Sonja Sohn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sonja Sohn
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Sohn in 2011
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Sonja Denise Williams
May 9, 1964 Fort Benning, Georgia, U.S.
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| Years active | 1996–present |
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| Children | 2 |
| Sonja Sohn | |
| Hangul |
손 손자
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| Revised Romanization | Son Sonja |
| McCune–Reischauer | Son Sonja |
Sonja Denise Plack (born May 9, 1964), known professionally as Sonja Sohn, is an American actress, filmmaker, and activist. She is well-known for playing Detective Kima Greggs in the HBO drama The Wire. She also starred in the 1998 film Slam, which she helped write. Sonja Sohn also appeared as Samantha Baker in the ABC series Body of Proof. She started an outreach program in Baltimore called reWIRED for Change. This program helps young people who are at risk and have been involved in criminal behavior.
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Early Life and Education
Sonja Denise Williams was born in Fort Benning, Georgia. Her mother was Korean and her father was Black. Her parents met when her father was serving in South Korea after the Korean War.
She went to and graduated from Warwick High School. This school is located in Newport News, Virginia.
Sonja Sohn's Acting Career
Sonja Williams became known professionally as Sonja Sohn. Before she became an actress, she was a slam poet. While performing her poetry, she was noticed by Marc Levin. He offered her a role in his film Slam. She also wrote lyrics and helped write the script for the movie. Slam won a major award, the Grand Jury Prize for Dramatic Film, at the Sundance Film Festival.
After her debut in Slam, Sohn had smaller roles in films. These included Shaft and Bringing Out the Dead. She also appeared in independent films like Perfume and G.
Starring in The Wire
Sonja Sohn had a main role as Detective Kima Greggs in the HBO series The Wire. This show ran for five seasons. She found it challenging during the first season and thought about quitting. She had difficulty remembering her lines.
She also appeared as a guest star in many episodes of Cold Case. In 2008, she won an award for her role on The Wire. This was the supporting television actress award at the Asian Excellence Awards.
Other Television and Film Roles
Sonja Sohn had a supporting role in the Hollywood film Step Up 2: The Streets. From 2008 to 2009, she was a guest star in the ABC series Brothers & Sisters. In 2010, she appeared in an episode of the CBS series The Good Wife. She was also a guest star on the show Bar Karma in 2011.
From 2011 to 2012, she played Detective Samantha Baker. This was in the first two seasons of the medical drama Body of Proof on ABC. She joined season 2 of The Originals in a recurring role. She played the witch Lenore, also known as Esther Mikaelson.
Directing and Recent Work
Sonja Sohn directed her first film in 2017. It was an HBO documentary called Baltimore Rising. This film was about the 2015 Baltimore protests and how communities organized in response to police actions. In 2021, Sohn directed The Slow Hustle. This documentary was about the death of a Baltimore detective.
Sonja Sohn was cast as a main character in the ABC police drama Will Trent. She plays Amanda, who is the head of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Amanda is also Trent's boss. The first episode of this show aired on January 3, 2023.
Activism and Community Work
Sonja Sohn has been involved in political activism. She took a break from acting in 2009 to focus on social issues. She is the founder and CEO of reWIRED for Change. This program is based in Baltimore. It aims to help young people who are at risk and involved in criminal activity.
The program works with the University of Maryland School of Social Work. It uses episodes of The Wire as a teaching tool. This helps participants think about their lives and past actions. Other actors and writers from The Wire also help with the program.
In 2011, she received the Woman of the Year award. This award came from the Harvard Black Men's Forum.
Personal Life
Sonja Sohn has two daughters with her first husband, Harvey Wang. In 2003, Sohn married didgeridoo player Adam Plack. They are now divorced.
Awards and Recognition
Sonja Sohn has received several awards for her work:
- In 1998, she won the Breakthrough Actor award at the Gotham Awards for Slam.
- Also in 1998, Slam won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
- In 2008, she won the Outstanding Television Actress award at the Asian Excellence Awards for her role in The Wire.
See also
In Spanish: Sonja Sohn para niños
