Oluwakemi Nina Sosanya (born 6 June 1969) is an English actress and narrator. She is most notable for her roles in Teachers, W1A, and Last Tango in Halifax.
Early life and education Oluwakemi Nina Sosanya was born in 1969 in Islington, London, to a Nigerian father and an English mother.
For a short time, she attended the Vale of Catmose College in Oakham and later trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
Career Sosanya has appeared in many roles in the theatre, on television and in films. Her first big break in theatre was in Anthony and Cleopatra at the National Theatre, and in television with the 2001 series Teachers when she appeared as English teacher Jenny Paige. She also appeared in Sorted, People Like Us, Love Actually, Nathan Barley, Renaissance, Casanova, as Karen Blaine in the Jonathan Creek episode "The Three Gamblers", Much Ado About Nothing, Cape Wrath/Meadowlands, the Doctor Who episode "Fear Her", and FM.
Sosanya appeared as Colly Trent in series 2 of the BBC television drama Five Days. She appeared in the BBC Four television series Twenty Twelve, a comedy about the London 2012 Olympic build up, and the BBC One drama series Silk and Hustle. She also made a brief appearance in the children's CBBC science fiction series, Wizards vs Aliens as Benny Sherwood's mother, Trisha.
Sosanya played the character Alibe Silver in Treasure Island (2012). She played a main character, Kate McKenzie, in series 1–3 of the BBC original drama Last Tango in Halifax during 2012–2015, and a main character, Lucy Freeman, in the TV series W1A in 2014. In 2015, she starred with Catherine Tate and Mark Gatiss in a new play, The Vote, in the run-up to the UK 2015 general election. In 2016, Sosanya appeared as DCI Laura Porter in the ITV series Marcella.
She appeared as Sister Mary Loquacious in the first series of Good Omens in 2018. It was announced in January 2022 that she would be reappearing in the second series. In season 2, she appeared as Nina. Neil Gaiman, the writer and showrunner, confirmed that the character was named Nina as he had always planned for her to be played by Sosanya.
In 2019, Sosanya narrated the CBeebies bedtime TV series, Moon and Me which is set in a toy house and follows the lives of toylike characters: Moon Baby, Pepi Nana, Sleepy Dibillo, Lambkin, Little Nana, Mr. Onion and Collywobble. There are 50 episodes.
In 2021, it was announced that she had been cast as lead warden Leigh in Channel 4 drama, Screw. It was broadcast in January 2022.
Theatre In 2003, she played Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. In 2008, she returned to the RSC to play Rosaline in Love's Labour's Lost and, in 2009, appeared in a radio adaptation of a story from the short story collection The State of the Art. In January 2010, Sosanya appeared as Mae Pollock in Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Novello Theatre, London. In 2014, she appeared in the world premiere production of Privacy at the Donmar Warehouse, London. In 2016, she appeared in the world premiere production of Elegy at the Donmar Warehouse. In 2024, she appeared in Alexander Zeldin's play The Other Place at the National Theatre.
Audiobooks Sosanya reads the part of Sephy on the audio book versions of Malorie Blackman's Noughts and Crosses series. She plays the lead in the audio adaptation of the 2000ad sci-fi comic series Brink.
Personal life Sosanya mentioned a male partner on The Graham Norton Show in 2020.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1992 The Bill Linda Episode: "World to Rights" Prime Suspect 2 Joanne Fagunwa Television film 1994 Hercules and the Amazon Women Chilla Television film 1999 Jonathan Creek Karen Blaine Episode: "The Three Gamblers"2000 Doctors Jasmine Episode: "Late Action Hero" Urban Gothic Ezili/Gabrielle Episode: "Deptford Voodoo" 2001 People Like Us Cassie Pearson 2 episodes 2001–2002 Teachers Jenny Paige 18 episodes 2002 The Jury Marcia Thomas 6 episodes2003 Serious & Organised Emma Brown Episode: "1.3" The Debt DI Kate Jaspers TV film Code 46 Anya Love Actually Annie Nominated – Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast2005 The Afternoon Play Claire Cotton Episode: "The Good Citizen". Radio play Nathan Barley Sasha 5 episodes No Angels Maggie McDonald Episode: "2.2" Casanova Bellino 3 episodes Manderlay Rose Lie Still Veronica ShakespeaRe-Told Margaret Episode: "Much Ado About Nothing"2006 Renaissance Reparez Voice Doctor Who Trish Webber Episode: "Fear Her" Sorted Nancy 6 episodes Wide Sargasso Sea Christophine Television film2007 Kitchen Christine Television film Reichenbach Falls Sinead Burns Television film Cape Wrath Samantha 8 episodes Sold Kate Episode: "1.1"2008 Messiah: The Rapture Sarah Templar Bonekickers Rachel Episode: "The Cradle of Civilisation"2009 FM Jane Edwards 6 episodes Framed Marnie Pope Television film 2010 Five Days Colly Trent 5 episodes2011 Twenty Twelve Nina Christiani TV series (1 episode: "Episode No. 1.2") Silk Kate Brockman TV series (6 episodes)2012 Hustle Linda Runcorn Episode: "Curiosity Caught the Kat" Treasure Island Alibe Silver Television film Vera Chief Superintendent Rachel Waite Episode: "The Ghost Position" Silent Witness DS Brooks 2 episodes Lewis Lilian Hunter Episode: "The Indelible Stain" 2012–2013 Wizards vs Aliens Trisha Sherwood 5 episodes 2012–2015 Last Tango in Halifax Kate McKenzie 18 episodes2014 Shetland Willow Reeves Episodes: "Dead Water, Parts 1 & 2" W1A Lucy Freeman 10 episodes2015 The Vote Laura Williams Play; broadcast live on TV You, Me and the Apocalypse U.S. Marshall Tess Carter 3 episodes2016David Brent: Life on the Road Dr Vivienne Keating Marcella DCI Laura Porter 8 episodes2017 You, Me and Him Dr. Parks Nile Rodgers: How to Make it in the Music Business Narrator 3 episodes Strike Back: Retribution Colonel Adeena Donovan 10 episodes The Highway Rat Duck (voice) Television film2018 Killing Eve Jess 4 episodes Hilda Additional voices 13 episodes; voice only Women on the Verge Katie 6 episodes2019 Moon and Me Narrator 50 episodes Red Joan Ms Hart – Special Branch Thunderbirds Are Go Asher (voice) Episode: "SOS - Part 1" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Maudra Mera (voice) Episode: "By Gelfling Hand..." 2019–2022 His Dark Materials Elaine Parry 6 episodes 2019, 2023 Good Omens Sister Mary Loquacious (season 1) Nina (Season 2) 2 episodes (season 1) All 6 episodes (season 2)2020 Make Me Famous Stephanie Television film Brave New World Mustafa Mond 9 episodes Staged Jo 4 episodes Little Birds Lili von X 6 episodes Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse Anne Landy Television film 2021–2022Staged Herself 2022 Brian and Charles Pam 2022–2023Screw Leigh Henry 12 episodes 2023 The End We Start From G 2024 Baby Reindeer Liz 7 episodes2025Man vs. BabyDianaEpisode: "Chapter 1"2026Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy BottomVet (voice) Quentin Blake's Box of Treasures Angela Bowling (voice) Post-production
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