Adepero Oduye ( ) is an American actress, director, singer, and writer. She is known for Pariah (2011), 12 Years a Slave (2013), The Big Short (2015), and Widows (2018).
Life and career Adepero Oduye was born in Brooklyn, New York, one of seven children of Nigerian parents. Although she graduated pre-med from Cornell University, she decided to pursue her passion for acting upon graduation.Adepero Oduye- Biography , Yahoo!
Oduye's breakout role came in 2011 when she starred in Dee Rees' critically acclaimed and award-winning independent film Pariah, for which she received several awards and a nomination for Best Female Lead at the Independent Spirit Awards. During her Golden Globe acceptance speech for The Iron Lady, Meryl Streep mentioned some of her favorite performances of the year, highlighting Oduye in Pariah. The following year, she joined an all-star cast in the Steel Magnolias television remake as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto, a role originated by Daryl Hannah.Nellie Andreeva, Queen Latifah, Alfre Woodard & Phylicia Rashad Lead The Cast Of Lifetime's 'Steel Magnolias' Remake, Deadline Hollywood, March 19, 2012Erin Strecker, Lifetime's 'Steel Magnolias' remake: Watch trailer here , Entertainment Weekly, June 3, 2012
In 2013, Oduye co-starred alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor in Steve McQueen's historical drama 12 Years a Slave, winner of the 2014 Academy Award for Best Picture.Ruth Negga Joins Cast Of "12 Years A Slave;" Adepero Oduye ("Pariah") Confirmed As Well , Shadow and Act, May 22, 2012 She also appeared in Ava DuVernay's short film The Door part of Miu Miu's ad campaign known as The Women's Tales. In 2014, she made her directorial debut with Breaking In, a short film about a young black man's first time being stopped and frisked by the NYPD, based on her brother's early experience. The film garnered several film festival acknowledgments and awards.
After several lead roles in regional theater productions, including Eclipsed and The Bluest Eye, Oduye made her Broadway debut opposite Cicely Tyson in Horton Foote's The Trip To Bountiful.
In 2015, Oduye co-starred with Steve Carell in Adam McKay's comedy-drama The Big Short, which won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2017, she co-starred in the drama thriller The Dinner, with Richard Gere. In 2018, she appeared in films Geostorm and Widows. In 2019, she played activist Nomsa Brath in the Ava DuVernay's miniseries When They See Us.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2002 Water Woman Short film 2004 Fall Short film On the Outs Adepero 2006 Thee and a Half Thoughts Bodega Woman Short film Half Nelson Crack Smoker The Tested Mom Short film 2007 Pariah Alike Short film 2009 Sub Rosa Ayesha Short film If I Leap Zipporah Short film 2010 This Is Poetry Wife Short film Tags Shayla Johns Short film 2011 Men in Love Leo's Ex Short film Pariah Alike Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough PerformanceAfrican-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough PerformanceDenver Film Festival Rising Star AwardNominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Female LeadNominated – NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Motion PictureNominated – Black Reel Award for Best ActressNominated – Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble 2013 The Door L Short film 12 Years a Slave Eliza African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best EnsembleNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureNominated — Gold Derby Award for Best Ensemble CastNominated — Seattle Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Cast 2015 My Name Is David His Date Artemis Fall Commander Aiden Collins Short film Outliving Emily Meg (Segment 5) The Big Short Kathy Tao Nominated — Gold Derby Award for Best Ensemble Cast 2017 Geostorm Adisa The Dinner Nina 2018 Galveston Loraine Wanderland ANAIS – The Master of the Wind Widows Breechelle Viper Club Keisha 2020 Tazmanian Devil Elizabeth Ayodele2020ImitationNkemShort film2021Out/Side of TimeDaughter 32Short film
Television Year Title Role Notes 2005 Law & Order Traci Sands 1 episode 2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Jackie 1 episode 2007 Wifey Kadijah Television film 2009 The Unusuals Regina Plank 1 episode 2010 Louie Tarese 1 episode 2012 Steel Magnolias Annelle Dupuy Desoto Television filmNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic SpecialNominated – Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress2017-2019The FeelsIfe5 episodes 2018 Random Acts of Flyness Aunt Denise 2 episodes 2019 When They See Us Nomsa Brath Miniseries, 3 episodes 2020 Monsterland Amy Cooke Episode: "Newark, New Jersey" 2021 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Sarah Wilson Miniseries, 5 episodes 2022 Five Days at Memorial Karen Wynn Miniseries 2024 Eric Cecile Miniseries
Features Vanity Fair – Hollywood Issue Cover (2012) The New York Times – Great Performances (2012) Time – Great Performances (2012) W – Best Performances issue (February 2012)
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