Introduction
Adepero Oduye (/ˌædəˈpɛroʊ oʊˈduːjeɪ/ AD-ə-PERR-oh oh-DOO-yay) (born January 11, 1978) is an American actress, director, singer, and writer. She is known for Pariah (2011), 12 Years a Slave (2013), The Big Short (2015), and Widows (2018).
Life and career
Adepero Oduye was born in Brooklyn, New York, one of seven children of Nigerian parents. Although she graduated pre-med from Cornell University, she decided to pursue her passion for acting upon graduation.
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. 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. 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.
In 2013, Oduye co-starred alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor in Steve McQueen’s historical drama 12 Years a Slave, winner of the 2014 Academy Award for Best Picture. She also appeared in Ava DuVernay's short film The Door part of Miu Miu's ad campaign known as The Women's Tales. In 2014, 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. The film has garnered several film festival acknowledgments and awards.
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.
In 2015, Oduye co-starred with Steve Carell in Adam McKay’s comedy-drama The Big Short, which won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2017, she co-starred in the drama thriller The Dinner, with Richard Gere. In 2018, she appeared in films Geostorm and Widows. In 2019, she played activist Nomsa Brath in the Ava DuVernay's miniseries When They See Us.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Water | Woman | Short film |
| 2004 | Fall | Short film | |
| On the Outs | Adepero | ||
| 2006 | Thee and a Half Thoughts | Bodega Woman | Short film |
| Half Nelson | Crack Smoker | ||
| The Tested | Mom | Short film | |
| 2007 | Pariah | Alike | Short film |
| 2009 | Sub Rosa | Ayesha | Short film |
| If I Leap | Zipporah | Short film | |
| 2010 | This Is Poetry | Wife | Short film |
| Tags | Shayla Johns | Short film | |
| 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 | |
| 2013 | The Door | L | Short film |
| 12 Years a Slave | Eliza | African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated — Gold Derby Award for Best Ensemble Cast Nominated — Seattle Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Cast | |
| 2015 | My Name Is David | His Date | |
| Artemis Fall | Commander Aiden Collins | Short film | |
| Outliving Emily | Meg (Segment 5) | ||
| The Big Short | Kathy Tao | Nominated — Gold Derby Award for Best Ensemble Cast | |
| 2017 | Geostorm | Adisa | |
| The Dinner | Nina | ||
| 2018 | Galveston | Loraine | |
| Widows | Breechelle | ||
| Wanderland | ANAIS – The Master of the Wind | Short film | |
| 2020 | Tazmanian Devil | Elizabeth Ayodele |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Law & Order | Traci Sands | Episode: "Birthright" |
| 2006 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Jackie | Episode: "The War at Home" |
| 2007 | Wifey | Kadijah | TV film |
| 2009 | The Unusuals | Regina Plank | Episode: "The Circle Line" |
| 2010 | Louie | Tarese | Episode: "Dentist/Tarese" |
| 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 |
| 2019 | When They See Us | Nomsa Brath | Miniseries |
| 2021 | The Falcon and the Winter Soldier | Sarah Wilson | Miniseries |