Sophie Okonedo

Sophie Okonedo is an actor who has worked across film, television, theatre, radio and audio drama. She made her film debut in 1991 as Tracy in Young Soul Rebels and appeared that same year as Kim in an episode of the television series Spatz and as Gina Russell in an episode of Casualty. In 1992, she played Melanie in Screen Two, followed by Niobe in the television film Age of Treason in 1993. In 1994, she appeared as Adele Percy in The Bill. In 1995, she played the Wachati Princess in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and appeared as Moira Levitt in six episodes of The Governor. She also played Paula in the television film Go Now. In 1996, she appeared as Rachel in Murder Most Horrid and as Honey in the television film Deep Secrets. From 1996 to 1997, she played Kelly Booth in 12 episodes of Staying Alive.

Okonedo appeared as Denise in This Year's Love and Rosy in Mad Cows in 1999. In 2000, she played Pippa in Peaches, Bernie Kramer in four episodes of In Defence and Jo Weller in the two-part drama Never Never. In 2001, she portrayed Karen in an episode of Table 12 and Ellen in the two-part drama Sweet Revenge. In 2002, she played Jenny Wood in five episodes of Clocking Off. She also appeared as Donna in the television film Dead Casual and voiced Bling in six episodes of VBirds. In 2003, she played Eve Bowen in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Amanda Roke in an episode of Spooks. She also appeared as Marcey Burgess in the television film Alibi and voiced Alison Cheney in the six-episode webcast Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka.

In 2002, Okonedo appeared in the film Dirty Pretty Things as Juliette. She played Marsee in Cross My Heart in 2003 and received international recognition for her portrayal of Tatiana Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda in 2004, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. That year, she also appeared as Karen Jenkins in the television films Whose Baby? and provided narration for the documentary Stan Collymore: Confessions of a Premiership Footballer. In 2005, she played Sithandra in Æon Flux and Lucretia Bridges in Born with Two Mothers. She also narrated Blitz: London's Firestorm. In 2006, she played Mrs. Jones in Stormbreaker and Anna in Scenes of a Sexual Nature. She portrayed Susie Carter in the television miniseries Tsunami: The Aftermath, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film. She also narrated Racism: A History in 2007.

In 2007, Okonedo played Nancy in the television miniseries Oliver Twist, Sonia in the television film Celebration and appeared as a storyteller in an episode of Jackanory Junior. In 2008, she portrayed May Boatwright in The Secret Life of Bees and Sandra Laing in Skin. She also narrated episodes of Dispatches in 2008 and 2009, as well as the documentary Turin Shroud: New Evidence in 2009. In 2009, she played Connie Turner in the miniseries Father & Son and Jackie Woolf in Criminal Justice. In 2010, she portrayed Winnie Mandela in the television film Mrs. Mandela and played Liz Ten in two episodes of Doctor Who, "The Beast Below" and "The Pandorica Opens." She also voiced Cheetah in an episode of Tinga Tinga Tales in 2011 and played Aisha in the miniseries The Slap.

Okonedo appeared as Faia Raige in After Earth in 2013 and played Fiona Hill in the miniseries Mayday and Margaret "Maggie" Gardner in The Escape Artist. She narrated 28UP South Africa in 2013 and appeared in the television film Wall Street in 2014 as Bryce. That year, she made her Broadway debut as Ruth Younger in the revival of A Raisin in the Sun at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Her performance earned her the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. In 2015, she reprised her role as Aisha in the American adaptation of The Slap and appeared in the film War Book as Philippa. She also narrated The Stranger on the Bridge and an episode of Dispatches.

In 2016, Okonedo played Maya Cobbina in the six-episode miniseries Undercover and portrayed Queen Margaret in three episodes of The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses. She returned to Broadway that year as Elizabeth Proctor in Arthur Miller's The Crucible at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Her narration credits included The Destruction of Memory and Ebola: The Doctors' Story. In 2017, she played Stevie Gray in the West End revival of Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. She also narrated Thailand: Earth's Tropical Paradise and Concorde: A Supersonic Story. In 2018, she played Kanga in the voice cast of Christopher Robin, portrayed Angela Bowden in four episodes of Wanderlust and appeared as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra at the Royal National Theatre. She also narrated Earth's Natural Wonders and Grenfell: The First 24 Hours.

In 2019, Okonedo played Lady Hatton in Hellboy and Tessa Kendrick in four episodes of Chimerica. From 2019 to 2020, she portrayed Caroline in 11 episodes of Flack. In 2020, she appeared as Julia Bryce in an episode of Criminal: UK and played Charlotte Wells in three episodes of Ratched. She also voiced Xaphania in four episodes of His Dark Materials and appeared as the Dream Queen in the video game Dreams. Her narration credits that year included Dreamflight and Alien Worlds.

In 2021, Okonedo played Ottilie Moore in the animated film Charlotte and appeared as Elizabeth Cannon in an episode of Modern Love. She also portrayed Hemple in eight episodes of Britannia and began playing Siuan Sanche in the television series The Wheel of Time, a role she continued through 2025. She narrated episodes of Frontline and Explained in 2021. In 2022, she appeared as Salome Otterbourne in Death on the Nile, Ethelfritha Rose Splinter of Devon in Catherine Called Birdy and Kiera in Raymond & Ray. She also played Katrina in an episode of Inside No. 9 and Ingrid Tearney in seven episodes of Slow Horses, a role spanning 2022 and 2023.

In 2023, Okonedo appeared as Nomad in Heart of Stone and Regina in Janet Planet. She also played the title role in Medea at the @sohoplace in London, earning an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in 2024. In 2024, she voiced Grace in the animated film 10 Lives and narrated The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout and Flight of the Swans. In 2025, she narrated The Scarecrows' Wedding and the documentary series Civilisations: Rise and Fall.

Okonedo's additional theatre credits include Julie in Haunted Child at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2011. Her stage work also includes A Raisin in the Sun in 2014, The Crucible in 2016, The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? in 2017, Antony and Cleopatra in 2018 and Medea in 2023. Her audio and radio work includes the 2013 BBC radio adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, in which she played Hunter.

Okonedo has also narrated numerous television documentaries, including Extraordinary Women and Serious Explorers: Livingstone in 2011, Welcome to the World in 2012, The Stranger on the Bridge in 2015, and Thailand: Earth's Tropical Paradise in 2017. Her subsequent narration credits include Dreamflight and Alien Worlds in 2020, Frontline and Explained in 2021, Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty in 2024, and Civilisations: Rise and Fall in 2025.

In recognition of her contributions to drama, Okonedo was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019. In December 2024, she received the Richard Harris Award at the British Independent Film Awards.

In 2026 she returned to the stage to play Natalya in A Month in the Country at Donmar Warehouse.