Jessica Oyelowo ( Watson; born 1978) is a British-American actress and singer.
Early life She was born Jessica Watson in Ipswich, and spent her childhood in Woodbridge, Suffolk. She attended Woodbridge School as a child and was a member of the National Youth Music Theatre.
Career In 2006, she starred as Detective Sergeant Alex Jones in Mayo, then went on to appear in Murphy's Law alongside James Nesbitt, in 2007. She provided the voice of Mrs. Equiano (alongside her husband as Olaudah Equiano) in Grace Unshackled – The Olaudah Equiano Story (a radio play adapting Equiano's 1789 autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano), first broadcast on BBC 7 on 8 April 2007.
Personal life
Oyelowo resides in Tarzana in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, US with her husband, actor David Oyelowo. They met while attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. They have four children. They formerly resided in Brighton, England.
Both she and her husband are committed Christians.
Oyelowo and her husband became naturalised US citizens on 20 July 2016.
As the wife of a Yoruba tribal prince, Oyelowo is entitled to the honorific style Olori. She currently does not use it.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1999Sleepy HollowSarah2004Churchill: The Hollywood YearsPrincess Margaret2005It's a Boy!MaryVideo short2009Big GuyBear VendorShort2010Alice in WonderlandWoman with Large Poitrine in Red Queen Court2011RahabRahabShort2015CaptiveMeredith MacKenzie2016After the StormShort; director, writer and producerNinaNurseLady Lilly Canning2019Sorry, Not SorryAbbyShort2020The Water ManMissus BakemeyerAlso composed and performed several songs
Television Year Title Role Notes1999Unfinished BusinessFloraEpisodes: "2.4", "2.6"1999People Like UsEmmaEpisode: "The Photographer"2000Madame BovaryFeliciteTV miniseries2000Reach for the MoonClaire JonesEpisode: "This Means Nothing to Me"2000Don Quixote1st HandmaidenTV film2000IsobelTV film2001Lee Evans: So What Now?Episode: "Swinger"2002Helen WestRose DarveyEpisodes: "Deep Sleep", "Shadow Play"2003Make-up ArtistTV film2004HexRachel McBainEpisode: "Pilot: The Story Begins"2006MayoAlex JonesMain role2007Murphy's LawJackie ColeEpisodes: "Food Chain: Parts 1-3"2008InseparableCamille HuttonTV film2011Off the MapChloeEpisode: "Smile. Don't Kill Anyone."2012Childrens HospitalMotherEpisode: "British Hospital"2023Lawmen: Bass ReevesRachel ReevesEpisode: "Part I"; also Executive Producer
Stage work Cyrano de Bergerac (as Roxanne) at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, 2006 Ana in Love (play) at Hackney Empire for Inside Intelligence 2007 As You Like It (Rosalind) for Inside Intelligence 1997, her professional debut
References
External links
Mayo at BBC