Rutina Wesley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rutina Wesley
Rutina Wesley at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International
Born	(1978-12-21) December 21, 1978 (age 46) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Education	University of Evansville (BFA) Juilliard School (GrDip)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2005–present
Spouse(s)	Jacob Fishel ​ ​ (m. 2005; sep. 2013)​

Rutina Wesley, born on December 21, 1978, is an American actress. She is famous for playing characters like Tara Thornton in the TV show True Blood. She also starred as Nova Bordelon in the series Queen Sugar and Maria Miller in The Last of Us.

Early Life and Education

Rutina Wesley grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her father, Ivery Wheeler, was a professional tap dancer. Her mother, Cassandra Wesley, was a showgirl. Rutina went to high school at the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts. She also studied dance at Simba Studios and the West Las Vegas Arts Center.

After high school, Rutina decided to attend the University of Evansville in Indiana. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Performance in 2001. Even though her grandmother suggested she consider a nursing course, Rutina wanted to continue her acting studies.

In 2001, she enrolled at the Juilliard School, a famous performing arts school. She graduated in May 2005. During her studies, she also spent a summer learning at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Acting Career Highlights

Rutina Wesley at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2009.

Rutina Wesley with her True Blood co-stars at Comic-Con in 2011.

In December 2006, Rutina Wesley performed in a Broadway play called The Vertical Hour. The next year, she also appeared in a play called In Darfur.

Her first main role in a movie was in 2007, in the film How She Move. In this movie, she played Raya Green, a character who enters a step-dancing competition to earn money for her education. Rutina trained for five weeks to prepare for the dance scenes. She also learned a special accent for her role.

Rutina auditioned for the role of Tara Thornton in the HBO series True Blood in 2007. The show's creator, Alan Ball, chose her because she showed the character's sensitive side. This role became one of her most well-known.

In 2015, Rutina joined the cast of the NBC drama series Hannibal. She played Reba McClane, a blind woman. She also appeared as Liza Warner in the TV show Arrow.

In 2016, Rutina Wesley took on a lead role as Nova Bordelon in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series Queen Sugar. This show was produced by famous filmmakers Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey.

More recently, in 2023, Rutina played Maria Miller in the HBO series The Last of Us.

Personal Life

Rutina Wesley lives in both Astoria, Queens and Los Angeles, California. She was married to Jacob Fishel, an actor she met at Juilliard. They married in 2005.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Recognitions

See also

In Spanish: Rutina Wesley para niños