MaameYaa Boafo ( ) is a Pakistan-born Ghanaian-American actress and comedian.
Biography Boafo was born in Pakistan. She is of Ashanti (Ghanaian) ethnicity. She was raised in Sudan, Ethiopia, Geneva and Kenya, but is a citizen of Ghana. In 2001, after graduating from high school, Boafo travelled to the United States to study French and communication.
After graduating from Hood College in 2005, she received a scholarship to study acting at Rutgers University and earned her master's degree in 2009. Boafo did a study abroad semester at Marc Bloch University in Strasbourg, France.
Boafo made her acting debut as Asa in the 2012 short film Asa, A Beautiful Girl. In 2014, Boafo began portraying Nana Yaa in Nicole Amarteifio's web TV series An African City. Her character is a journalist who struggles to afford rent in Accra, analogous to Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. Boafo noticed the role on a Facebook page, and because she was travelling she sent a videotaped audition to Amarteifio, who called a week later.
In 2014, she starred in Bus Nut, an experimental short film in which she read the words from the trial of Rosa Parks. It premiered at the San Francisco Film Festival.
In 2015, Boafo had a small role in The Family Fang. She appeared in the short films New York, I Love You and Olive in 2016. From 2017 to 2018, she starred as Paulina in the play School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, which was inspired by Mean Girls.
Boafo was nominated for the Lucille Lortel Award and the Los Angeles Drama Circle Award for best actor, was nominated for a Drama League Award and won a Drama Desk Award for her performance. She played HIV patient Abena Kwemo in a 2018 episode of Chicago Med. In 2019, she played private investigator Briana Logan in the TV series Bluff City Law. Boafo portrayed Zainab in the TV series Ramy in 2020.
Boafo made a video in reaction to the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore titled "As Nina", as she reportedly bears a resemblance to the late singer Nina Simone. In addition to English, she speaks Twi.
Filmography Film + Year Title Role Notes2012 Asa, A Beautiful Girl Asa Kolawole Short film Tied & True Roda Azure II 2014 When It All Falls Down... Dominique Bus Nut 2015 The Family Fang College student 2016 New York, I Love You Viviane Short film Olive Ava Nuyame2017 Where Is Kyra? Casey The Blue Car Mother Short film Ibrahim Aminata
Television + Year Title Role Notes 2013–2018 Thru 25 Cassie 10 episodes2014 Madam Secretary Komoyo Episode: "The Call" An African City Nana Yaa Main cast 2014–2015 Deadstar Charice 2 episodes2015 American Odyssey Desk clerk Episode: "Bug Out" The Blacklist Lucinda Episode: "Marvin Gerard (No. 80)" The Mysteries of Laura Kimmie Episode: "The Mystery of the Maternal Instinct"2016 Conversating While Black Renee TV Pilot Beyond Complicated Camilla Episode: "As Told By Her 103" 2017 Iron Fist Female receptionist Episode: "Snow Gives Way" 2018 Chicago Med Abena Kwemo Episode: "Mountains and Molehills"2019 Theater Close Up Paulina Episode: "School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play" Bluff City Law Briana Johnson Main cast 2020 Ramy Zainab Recurring (season 2) 2021–2022 The Mysterious Benedict Society Rhonda Kazembe Main cast 2023 Extrapolations Lucy Adobo Episode: "2070: Ecocide"
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.2018Drama Desk AwardEnsemble AwardSchool Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls PlayDrama League AwardDistinguished PerformanceOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Actress in a PlayLucille Lortel AwardOutstanding Lead Actress in a Play2019Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle AwardLead Performance
References
External links MaameYaa Boafo at the Internet Movie Database