Adepero Oduye
| Adepero Oduye | |
|---|---|
 Oduye at 2013 New York Film Festival | |
| Born | Brooklyn, New York, US |
| Nationality | Nigerian-American |
| Citizenship | Nigerian : American |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2002–present |
Adepero Oduye is an American actress, director, and writer.
Life and career
Adepero Oduye (pronounced “Add-eh-pair-o Oh-due-yay) was born in Brooklyn, New York, one of seven children to Nigerian parents. Although she graduated pre-med from Cornell University, she decided to pursue her passion for acting upon graduation.[1]
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.[2][3][1] 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.[4]
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.[5][6]
Oduye starred alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor in Steve McQueen’s historical drama 12 Years a Slave, winner of the 2014 Academy Award for Best Picture.[7][8] She also appeared in Ava DuVernay's short film The Door part of Miu Miu's ad campaign known as The Women's Tales.[9]
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.[10][11]
In 2015, she shared the screen with Steve Carell in Adam McKay’s comedy-drama The Big Short, which won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
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.[12] The film has garnered several film festival acknowledgments and awards.
Her upcoming projects include the sci-fi action film Geostorm and the American drama thriller The Dinner, starring Richard Gere.
Features
- Vanity Fair - Hollywood Issue Cover (2012)[13]
- The New York Times - Great Performances (2012)[14]
- Time Magazine - Great Performances (2012)[15]
- W Magazine - Best Performances issue (February 2012)[16]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Water | Woman | Short film |
| 2004 | Fall | Short film | |
| On the Outs | Adepero | ||
| 2005 | Law & Order | Traci Sands | TV series; Episode: "Birthright" |
| 2006 | Thee and a Half Thoughts | Bodega Woman | Short film |
| Half Nelson | Crack Smoker | ||
| The Tested | Mom | Short film | |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Jackie | TV series; Episode: "The War at Home" | |
| 2007 | Pariah | Alike | Short film |
| Wifey | Kadijah | TV film | |
| 2009 | Sub Rosa | Ayesha | Short film |
| If I Leap | Zipporah | Short film | |
| The Unusuals | Regina Plank | TV series; Episode: "The Circle Line" | |
| 2010 | This Is Poetry | Wife | Short film |
| Tags | Shayla Johns | Short film | |
| Louie | Tarese | TV series; Episode: "Dentist/Tarese" | |
| 2011 | Men in Love | Leo's Ex | Short film |
| Pariah | Alike | Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Denver Film Festival Rising Star Award Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead Nominated – NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Actress Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble | |
| 2012 | Steel Magnolias | Annelle Dupuy Desoto | TV film NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Nominated – Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2013 | The Door | L | Short film |
| 2013 | 12 Years a Slave | Eliza | Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2015 | My Name Is David | ||
| 2015 | Artemis Fall | Commander Aiden Collins | Short film |
| 2015 | Outliving Emily | Meg (Segment 5) | |
| 2015 | The Big Short | Kathy Tao | |
| 2017 | Geostorm | Adisa | |
References
- 1 2 Adepero Oduye- Biography Archived February 4, 2015, at the Wayback Machine., Yahoo!
- ↑ "The Power List: Adepero Oduye Primed For Hollywood Greatness". BlackVoices. HuffingtonPost. January 1, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
- ↑ Cath Clarke (January 26, 2012). "Hot Young Movie Stars: Adepero Oduye". The Guardian. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ↑ Oscars (2012-02-26), Meryl Streep Wins Best Actress: 2012 Oscars, retrieved 2016-03-16
- ↑ Nellie Andreeva, Queen Latifah, Alfre Woodard & Phylicia Rashad Lead The Cast Of Lifetime’s ‘Steel Magnolias’ Remake, Deadline.com, March 19, 2012
- ↑ Erin Strecker, Lifetime's 'Steel Magnolias' remake: Watch trailer here, Entertainment Weekly, June 3, 2012
- ↑ Ruth Negga Joins Cast Of "12 Years A Slave;" Adepero Oduye ("Pariah") Confirmed As Well, Shadow and Act, May 22, 2012
- ↑ "Style Crush – Nigerian Born American Actress, Adepero Oduye". Onobello. December 17, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ↑ ""The Door" by Ava DuVernay Women's Tales #5". Miu Miu. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
- ↑ Gold, Sylviane (2008-03-09). "A Girl Lost in a Chasm of Race". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
- ↑ "Adepero Oduye Will Succeed Condola Rashad in Broadway's Trip to Bountiful | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
- ↑ Obenson, Tambay A. "Watch: Adepero Oduye Highlights Police Harassment in New Short Film, 'Breaking In'". Shadow and Act. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
- ↑ Fair, Vanity. "The 2012 Hollywood Cover, Revealed: 11 Thoroughly Modern Actresses". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
- ↑ "Touch of Evil: Cinematic Villainy From the Year's Best Performers". Retrieved 2016-03-16.
- ↑ Matutschovsky, Natalie. "Oscars 2012: Great Performances". TIME.com. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
- ↑ "Best Performances". W Magazine. 2012-02-01. Retrieved 2016-03-16.