Annie Ilonzeh facts for kids

Annette Ngozi Ilonzeh (born August 23, 1983) is an American actress. From 2010 to 2011, she played Maya Ward on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, and later starred as Kate Prince in the short-lived ABC reboot of Charlie's Angels. She later had recurring roles on shows such as Arrow, Drop Dead Diva and Empire. In 2017, Ilonzeh played Kidada Jones in the biographical drama film All Eyez on Me and starred in the thriller 'Til Death Do Us Part. From 2018 to 2020, she started as Emily Foster in the NBC drama series, Chicago Fire.

Life and career

Ilonzeh was born in Grapevine, Texas, and went to Colleyville Heritage High School. Her father is a Nigerian of Igbo descent, and her mother is white. In 2007, she made her television debut in an episode of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. She had bit roles in the movies He's Just Not That Into You, Miss March and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. Ilonzeh had a recurring role in the CW prime time soap opera Melrose Place from 2009 to 2010, and in 2010 guest starred in three episodes of Entourage. From 2010 to 2011, she played the role of Maya Ward on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital.

In January 2011, Ilonzeh was announced as one of the "Angels" on the reboot of the 1970s television series Charlie's Angels. The series, which premiered in September 2011, received mostly negative reviews, and was cancelled the day after the fourth episode. In March 2012, it was announced that Ilonzeh would be recurring on The CW series Arrow. Later that year, she began appearing in a recurring role in the ABC Family drama series Switched at Birth. In 2013, she played a leading role in the Lifetime television film Killer Reality. Ilonzeh also guest starred in the second season of CW's Beauty & the Beast, and had a recurring role on Lifetime comedy-drama Drop Dead Diva in 2013. Later, she had a recurring role on Person of Interest and Empire.

In 2017, Ilonzeh had her first major film role, playing Kidada Jones in the biographical drama All Eyez on Me, about hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur. Later that year, she played the leading role in the psychological thriller film 'Til Death Do Us Part. The film was released on September 29, 2017 and grossed $3.5 million. Also that year she guest-starred in American Horror Story: Cult episode "Great Again". In 2018, Ilonzeh appeared in the action thriller Peppermint, and was cast in a lead role on the ABC drama pilot Staties, which was not picked up to the series. Later in 2018, Ilonzeh began portraying Emily Foster in Dick Wolf's Chicago franchise, first starring in Chicago Fire. She was in two seasons, departing following Season 7. In 2021 she starred in another unsold pilot, the drama Getaway for NBC.

In 2022, Ilonzeh starred in the action-thriller film, Agent Game. The film was released in the United States on April 8, 2022, by Saban Films. It was panned by critics. In 2023, Ilonzeh starred in four films playing leading roles: the horror thriller Fear, the psychological thriller Ruined, the thriller Vicious Affair, and the horror-thriller Soul Mates. In 2024 she starred in the thriller film The Stepdaughter for Tubi.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Annie Ilonzeh para niños