Cast |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2016 | Tony Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Play | Eclipsed | Nominated |
| 2016 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Best Featured Actress in a Play | Eclipsed | Nominated |
| 2016 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Eclipsed | Won |
| 2020 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | The Secret Life of Bees | Nominated |