Uzo Aduba

Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba was born on February 10, 1981, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Nigerian parents and grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts. She is an alumna of Boston University, where she studied classical voice and competed in track and field. Her early career in theater began in 2003 with a performance in “Translations of Xhosa” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which earned her a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Play. She made her Broadway debut in 2007 as Toby in “Coram Boy” and was part of the original revival cast of “Godspell” from 2011 to 2012. Her first television appearance was in 2012 on “Blue Bloods.”

Aduba gained widespread recognition in 2013 for her role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in the Netflix series “Orange Is the New Black.” Her portrayal earned her significant acclaim, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014 and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2015. She is one of only two actors to win an Emmy in both comedy and drama categories for the same role. After the conclusion of “Orange Is the New Black,” Aduba continued to broaden her career. In 2020, she played Shirley Chisholm in the Hulu miniseries “Mrs. America,” which earned her another Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. In 2021, she starred as Dr. Brooke Taylor in the fourth season of HBO’s “In Treatment” and appeared in the Broadway production of “Clyde’s.” Her film work includes roles in “American Pastoral” (2016), “Lightyear” (2022), and “Painkiller” (2023).

Beyond her acting career, Aduba is involved in advocacy. In 2017, she received the Point Courage Award from the Point Foundation for her support of the LGBTQ community. In 2018, she became Heifer International’s first celebrity ambassador to Africa, engaging in field visits to Uganda to support the organization’s mission. She is also a minority investor in Angel City FC, a team in the National Women’s Soccer League, demonstrating her commitment to women’s sports. In 2024, she published her memoir, “The Road is Good: How a Mother’s strength became Her Daughter’s Purpose.”