Adjoa Andoh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adjoa Andoh
MBE HonFRSL
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Andoh in 2009
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| Born |
Adjoa Aiboom Helen Andoh
14 January 1963 |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Howard Cunnell
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 3 |
Adjoa Andoh is a talented British actress. She was born on January 14, 1963. Many people know her for playing Lady Danbury in the popular Netflix show Bridgerton. She has been in this show since 2020.
Adjoa Andoh has also appeared in other well-known TV shows. These include Doctor Who, where she played Francine Jones. She was also in 90 episodes of the medical drama Casualty and the soap opera EastEnders. On stage, she has performed in lead roles for famous theatre companies. These include the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.
In 2009, Adjoa Andoh made her first big Hollywood movie. She played Brenda Mazibuko, who was Nelson Mandela's chief of staff. She acted alongside Morgan Freeman, who played Mandela, in the movie Invictus. She has also been in other feature films. In July 2022, she became an honorary member of the Royal Society of Literature. In June 2025, she received an award called the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
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Early Life and Education
Adjoa Aiboom Helen Andoh was born in Clifton, Bristol, England. Her mother was English and worked as a teacher. Her father was from Ghana and was a journalist and musician. Adjoa also has a brother.
She grew up in a place called Wickwar in Gloucestershire. Her family moved there after her father got a job with British Aerospace. Adjoa went to Katharine Lady Berkeley's School. After school, she started studying law at Bristol Polytechnic. However, she left after two years to follow her dream of becoming an actress.
Acting Career
Adjoa Andoh has had a long and successful career in acting. She has worked in films, television, radio, and theatre.
Film Roles
Adjoa Andoh has appeared in several movies. In 2008, she was in Noel Clarke's film Adulthood. She also appeared in its sequel, Brotherhood, in 2016. In these films, she played the mother of the main character, Sam Peel.
One of her most important film roles was in Clint Eastwood's 2009 drama Invictus. She played Brenda Mazibuko, the chief of staff for Nelson Mandela. She acted opposite Morgan Freeman, who played Mandela. Adjoa has said this was one of her favorite roles.
Television Appearances
Adjoa Andoh has a long list of television roles. She played Colette Griffiths in the show Casualty from 2000 to 2003. She also appeared in Jonathan Creek and EastEnders. In EastEnders, she played a jazz singer named Karen in 1991.
She has been in Doctor Who several times. In 2006, she played Sister Jatt in "New Earth". She also voiced Nurse Albertine in an audio drama. In 2007, she appeared in many episodes as Francine Jones. Francine was the mother of Martha Jones, played by Freema Agyeman. Adjoa returned to this role in the series 4 finale.
Other TV work includes playing the head of M.I.9 in M.I. High. She also played D.C.I. Ford in Missing. In the American streaming show Bridgerton (2020), she plays Lady Danbury. She also had a guest role as Mother Nenneke in the second season of The Witcher (2021). In April 2023, she narrated The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor. This was an ITV documentary series about the British royal family.
In 2021, it was announced that she was working on a TV show. It is based on Vanessa Riley's novel, The Island Queen. She also narrated Chateau DIY on Channel 4 starting in 2021. In 2024, Adjoa Andoh starred in a Christmas advertisement for Boots. She played the character of "Mrs. Claus."
Radio and Audio Work
Adjoa Andoh is also known as the "Queen of audio and radio drama." She has narrated over 150 audiobooks. She was part of the BBC's Radio Drama Company. She narrated an audiobook version of Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. She also narrated Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch Series.
She has narrated children's books by Julia Jarman. These include The Jessame Stories and More Jessame Stories. She also narrated Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor. Another audiobook she narrated was Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She also narrated The Power by Naomi Alderman. This book was a favorite of former President Barack Obama in 2017.
In audio dramas, she was the Voice of Planet B in the science fiction series Planet B. In 2004, she lent her voice to the video game Fable. In 2017, she voiced war chief Sona in the video game Horizon Zero Dawn. In 2020, she directed an audio project called Nina Simone's Four Negro Women.
Theatre Performances
Adjoa Andoh has worked a lot in theatre. She signed her first acting contract in 1985. This was with Theatre Centre, a company that makes plays for young people. In 1989, she played Glory in a play called Glory. She has said this was one of her favorite roles.
Her theatre roles include His Dark Materials and Stuff Happens. These were performed at the National Theatre. She has also performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in plays like Troilus and Cressida and Julius Caesar. Other notable plays include Richard II at the Globe Theatre.
In 2019, she co-directed a production of Richard II at Shakespeare's Globe. This was the first time this play was performed in the UK with an all-female cast of color. Critics praised the production. Adjoa also said this role was one of her most satisfying. In 2023, she directed and starred in Richard III. This play was performed at Liverpool Playhouse and Rose Theatre Kingston. She was the only Black actress in the cast. This was to highlight the main character's feeling of being different.
Service to the Arts
Adjoa Andoh is an Associate Artist for the Royal Shakespeare Company. She is also a Senior Associate Artist at the Bush Theatre. She has helped judge many awards. These include the Women's Prize for Playwriting in 2020. She was also a judge for the Booker Prize in 2023.
She has helped judge the Carleton Hobbs Award. She also co-founded the Future Worlds Prize. This prize is for science fiction writers of color. In 2023, she hosted an event at the Black to the Future Festival in London.
Honours and Recognition
Adjoa Andoh teaches at the Royal Academy of Arts (RADA) and Rose Bruford College. In 2021, Rose Bruford College named her an Honorary Fellow. They called her "a national treasure of the performing arts."
Also in 2021, she was named an Honorary Fellow of the British Shakespeare Association. She was also a Visiting Professor at St. Catherine's College, University of Oxford. In 2022, she was chosen to be part of the Royal Society of Literature. In June 2025, Adjoa Andoh was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This award was for her great contributions to drama.
Personal Life
Adjoa Andoh met her husband, Howard Cunnell, in 1994. They met at a bookshop where her theatre company had an office. They have been together since late 1995 and married in 2001. They have two children together. Adjoa also has a daughter from a previous relationship. Howard Cunnell has worked as a lecturer, writer, and lifeguard. As of 2022, the couple lives in Sussex.
In October 2009, Adjoa Andoh became a licensed lay minister in the Church of England.
Activism and Views
Adjoa Andoh is a strong supporter of fairness and understanding. In 2014, she gave a TED talk about her experiences as a parent. She has also spoken openly about important social topics. She has been a Fairtrade Ambassador since 2005. This means she supports fair prices for products from developing countries.
In May 2023, after the coronation of King Charles III, Adjoa made a comment. She said that the day had shown "the rich diversity of the Abbey" but then the balcony looked "terribly white." This comment led to many complaints. Adjoa later explained that she meant the day had been very mixed, and then the balcony looked different. She did not mean to upset anyone. In June 2023, the media watchdog Ofcom decided not to take action. They said it was her personal observation.
Images for kids
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Adjoa Andoh in 2009
See also
In Spanish: Adjoa Andoh para niños
