Moses Ingram | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ingram at the2024 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | |
| Education | Baltimore City Community College (AA) Yale University (MFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2018–present |
Moses Ingram is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Jolene in theNetflix miniseriesThe Queen's Gambit (2020). For this role, she was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.[1] She is also known for her role as Reva Sevander/the Third Sister in theDisney+ miniseriesObi-Wan Kenobi (2022).
Ingram grew up inBaltimore[2] in ablended family of six children; her mother worked at childcare and her stepfather worked in city operations. At age 10, her mother and a teacher at Windsor Hills Elementary enrolled her in an after-school theater program.[1] She later attended theBaltimore School for the Arts,[1][3] graduating in 2012.[4]
Due to financial limitations, Ingram declined an offer to attendHoward University and enrolled atBaltimore City Community College in 2012. Although Baltimore City did not have a drama program, she was encouraged by her advisor to continue acting and audition for local plays. She also took on multiple part-time jobs and scholarships to fund her schooling. She graduated with an associate degree.[1]
In 2015, she won a regional competition from theNational Society of Arts and Letters, and finished fourth in the nationals. The winner of that competition,Jonathan Majors, encouraged her to audition for theYale School of Drama. She was accepted with scholarship support and enrolled in the fall of 2016.[1]
Before starting Yale, she renamed herselfMoses, after the biblical figure. "So when we got to school [Yale] they wanted us to register our names because this is the first time they would be publicized so people can see them. And before I got to Yale I had, had such a time just trying to make things work that my name just didn’t feel suited. So I prayed and asked God, 'What is it? I know it's not my name now, but it is something.' And a few days later, I just heard Moses in my head and that was it."[5]
She received aPrincess Grace Award in 2018.[6] In her final year at Yale, Ingram received rave reviews for her lead performance asViola in an Afrocentric version ofWilliam Shakespeare'sTwelfth Night.[7] She graduated with herMaster of Fine Arts in June 2019.[1]
A month after commencement, she auditioned inNew York City for a role inThe Queen's Gambit and landed the role of Jolene, who is Beth's friend from the orphanage in the series.[1][3] For her role, she was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.[8]
Ingram next appeared inPeter Hedges' ensemble dramaThe Same Storm[9] and asLady Macduff inJoel Coen'sThe Tragedy of Macbeth,[10] which premiered at theNew York Film Festival in September 2021. In 2022, she appeared inMichael Bay'sAmbulance,[11] Noting her Emmy nomination and these roles,Variety named her one of ten actors to watch for 2021.[12]
Ingram appeared in theDisney+Star Wars spin-off miniseriesObi-Wan Kenobi as Reva Sevander / the Third Sister, an Inquisitor who works to hunt down surviving Jedi after Order 66. For her role as Reva Sevander in that series, Ingram received hundreds ofdirect messages onInstagram containing death threats and racist abuse which she revealed examples of on May 31, 2022. This prompted Disney and her colleagues, includingEwan McGregor, to defend her.[13][14] McGregor, in a video posted to the officialStar Wars social media accounts, called the abusive messages "horrendous" and said that "if you’re sending her bullying messages, you’re noStar Wars fan in my mind".[15] For her performance in the miniseries, she received theSaturn Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Television Series.
She will next appear in twoApple TV+ miniseries:Lady in the Lake oppositeNatalie Portman, andThe Big Cigar, starringAndré Holland.[16][17] In March 2023, she joined the cast ofJoshua Oppenheimer'sThe End.[18]
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The Tragedy of Macbeth | Lady Macduff | Joel Coen | |
| The Same Storm | Audre Robinson | Peter Hedges | ||
| 2022 | Ambulance | Amy Sharp | Michael Bay | |
| 2023 | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt | Josie | Raven Jackson | |
| 2024 | The End | Girl | Joshua Oppenheimer | |
| TBA | Untitled Kathryn Bigelow film | Kathryn Bigelow | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Queen's Gambit | Jolene | 4 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie |
| 2022 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Reva Sevander/ Third Sister | 6 episodes Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series Nominated—Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Actress in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series |
| 2024 | The Big Cigar | Terresa Dixon | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Lady in the Lake | Cleo Sherwood | Miniseries, 7 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Sweat | Cynthia | Iseman Theatre, Yale |
| 2019 | Twelfth Night | Viola | Yale Repertory Theatre |