Enuka Okuma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Enuka Okuma
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Okuma at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival
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| Born |
Enuka Vanessa Okuma
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Joe Gasparik
(m. 2011) |
Enuka Vanessa Okuma is a talented Canadian actress, writer, and director. She is widely recognized for her role as Detective Traci Nash in the popular police TV show Rookie Blue. She has also appeared in many other TV series and movies, showing her versatility in acting.
Okuma is also known for her work on the Canadian television series Madison and Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye. She even appeared in the first season of the TV soap opera Hillside.
Enuka made her first movie as a director with the short film, Cookie. For this film, she also worked as a writer, actor, and executive producer. Since then, she has also started writing for television shows.
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Early Life and Background
Enuka Okuma was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Her family comes from Nigeria, specifically the Igbo people. She studied at Simon Fraser University's School for the Contemporary Arts, where she honed her skills.
Enuka's Acting Journey
Starting Out in the 1990s
Enuka began her acting career on television in 1990. She was a regular cast member in the first season of the Canadian teen soap opera, Hillside.
Throughout the 1990s, she also took on supporting roles in several TV movies and Canadian television series, like Madison. She made her big screen debut in the movie Double Jeopardy in 1999.
Moving to Adult Roles in the 2000s
As she grew, Okuma started playing more adult roles. She appeared in many different TV shows. She co-starred in the American crime drama series Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye from 2002 to 2005. She also made guest appearances on popular shows such as Dark Angel, Cold Case, Grey's Anatomy, and NCIS: Los Angeles. She also had a recurring role on the Fox series 24.
Continued Success in the 2010s and 2020s
In 2010, Okuma started her starring role as Detective Traci Nash in the police drama series Rookie Blue. When asked about how she got the role, Okuma shared:
I originally auditioned for the part of Gail [played by Charlotte Sullivan] and Charlotte auditioned for Traci. When we got the parts, I said, "I think I would rather play Traci" and Charlotte said, "I think I would rather play Gail." Thankfully, the producers thought the same.
In 2015, Okuma was chosen for a main role in the ABC pilot, The Adversaries. That same year, she guest starred as Nia Lahey on the hit series How to Get Away with Murder.
In 2021, she joined the series Workin' Moms as Sloane Mitchell. She became a regular cast member the following season. She has also done voice work for video games, including Mortal Kombat 1.
Writing and Directing
Okuma made her debut as a director with the short film, Cookie. She also wrote, acted in, and was an executive producer for this film.
In 2015, Okuma helped write an episode of Rookie Blue called "Best Man".
Awards and Recognition
Enuka Okuma has been recognized for her acting talent.
- For her role in Madison, she was nominated for Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series at the 1995 Gemini Awards.
- The next year, also for Madison, she was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role.
- Okuma won a Women In Film award at the 1999 Vancouver International Film Festival for her role in Daydrift.
- For her role on Rookie Blue, Okuma was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series at the 2011 Gemini Awards. She was also nominated for a Canadian Screen Award in 2013 for the same role.
Personal Life
On July 2, 2011, Enuka Okuma married musician Joe Gasparik in Toronto. They first met in Toronto while working on a television show together. Gasparik proposed to Okuma on a beach in Vancouver after they had been dating for three years.
