Adepero Oduye
American Actress, Director, Singer, and Writer
| Date of Birth | : | 11 Jan, 1978 |
| Place of Birth | : | Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Profession | : | American Actress, Director |
| Nationality | : | American |
| Social Profiles | : |
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Adepero Oduye is an actress who has appeared in many films, including 12 Years a Slave and Pariah. Her first major role was in the 2006 film, Half Nelson. She has also appeared in TV shows, including episodes of Louie and Law & Order.
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.
Movies
- 12 Years a Slave in 2013
- The Door in 2013
- My Name Is David in 2015
- The Big Short in 2015
- Geostorm in 2017
- The Dinner in 2017
- Widows in 2018
- Viper Club in 2018
- Tazmanian Devil in 2020
Quotes
Total 18 Quotes
My first audition was an open call and I had no picture and no resume - that's how clueless I was. I just thought I could show up.
I would come to L.A. for a job, but I love New York.
I want to tell authentic, real stories with real characters.
I think L.A. is beautiful.
I have a Twitter handle, but I never sign on.
I took acting classes in my senior year in college and I loved it.
The reason why I found acting is because my father passed away. He passed away really young. I was going to go to med school. My father's dream was that all of his kids become doctors. I realized in school I didn't like it. When he died, it was like a wake-up call. Life is too short to do something you don't want to do.
Adepero Oduye
Dream
Father
Life Is Too Short
Kids
School Acting
Passed
Away Reason
Too Short
I Realized
Wake Up
Call Wake Up
Young Father
Passed Away
Died
Reason Why
Wake-up Call
My intention is to do more films.
