Tamunoemi "Emi" Wokoma (born 1983 or 1984), is a Nigerian-British actress. She began her professional acting career in the late 1990s and has gone on to appear in productions including Cabaret, Golden Girls, Hello, Dolly!, Hairspray and Little Shop of Horrors. In 2012, she was cast as Tina Turner in Soul Sister, which earned her a nomination for the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actress in a Musical at their 2013 ceremomy, as well as being nominated for the Outstanding Newcomer accolade at the 2012 Standard Theatre Awards. Wokoma has also appeared in television series, including Casualty, Doctors and EastEnders as Daphne Fox.
Life and career Tamunoemi Wokoma was born in the 1980s in Nigeria. Her parents are Kalabari from Rivers State in southern Nigeria. Her mother worked as a cleaner and her father had multiple jobs. Wokoma's father died in 2012 and her mother in 2025. She also has a sister, fellow actress Susan Wokoma. The family moved to England as a child and spent time in Peckham, London, specifically on the now demolished North Peckham Estate. She then grew up in Canary Wharf in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Aged 9, she began singing, later joining the BRIT School aged 14. Aged 17, she sang in a motown band, before studying at the Guildford School of Acting. Wokoma is also a trained fitness instructor. Away from her acting, she has worked as the manager of a gym and competed as a professional bodybuilder, having represented the UK at the Arnold Sports Festival.
After beginning her stage career in 1999, Wokoma made numerous appearances in various productions including Cabaret as Sally Bowles, Golden Girls, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merry Widow, Is There Life After High School? and Hello, Dolly!, amongst others. In 2008, she made her television debut in the BBC Three sitcom Trexx and Flipside. In 2010, she appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She portrayed Daphne Fox, the sister of established characters Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Kim Fox (Tameka Empson). A year later, she appeared in fellow BBC series Casualty as a psychiatric nurse.
In 2012, Wokoma was cast as Tina Turner in Soul Sister. Critics praised her portrayal of Turner, with The Guardians Michael Hann writing that "stardom surely awaits" for Wokoma. Henry Hitchings, in his review for The Evening Standard, wrote: "the words "a star is born" can be hazardous, but Emi Wokoma, who plays Tina Turner in this 'bio-musical', is blessed with star quality and a voice that's rawly emotional yet also regal". Laura Thompson for The Daily Telegraph highlighted her, writing: "Wokoma is amazing, a strong-bodied yet vulnerable goddess. Singing fearlessly, and almost continually, she does a fine imitation of Tina Turner – that teetering sideways lean, those sexy washer-woman arms – but her performance goes way beyond the 'Tonight, Matthew, I will be...' of Stars in Their Eyes." The role earned her a nomination for the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actress in a Musical at their 2013 ceremomy, as well as being nominated for the Outstanding Newcomer accolade at the 2012 Standard Theatre Awards.
In 2015, Wokoma appeared in an episode of the BBC medical drama series Holby City. Following this, she made two appearances in fellow BBC series Doctors, in 2016 and 2017, respectively. In 2022, she appeared in another episode of Casualty, in a different role.
Stage Year Title Role 1999 Street Dance Productions Singer 2002 Cabaret Sally Bowles 2003 Golden Girls Muriel Farr 2004 Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice 2005 The Merry Widow Anna 2005 Is There Life After High School? Homecoming Queen 2005 Hello, Dolly! Dolly Levi 2005 The Mystery of Edwin Drood Princess Puffer 2006 Titanic Charlotte Cardoza 2006 Dancing in the Streets Gladys Knight / Tammi Tarrell 2006 Porgy and Bess 2007 Mass Carib Singer 2007–2008 The Bacchae Bacchae 2009, 2011 Drive Ride Walk J'Naysha 2009 One Dark Night 2009 Hairspray Cindy Watkins 2010 Little Shop of Horrors Ronette 2012–2013 Soul Sister Tina Turner 2013 Blues in the Night The Woman 2013 The Tina Turner Experience Tina Turner 2014 Memphis to Motown Lead Vocalist
Filmography Year Title Role Notes 2008 Trexx and Flipside Chinaza Main role 2010 EastEnders Daphne Fox Guest role 2011, 2022 Casualty Jackie Thornbury / Chase Coleman 2 episodes 2015 Holby City Talesha Chambers Episode: "When a Man Loves a Woman" 2016–2017 Doctors Jackie Dornan / Della Marke 2 episodes 2018 In the Long Run Lady in Launderette Guest role 2020 Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Gustafson Gate Guard Film 2021 Lagging Judith Recurring role
Awards and nominations Year Organisation Category Nominated work Result 2012 Standard Theatre Awards Outstanding Newcomer Soul Sister 2013 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Actress in a Musical Soul Sister
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