Sophie Okonedo | |
|---|---|
 Okonedo in 2015 | |
| Born | (1968-08-11)11 August 1968 (age 57) London, England |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1991–present |
Sophie Okonedo (born 11 August 1968) is a British actress and narrator. The recipient of aTony Award, she has been nominated for anAcademy Award, threeBAFTA TV Awards, anEmmy Award, twoLaurence Olivier Awards, and aGolden Globe Award. She was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2010 Birthday Honors andCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in2019 New Year Honors, both for services to drama.[1][2]
Having trained at theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art she starred asCressida in the 1999Royal National Theatre production ofTroilus and Cressida. She made herBroadway debut portraying Ruth Younger in the 2014 revival ofLorraine Hansberry'sA Raisin in the Sun for which she won theTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. She returned to Broadway asElizabeth Proctor in the 2016 revival ofArthur Miller'sThe Crucible for which she was nominated for her second Tony Award. She returned to the stage portrayingCleopatra from 2018 to 2019 in the National Theatre production ofAntony and Cleopatra for which she was nominated for theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Actress.
She began her film career in the British coming-of-age dramaYoung Soul Rebels (1991) before appearing inAce Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995), andStephen Frears'sDirty Pretty Things (2002). Herbreakthrough role was asTatiana Rusesabagina inHotel Rwanda (2004) for which she received anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. She continued acting in films such asÆon Flux (2005),Martian Child (2007),The Secret Life of Bees (2008),Skin (2008),Christopher Robin (2018),Wild Rose (2018), andDeath on the Nile (2022).
For her television work she earnedGolden Globe Award nomination for the miniseriesTsunami: The Aftermath (2006), threeBAFTA TV Award nominations forMrs. Mandela (2010),Criminal Justice (2010) andCriminal: UK (2021). She was also nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for her guest role inRatched (2020). She is also known forFather & Son (2009),The Hollow Crown (2016),Wanderlust (2018), andFlack (2019–2020).
Okonedo was born on 11 August 1968[3][4][5] in London, the daughter of Joan (née Allman), a JewishPilates teacher who was born in theEast End of London, and Henry Okonedo (1939–2009), aBritish Nigerian[6] who worked for the government.[7][8][9] Okonedo's maternal grandparents, who spokeYiddish, were from families that had emigrated from Poland and Russia. Okonedo was raised in her mother's Jewish faith.[10][11][12][13]
Her father left when Okonedo was five years old, returning to Nigeria and starting a new family.[14] Her mother raised her in theChalkhill Estate, part of theWembley Park district in theLondon Borough of Brent.[6] She then trained at theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art.[15]
She has worked in a variety of media including film, television, theatre and audio drama. She performed inScream of the Shalka, awebcast based on theBBC television seriesDoctor Who asAlison Cheney, acompanion ofthe Doctor. As well as providing the character's voice, Okonedo's likeness was used for the animation of the character. In 2010, Okonedo portrayed Liz Ten (Queen Elizabeth X) in the BBC TV seriesDoctor Who episodes "The Beast Below" and again briefly in "The Pandorica Opens".
Okonedo played the role of Jenny inDanny Brocklehurst'sBAFTA TV Award nominated episode ofPaul Abbott's seriesClocking Off. She also played the role of Tulip Jones in the filmStormbreaker (2006) and Nancy in the television adaptation ofOliver Twist (2007). She is also known for playing the role of the Wachati Princess inAce Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995). In October 2017,Michael Caton-Jones stated that, in 1998, he had chosen Okonedo to star inB. Monkey. However, the film's producer,Harvey Weinstein, banned this because the actress did not meet his personal sexual preference.[16]
She was nominated for anAcademy Award in the category ofBest Supporting Actress for her role as Tatiana Rusesabagina inHotel Rwanda (2004) and nominated for aGolden Globe Award for a Lead Actress in a Miniseries for her work inTsunami: The Aftermath (2006). She played alongsideQueen Latifah,Jennifer Hudson,Alicia Keys andDakota Fanning as May Boatwright, a woman who struggles with depression, in the filmThe Secret Life of Bees (2008); oppositeSam Neill andAlice Krige asSandra Laing inSkin (2009); and portrayedWinnie Mandela in the BBC dramaMrs. Mandela broadcast in January 2010.[17]
In 2014 she appeared onBroadway as Ruth Younger in the revival ofA Raisin in the Sun. She won theTony Award, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for this role, beating out co-star and fellow nomineeAnika Noni Rose.[18][19] In 2016, Okonedo returned to Broadway inIvo van Hove's production ofArthur Miller'sThe Crucible at theWalter Kerr Theatre asElizabeth Proctor oppositeBill Camp,Tavi Gevinson,Jason Butler Harner,Ciarán Hinds,Jim Norton,Saoirse Ronan,Thomas Jay Ryan andBen Whishaw.[20] Also in 2016, Okonedo appeared asQueen Margaret in the second season of the BBC'sThe Hollow Crown, an adaptation of theShakespearean playsHenry VI, Part I,II,III andRichard III. She performed in the role of Stevie in the 2017 West End revival of the existentialist playThe Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, byEdward Albee. Directed byIan Rickson and also starringDamian Lewis as Martin, the production's first preview was on 24 March 2017, opening night on 5 April 2017, and final performance on 24 June 2017, at theTheatre Royal Haymarket.
In May 2013, Okonedo played the role of Hunter in a BBC radio production of Neil Gaiman'sNeverwhere, adapted by Dirk Maggs. She portrayedSiuan Sanche in the television seriesThe Wheel of Time from 2021 to 2025.[21] In 2024 she was nominated for an Olivier Award forBest Actress for playing thetitle role inMedea at the@sohoplace.[22]
Okonedo has one daughter, from a relationship she had with Irish film editor Eoin Martin,[14] and lives inMuswell Hill, London. On her heritage, Okonedo has said, "I feel as proud to be Jewish as I feel to be Black" and calls her daughter an "Irish, Nigerian Jew".[23] As of 2023, Okonedo is married to Jamie Chalmers, a builder, and is the stepmother of his two children.[24]
Okonedo was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2010 Birthday Honours[25] andCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2019 New Year Honours, both for services to drama.[26]
In December 2024, Okonedo received the Richard Harris Award at the 2024 BIFAs.[27]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Young Soul Rebels | Tracy | |
| 1995 | Go Now | Paula | |
| Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls | The Wachati Princess | ||
| 1997 | The Jackal | Jamaican Girl | |
| 1999 | This Year's Love | Denise | |
| Mad Cows | Rosy | ||
| 2000 | Peaches | Pippa | |
| 2002 | Dirty Pretty Things | Juliette | |
| 2003 | Cross My Heart | Marsee | |
| 2004 | Hotel Rwanda | Tatiana Rusesabagina | |
| 2005 | Æon Flux | Sithandra | |
| 2006 | Stormbreaker | Mrs. Jones | |
| Scenes of a Sexual Nature | Anna | ||
| 2007 | Martian Child | Sophie | |
| 2008 | The Secret Life of Bees | May Boatwright | |
| Skin | Sandra Laing | ||
| 2013 | After Earth | Faia Raige | |
| 2014 | War Book | Philippa | |
| 2018 | Christopher Robin | Kanga | Voice role |
| Wild Rose | Susannah | ||
| 2019 | Hellboy | Lady Hatton | |
| 2021 | Charlotte | Ottilie Moore | Voice |
| 2022 | Death on the Nile | Salome Otterbourne | Drama / Mystery |
| Catherine Called Birdy | Ethelfritha Rose Splinter of Devon | Adventure | |
| Raymond & Ray | Kiera | Comedy / Drama | |
| 2023 | Heart of Stone | Nomad | Crime / Thriller |
| Janet Planet | Regina | Drama | |
| 2024 | 10 Lives | Grace (voice) | Animation |
| TBA | Mouse | TBA | Post-production |
| † | Denotes productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Age of Treason | Niobe | TV movie |
| 1995 | The Governor | Moira Levitt | 6 episodes |
| 1996 | Staying Alive | Kelly Booth | 12 episodes |
| Murder Most Horrid | Rachel | Episode: "Dead on Time" | |
| Deep Secrets | Honey | TV movie | |
| 2000 | In Defence | Bernie Kramer | 4 episodes |
| Never Never | Jo Weller | TV movie | |
| 2001 | Sweet Revenge | Ellen | |
| 2002 | Clocking Off | Jenny Wood | 5 episodes |
| Dead Casual | Donna | TV movie | |
| 2003 | The Inspector Lynley Mysteries | Eve Bowen | Episode: “In the Presence of the Enemy” |
| Spooks | Amanda Roke | 1 episode; uncredited | |
| Alibi | Marcey Burgess | TV movie | |
| Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka | Alison Cheney | Voice role; 6 episodes | |
| 2004 | Whose Baby? | Karen Jenkins | TV movie |
| 2005 | Born with Two Mothers | Lucretia Bridges | |
| 2006 | Celebration | Sonia | |
| Tsunami: The Aftermath | Susie Carter | Miniseries | |
| 2007 | Oliver Twist | Nancy | |
| Racism: A History | Narrator | ||
| 2009 | Father & Son | Connie Turner | Miniseries; 4 episodes |
| Criminal Justice | Jackie Wolf | Miniseries; 5 episodes | |
| 2010 | Mrs. Mandela | Winnie Mandela | TV movie |
| Doctor Who | Liz Ten | 2 episodes: "The Beast Below" and "The Pandorica Opens" | |
| 2011 | The Slap | Aisha | Miniseries |
| 2012 | Sinbad | Razia | Episode: “Queen of the Water-Thieves” |
| 2013 | Mayday | Fiona | Miniseries |
| The Escape Artist | Margaret 'Maggie' Gardner | ||
| 2015 | The Stranger on the Bridge | Narrator | TV movie |
| 2016 | Undercover[28] | Maya Cobbina | Miniseries |
| The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses | Margaret, Queen Consort of England | Miniseries; 3 episodes | |
| 2017 | Thailand: Earth’s Tropical Paradise | Narrator | Documentary |
| Concorde: A Supersonic Story | |||
| 2018 | Wanderlust | Angela Bowden | 4 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | Flack | Caroline | 12 episodes |
| 2019 | Chimerica | Tessa Kendrick | 4 episodes |
| 2020 | Criminal: UK | Julia Bryce | 1 episode |
| Ratched | Charlotte Wells | 3 episodes | |
| His Dark Materials | Xaphania | Voice role; 4 episodes | |
| Alien Worlds | Narrator | Documentary | |
| 2021–2025 | The Wheel of Time | Siuan Sanche | 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Modern Love | Liz | Episode: “Second Embrace, With Hearts And Eyes Open” |
| Britannia[29] | Hemple | Season 3 | |
| 2022 | Inside No. 9 | Katrina | Episode: "Nine Lives Kat" |
| 2022–2023 | Slow Horses | Ingrid Tearney | 7 episodes |
| 2025 | The Scarecrows’ Wedding | Narrator | Upcoming animated television film[30] |
| Year | Title | Playwright | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Haunted Child | Joe Penhall | Julie | Royal Court (London, UK)[31] |
| 2014 | A Raisin in the Sun | Lorraine Hansberry | Ruth | Ethel Barrymore Theater, (New York City)[32] |
| 2016 | The Crucible | Arthur Miller | Elizabeth Proctor | Walter Kerr Theater (New York City)[33] |
| 2017 | The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? | Edward Albee | Stevie Gray | Theatre Royal Haymarket (London, UK)[34] |
| 2018 | Antony and Cleopatra | William Shakespeare | Cleopatra | Royal National Theatre (London, UK) |
| 2023 | Medea | Euripides | Medea | @sohoplace (London, UK)[35] |
She also took on the role of Siuan in The Wheel of Time (2025).
| Film and Television Awards | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Award | Year | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | 2005 | Best Supporting Actress | Hotel Rwanda | Nominated | |
| BAFTA TV Awards | 2010 | Best Leading Actress | Mrs. Mandela | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actress | Criminal Justice | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Criminal: UK | Nominated | |||
| Black Reel Awards | 2005 | Best Actress-Drama | Hotel Rwanda | Won | [36] |
| 2008 | Best Ensemble | The Secret Life of Bees | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||||
| 2010 | Best Actress | Skin | Nominated | ||
| British Independent Film Awards | 2003 | Best Supporting Actress | Dirty Pretty Things | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Skin | Best Actress | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | 2007 | Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie | Tsunami: The Aftermath | Nominated | |
| Hollywood Film Festival | 2008 | Ensemble Acting of the Year | The Secret Life of Bees | Won | |
| NAACP Image Awards | 2005 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Hotel Rwanda | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie/Mini-Series | Tsunami: the Aftermath | Won | ||
| 2009 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | The Secret Life of Bees | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | Skin | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2020 | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | Ratched | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2004 | Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role | Hotel Rwanda | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Ensemble in a Motion Picture | Nominated | ||||
Theatre Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play | A Raisin in the Sun | Won | [18] |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Nominated | [37] | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Nominated | [38] | ||
| 2016 | Tony Award | Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play | The Crucible | Nominated | [39] |
| 2018 | Evening Standard Theatre Award | Best Actress | Antony and Cleopatra | Won | [40] |
| Critics’ Circle Theatre Award | Best Shakespearean Performance | Won | [41] | ||
| 2019 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actress | Nominated | [42] | |
| 2023 | Evening Standard Theatre Award | Best Actress | Medea | Nominated | [43] |
| 2024 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actress | Nominated | [44] |
Audio
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Audie Awards | Audiobook of the Year | Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales | Won | [45][46] |
| Multi-Voiced Performance |
