Shahadi Wright Joseph | |
|---|---|
Joseph at the Hairspray Live! event in 2016. | |
| Born | (2005-04-29)April 29, 2005 (age 20) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2013–present |
Shahadi Wright Joseph (born April 29, 2005)[1] is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is best known for her starring role inJordan Peele's horror filmUs (2019), the voice for Young Nala inJon Favreau's musical filmThe Lion King (2019),[1][2] as Ruby Lee Emory in the Amazon Prime original seriesThem (TV series) and Holiday Anders in the podcast, "Six Minutes".
Joseph was born inBrooklyn, New York.[3] She has been dancing since the age of two.[4] She once auditioned for a school play in third grade usingLupita Nyong'o'sAcademy Award acceptance speech.[5]
Joseph's first major acting role came when she was cast as youngNala in theBroadway musical adaptationThe Lion King, at nine years old.[4][6] Joseph appeared as Madison, an original cast member inAndrew Lloyd Webber's musical adaptationSchool of Rock. In 2016, she appeared as Little Inez Stubbs in theNBC musical television specialHairspray Live!, which earned positive reviews.[1]
In 2018, she began starring in the podcastSix Minutes. She plays the lead, Holiday.[7]
In November 2017, it was announced Joseph would reprise her role as youngNala inthe 2019 remake ofThe Lion King, directed byJon Favreau.[4] She chose to work on the film because she sees the character as a role model who inspires young girls.[8] Upon learning thatBeyoncé would be voicing grown-up Nala, Joseph stated that she was motivated to work harder and consider how Beyoncé would approach the role.[8]
Also in 2019, Joseph starred in the supernaturalhorror filmUs, which was directed byJordan Peele. She read for the dual role of Zora and Umbrae three times before being offered the part.[9] The film earned critical acclaim and was a box office success.[10][11] Her performance earned her numerous award nominations, including for aSaturn Award and aCritics' Choice Movie Award.
Joseph had a starring role as Ruby Lee Emory in theAmazon Prime Video horror drama seriesThem. The series was released in April 2021, to generally positive reviews.[12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Us | Zora Wilson / Umbrae | seeawards |
| 2019 | The Lion King | YoungNala (voice) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Hairspray Live! | Little Inez Stubbs | Television special |
| 2021, 2024 | Them | Ruby Lee Emory | 11 episodes |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Younger Actor | Us | Nominated | [13] |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Youth Performance | Nominated | [14] | ||
2020 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress | Nominated | [15] | |
| Breakthrough Performance - Female | Nominated | ||||
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | Best Young Actor/Actress | Nominated | [16] | ||
| Music City Film Critics Association | Best Young Actress | Nominated | [17] | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Breakthrough Role - Motion Picture | Nominated | [18] | ||
| Online Film & Television Association | Best Youth Performance | Nominated | [19] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Hollywood Critics Association | Next Generation of Hollywood | Herself | Won | [20] |