Adepero Oduye facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Adepero Oduye
Oduye at the New York Film Festival, October 8, 2013
Born	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Education	Cornell University
Occupation	Actor director singer writer
Years active	2002–present

Adepero Oduye is an American actress, director, singer, and writer. She is famous for her roles in movies like Pariah (2011), 12 Years a Slave (2013), The Big Short (2015), and Widows (2018).

Adepero Oduye's Journey to Acting

Adepero Oduye was born in Brooklyn, New York. She is one of seven children, and her parents are from Nigeria. Even though she studied to become a doctor at Cornell University, she decided to follow her dream of acting after she graduated.

Early Career and Big Break

Adepero's big chance came in 2011. She starred in an independent film called Pariah, directed by Dee Rees. This movie was loved by critics and won many awards. Adepero herself received several awards and was nominated for Best Female Lead at the Independent Spirit Awards. Even famous actress Meryl Streep mentioned Adepero's amazing performance in Pariah during an awards speech!

The next year, Adepero joined a cast of well-known actors in a TV movie remake of Steel Magnolias. She played the role of Annelle Dupuy-Desoto.

Major Film Roles and Directing Debut

In 2013, Adepero acted alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor in the historical drama 12 Years a Slave. This movie, directed by Steve McQueen, won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2014. She also appeared in a short film called The Door, which was part of a fashion ad campaign.

In 2014, Adepero tried something new: she directed her first short film, Breaking In. This film was about a young Black man's first experience with being stopped by the police. It was based on a real experience her brother had. The film received many awards and recognition at film festivals.

Broadway and Recent Work

Adepero has also performed in many plays. She made her debut on Broadway, which is a famous theater district in New York City. She acted alongside the legendary actress Cicely Tyson in the play The Trip To Bountiful.

In 2015, Adepero co-starred with Steve Carell in the comedy-drama The Big Short. This movie won an Academy Award for its screenplay. In 2017, she appeared in the thriller The Dinner with Richard Gere. In 2018, she was in the movies Geostorm and Widows. In 2019, she played the activist Nomsa Brath in the TV miniseries When They See Us. More recently, she appeared in the miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in 2021 and Five Days at Memorial in 2022. In 2024, she was in the miniseries Eric.

Adepero Oduye's Film and TV Appearances

Adepero Oduye has been in many films and television shows. Here are some of them:

Films

Television Shows

Magazine Features

Adepero Oduye has been featured in several well-known magazines:

• Vanity Fair – Hollywood Issue Cover (2012)
• The New York Times – Great Performances (2012)
• Time – Great Performances (2012)
• W – Best Performances issue (February 2012)

See also

In Spanish: Adepero Oduye para niños