Annie Ilonzeh

Last updated

Annie Ilonzeh
Born
Annette Ngozi Ilonzeh [1]

(1983-08-23) August 23, 1983 (age 41)
Grapevine, Texas, U.S. [2]
OccupationActress
Years active2007–present

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 .

Contents

Life and career

Ilonzeh was born in Grapevine, Texas, and went to Colleyville Heritage High School. [3] Her father is a Nigerian of Igbo descent, [4] and her mother is white. [5] 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 . [6] 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, [7] 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 . [8] 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. [9] Ilonzeh also guest starred in the second season of CW's Beauty & the Beast , [10] 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. [11] Later that year, she played the leading role in the psychological thriller film 'Til Death Do Us Part . [12] The film was released on September 29, 2017 and grossed $3.5 million. [13] Also that year she guest-starred in American Horror Story: Cult episode "Great Again". In 2018, Ilonzeh appeared in the action thriller Peppermint , [14] and was cast in a lead role on the ABC drama pilot Staties, [15] 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 . [16] She was in two seasons, departing following Season 7. [17] In 2021 she starred in another unsold pilot, the drama Getaway for NBC. [18]

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. [19] 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 . [20] [21] In 2024 she starred in the thriller film The Stepdaughter for Tubi. [22]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009 He's Just Not That Into You Hot Girl
2009 Miss March Beautiful Girl #2
2009Not NecessaryWhitleyShort film
2010 Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Aphrodite Girl
2017 All Eyez on Me Kidada Jones
2017 'Til Death Do Us Part Madison Roland/Kate Smith
2018 Peppermint FBI Agent Lisa Inman
2022 Agent Game Caroline Visser [23]
2023 Fear Bianca
2023 Ruined Olivia “Liv” Richards
2023 Vicious Affair Skylar HastingsAlso producer
2023 Soul Mates AllisonAlso producer
2024 The Stepdaughter Whitney HughesAlso producer
TBAThinestraDemetriaPost-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2007 How I Met Your Mother BeckyEpisode: "The Yips"
2008 Do Not Disturb -Episode: "Pilot"
2009–10 Melrose Place NatashaRecurring cast
2010–11 General Hospital Maya Ward Regular Cast
Entourage RachelRecurring cast: Season 7, guest: Season 8
2011 The Game AntheaEpisode: "A Very Special Episode"
Charlie's Angels Kate PrinceMain Cast
2012–13 Switched at Birth LanaRecurring cast: Season 1-2
2012–14 Arrow Joanna De La VegaRecurring cast: Season 1, guest: Season 2
2013Killer RealityHayley VanceTV movie
2013Diary of a ChampionCiara TryceRecurring cast
2013 Drop Dead Diva NicoleRecurring cast: Season 5
2013–14 Beauty & the Beast Beth BowmanEpisode: "Reunion" & "Operation Fake Date"
2014 Rush Jordana RourkeEpisode: "Where Is My Mind?"
2015 Allegiance Julia MarcusEpisode: "Pilot"
Guy TheorySkylar ThomasEpisode: "Perfect Storm"
Graceland Courtney GalloRecurring cast: Season 3
2015–16 Person of Interest Harper RoseRecurring cast: Season 4, guest: Season 5
2016 Empire Harper ScottRecurring cast: Season 2
2017 American Horror Story: Cult ErikaEpisode: "Great Again"
2018–20 Chicago Fire Emily FosterMain Cast: Season 7-8
Chicago P.D. Emily FosterCrossover Cast: Season 6-7
2019 Chicago Med Emily FosterEpisode: "Infection, Part II"
2021The Lower BottomsBeulah RhodesMain Cast, podcast
2024 S.W.A.T. Devin GambleRecurring

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References

  1. ↑ "Annie Ilonzeh". TVGuide.com. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Annie Ilonzeh Bio". Soapoperadigest.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
  3. ↑ Martindale, David (June 13, 2017). "Tarrant actress Annie Ilonzeh goes all-in on Tupac film, 'a story that needs to be told'". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Retrieved March 17, 2019– via www.star-telegram.com.
  4. ↑ @AnnieIlonzeh (October 19, 2014). "#family #ezinulo #igbo✈️ #Nigeria @ My Roots" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ↑ "Annie Ilonzeh Doesn't See Color But Is Happy To Be Charlie's First Black Angel". October 10, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  6. ↑ Filmography by type for Annie Ilonzeh. IMDb
  7. ↑ Adams, Erik; VanDerWerff, Emily (September 22, 2011). "'Charlie's Angels' seems like it's embarrassed to be an 'Angels' remake". The A.V. Club. The Onion . Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  8. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (March 13, 2012). "'Arrow': CW superhero drama adds 'Charlie's Angels' star Annie Ilonzeh". Digital Spy. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Killer Reality". myLifetime.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
  10. ↑ Ross, Robyn (September 5, 2013). "Beauty and the Beast Scoop: Who Are Cat and Vincent's New Threats?". TV Guide. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  11. ↑ Obenson, Tambay A. (February 20, 2016). "Annie Ilonzeh Cast to Play Kidada Jones in Morgan Creek's Tupac Shakur Biopic" . Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  12. ↑ "'Til Death Do Us Part': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . September 30, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Til Death Do Us Part". Box Office Mojo.
  14. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (November 28, 2017). "Jennifer Garner Thriller 'Peppermint' Adds Kyla Drew & Annie Ilonzeh" . Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  15. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 21, 2018). "'Staties': Annie Ilonzeh Cast As Lead Of ABC Drama Pilot" . Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  16. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (September 20, 2018). "'Chicago Fire': Annie Ilonzeh Cast As New Series Regular For Season 7". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  17. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (April 16, 2020). "Annie Ilonzeh Departs 'Chicago Fire' After 2 Seasons". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  18. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (June 18, 2021). "Annie Ilonzeh to Star in NBC's 'Getaway'".
  19. ↑ "Agent Game | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. April 8, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Soul Mates | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. October 20, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Fear | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. January 27, 2023.
  22. ↑ "TUBI ORIGINAL: The Stepdaughter (2024)". February 24, 2024.
  23. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (March 5, 2021). "Mel Gibson, Dermot Mulroney, Katherine McNamara, Rhys Coiro & Annie Ilonzeh Join 'Agent Game' Spy Thriller". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
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