Sophie Okonedo

Sophie Okonedo OBE (born 11 August 1968) is an English film, theatre and television actress. She began her film career in the British coming-of-age drama Young Soul Rebels (1991) before appearing in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls(1995) and Stephen Frears's Dirty Pretty Things (2002).
Okonedo's breakthrough performance came in 2004, when she co-starred in the film Hotel Rwanda as Tatiana Rusesabagina, the wife of Rwandan hotel manager and humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina, portrayed by American actor Don Cheadle. For this role, she became the third black Briton, and second black female Briton to receive an nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005. She later received a Golden Globe Award nomination for the miniseries Tsunami: The Aftermath(2006) and BAFTA TV Award nominations for the drama series Criminal Justice(2009) and the television film Mrs. Mandela (2010). Her other film roles include Æon Flux (2005), Skin (2008), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), and Christopher Robin (2018).
On stage, Okonedo starred as Cressida in the 1999 Royal National Theatreproduction of Troilus and Cressida. She made her Broadway debut in the 2014 revival of A Raisin in the Sun and received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Ruth Younger.
Okonedo was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2010 Birthday Honours.
== Early life ==
Okonedo was born on 11 August 1968[1][2][3] in London, the daughter of Joan (née Allman), a Jewish Pilates teacher who was born in the East End of London, and Henry Okonedo (1939–2009), a British Nigerian[4] who worked for the government.[5][6][7][8] Okonedo's maternal grandparents, who spoke Yiddish, were from families that had emigrated from Poland and Russia. Okonedo was raised in her mother's Jewish faith.[9][10][11] When she was five years old, her father left the family,[12] and she was brought up in relative poverty by her single mother ("but we always had books", she has said).[13]
== Career ==
Okonedo trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.[14] She has worked in a variety of media including film, television, theatre and audio drama. She performed in Scream of the Shalka, a webcast based on the BBC television series Doctor Who as Alison Cheney, a companion of the Doctor. As well as providing the character's voice, Okonedo's likeness was used for the animation of the character. In 2010, Okonedo portrayed Liz Ten (Queen Elizabeth X) in the BBC TV series Doctor Who episodes "The Beast Below" and again briefly in "The Pandorica Opens".
Okonedo played the role of Jenny in Danny Brocklehurst's BAFTA TV Awardnominated episode of Paul Abbott's series Clocking Off. She also played the role of Tulip Jones in the film Stormbreaker (2006) and Nancy in the television adaptation of Oliver Twist (2007). She is also known for playing the role of the Wachati Princess in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995).
She was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her role as Tatiana Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (2004) and nominated for a Golden Globe Award for a Lead Actress in a Miniseries for her work in Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006).
She played alongside Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Dakota Fanning as May Boatwright, a woman who struggles with depression, in the film The Secret Life of Bees (2008); opposite Sam Neill and Alice Krige as Sandra Laing in Skin (2009), and portrayed Winnie Mandela in the BBC drama Mrs. Mandela broadcast in January 2010.[15]
In May 2013, Okonedo played the role of Hunter in a BBC radio production of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, adapted by Dirk Maggs.
She appeared in 2014 on Broadway in the revival of A Raisin in the Sun as Ruth Younger. She won the Tony Award, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for this role, beating out co-star and fellow nominee Anika Noni Rose.[16][17] In 2016, Okonedo returned to Broadway in Ivo van Hove's production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible at the Walter Kerr Theatre as Elizabeth Proctor opposite Bill Camp, Tavi Gevinson, Jason Butler Harner, Ciarán Hinds, Jim Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Thomas Jay Ryan and Ben Whishaw.[18] Also in 2016, Okonedo appeared as Queen Margaret in the second season of the BBC's The Hollow Crown, an adaptation of the Shakespearean plays Henry VI, Part I, II, III and Richard III.
She recently performed in the role of Stevie in the 2017 West End revival of the existentialist play The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, by Edward Albee. Directed by Ian Rickson and also starring Damian Lewis as Martin, the production's first preview was on 24 March 2017, opening night on 5 April 2017, and final performance on 24 June 2017, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
In October 2017, Michael Caton-Jones revealed that, in 1998, he had chosen Okonedo to star in B. Monkey. However, the producer, Harvey Weinstein, decided the actress was not "fuckable". [19]
== Honours ==
Okonedo was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.[20]
== Personal life ==
Okonedo has one daughter named Aoife, from a previous relationship with Irish film editor Eoin Martin.[21] They live in Muswell Hill, London. On her heritage, Sophie says, "I feel as proud to be Jewish as I feel to be black" and calls her daughter an "Irish, Nigerian Jew".[22]
== Awards and nominations ==
* Academy Awards
** 2005, Best Supporting Actress (Hotel Rwanda) [nominated]
* BAFTA TV Awards
** 2010, Best Leading Actress (Mrs. Mandela) [nominated]
** 2010, Best Supporting Actress (Criminal Justice) [nominated]
* Black Reel Awards
** 2005, Best Actress-Drama (Hotel Rwanda) [winner]
** 2008, Best Ensemble (The Secret Life of Bees) [nominated]
** 2008, Best Supporting Actress (The Secret Life of Bees) [nominated]
** 2010, Best Actress (Skin) [nominated]
* British Independent Film Awards
** 2003, Best Supporting Actress (Dirty Pretty Things) [nominated]
** 2009, Best Actress (Skin) [nominated]
* Golden Globe Awards
** 2007, Best Actress in a Mini-Series/Television Movie (Tsunami: The Aftermath) [nominated]
* Hollywood Film Festival
** 2008, Ensemble Acting of the Year (The Secret Life of Bees) [winner]
* NAACP Image Awards
** 2005, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Hotel Rwanda) [nominated]
** 2007, Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie/Mini-Series (Tsunami: the Aftermath) [winner]
** 2009, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (The Secret Life of Bees) [nominated]
** 2010, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Skin) [nominated]
* Screen Actors Guild Awards
** 2005, Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Hotel Rwanda) [nominated]
** 2005, Outstanding Ensemble in a Motion Picture (Hotel Rwanda) [nominated]
* Tony Awards
** 2014, Best Featured Actress in a Play (A Raisin in the Sun) [winner]
** 2016, Best Actress in a Play (The Crucible) [nominated]
* London Evening Standard Theatre Awards
** 2018, Best Actress (Antony and Cleopatra) [winner]
== Theatre ==
Year	Title 	Role 	Venue 	Notes
2014	A Raisin in the Sunby Lorraine Hansberry 	Ruth 	Ethel Barrymore Theater, (New York City)[23]	Tony Awards - Best Featured Actress in a Play - winner
2011	Haunted Child by Joe Penhall 	Julie 	Royal Court(London, UK)[24] 	
2016	The Crucible by Arthur Miller 	Elizabeth Proctor	Walter Kerr Theater (New York City)[25] 	Tony Awards - Best Actress in a Play - nominated
2017	The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? by Edward Albee	Stevie Gray 	Theatre Royal Haymarket(London, UK)[26] 	
2018	Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare	Cleopatra 	Royal National Theatre (London, UK) 	
== Filmography ==
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1991	Young Soul Rebels 	Tracy 	
1993	Age of Treason 	Niobe 	(TV film)
1995	The Governor 	Moira Levitt 	(TV series)
1995	Go Now 	Paula 	
1995	Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls 	The Wachati Princess 	
1996	Staying Alive 	Kelly Booth 	(TV series)
1996	Deep Secrets 	Honey 	(TV film)
1997	The Jackal 	Jamaican Girl 	
1999	This Year's Love 	Denise 	
1999	Mad Cows 	Rosy 	
2000	In Defence 	Bernie Kramer 	(TV series)
2000	Peaches 	Pippa 	
2000	Never Never 	Jo Weller 	(TV film)
Nominated – Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor – Female
2001	Sweet Revenge 	Ellen 	(TV film)
2002	Clocking Off 	Jenny Wood 	(TV series; 1 episode)
2002	Dead Casual 	Donna 	(TV film)
2002	Dirty Pretty Things 	Juliette 	
2003	Cross My Heart 	Marsee 	
2003	The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 	Eve Bowen 	(TV series; Series 2, Episode 2 "In the Presence of the Enemy")
2003	Spooks 	Amanda Roke 	(TV series; 1 episode)
2003	Alibi 	Marcey Burgess 	(TV film)
2003	Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka 	Alison Cheney 	(Animated story; 6 episodes)
2004	Hotel Rwanda 	Tatiana Rusesabagina 	Black Reel Award for Best Actress
Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated – London Critics Circle Film Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2004	Whose Baby? 	Karen Jenkins 	(TV film)
2005	Born with Two Mothers 	Lucretia Bridges 	(TV film)
2005	Æon Flux 	Sithandra 	
2006	Celebration 	Sonia 	(TV film)
2006	Stormbreaker 	Mrs. Jones 	
2006	Scenes of a Sexual Nature 	Anna 	
2006	Tsunami: The Aftermath 	Susie Carter 	(TV miniseries)
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film
2007	Martian Child 	Sophie 	
2007	Oliver Twist 	Nancy 	(TV miniseries)
2007	Racism: A History 	Narrator 	(TV miniseries)
2008	The Secret Life of Bees 	May Boatwright 	Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
2008	Skin 	Sandra Laing 	Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Actress
Nominated – British Independent Film Award for Best Actress
Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
2009	Father & Son 	Connie Turner 	(TV miniseries; 4 episodes)
2009	Criminal Justice 	Jackie 'Jack' Wolf 	(TV miniseries; 5 episodes)
Nominated – BAFTA Television Award for Best Supporting Actress
2010	Mrs. Mandela 	Winnie Mandela 	(TV film)
Nominated – BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress
2010	Doctor Who 	Liz Ten 	(TV series; 2 episodes)
2011	The Slap 	Aisha 	(TV series)
2012	Sinbad 	Razia 	(TV series)
2013	Mayday 	Fiona 	(TV series)
2013	After Earth 	Faia Raige 	
2013	The Escape Artist 	Margaret 'Maggie' Gardner 	(TV series)
2014	War Book 	Philippa 	
2015	The Stranger on the Bridge[27] 	Narrator 	(TV movie)
2016	Undercover[28] 	Maya Cobbina 	(TV series)
2016	The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses[29]	Margaret, the Queen Consort of England	(TV miniseries; 3 episodes)
2018	Christopher Robin 	Kanga 	Voice role
2019	Hellboy 	Lady Hatton 	
2020	Space Bros. for Life 	Norissa 	Voice role
2022	Death on the Nile 	Salome Otterbourne 	
2022	Catherine Called Birdy 	Ethelfritha Rose Splinter of Devon 	
2022	Raymond & Ray 	Kiera 	
2023	Heart of Stone 	Nomad 	
2023	Janet Planet 	Regina 	
Category:Voice actors
Category:Voice actresses
Category:1968 births
Category:20th-century British Jews
Category:20th-century English actresses
Category:21st-century British Jews
Category:21st-century English actresses
Category:People from Wembley
Category:Actresses from London
Category:Alumni of RADA
Category:Audiobook narrators
Category:English Ashkenazi Jews
Category:Black British actresses
Category:Black Jewish people
Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Category:English film actresses
Category:English people of Nigerian descent
Category:English people of Polish-Jewish descent
Category:English people of Russian-Jewish descent
Category:English television actresses
Category:English voice actresses
Category:Jewish English actresses
Category:Living people
Category:Actors from the London Borough of Haringey
Category:Theatre World Award winners
Category:Tony Award winners
Category:Actors from the London Borough of Brent
Category:People from Muswell Hill