Nikki Amuka-Bird | |
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![]() Amuka-Bird in 2022 | |
Born | Delta State, Nigeria | 27 February 1976
Alma mater | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1999–present |
Spouse |
Nikki Amuka-Bird (born 27 February 1976) is a British actress of the stage, television, and film.
Amuka-Bird was born in Delta State, Nigeria, where her father still lives. She left there as a young child with her mother and was brought up in England, Lagos and in Antigua. [1] Attending boarding school at Hurtwood House in England, [2] Amuka-Bird originally hoped to be a dancer. That ambition was thwarted by injury:
I hurt my back and at that point was deciding what to do university-wise and I thought I would try for drama college because I knew you could do some dancing there but it didn’t have to take over everything. It was only really when I went to drama college that that world [acting] opened up to me and I fell in love with it and became obsessed like everybody else. [3]
She attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). She started her stage career with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). [4] [5] [6]
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Amuka-Bird's theatrical credits include Welcome to Thebes (National Theatre); Twelfth Night (Bristol Old Vic, for which she won an Ian Charleson Award nomination in 2004 for playing Viola); [3] World Music (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, and Donmar Warehouse); Top Girls (Oxford Stage Company); A Midsummer Night's Dream , The Tempest and The Servant of Two Masters (RSC); Doubt: A Parable (Tricycle Theatre).
Her film credits include The Omen (2006 remake), Cargo , Almost Heaven as well as the screen adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency . [7] On television, Amuka-Bird has appeared in Spooks , The Line of Beauty , The Last Enemy , Robin Hood , an episode of Torchwood , and a recurring role in the reimagined BBC apocalyptic series Survivors . In 2010 she appeared as Detective Superintendent Gaynor Jenkins in the BBC's Silent Witness .
She appeared in Small Island , the BBC adaptation of Andrea Levy's award-winning novel, broadcast in December 2009. [8] In June 2016 it was announced that she and Phoebe Fox would star in the production of Zadie Smith's novel NW . [9] It was broadcast on BBC Two on 14 November 2016 [10] [11] and Amuka-Bird received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress. [12]
On Christmas Day 2017, she was heard as the voice of the Glass Woman in the Doctor Who Christmas Special "Twice Upon a Time" broadcast on BBC One.
She played the role of Rav Mulclair, Head of Judd Mission Control, in HBO's Avenue 5 from 2020 to 2022. She had a few film roles in 2019 for The Personal History of David Copperfield as Miss Steerforth and 2021 for Old as Patricia, a psychologist with epilepsy.
Amuka-Bird was married to actor Geoffrey Streatfeild from 2003 to 2010. [13]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2000 | Forgive and Forget | Nicky | TV Movie |
2005 | Almost Heaven | Rosie | |
2006 | Cargo | Subira | Drama / Thriller |
The Omen | Dr. Becker | ||
2008 | The Disappeared | Shelley Cartwright | |
2011 | Coriolanus | TV Pundit | |
2013 | The House and Everything | Tash | Short |
2014 | The Face of an Angel | Roxanne | |
2015 | Jupiter Ascending | Diomika Tsing | Action / Sci-Fi |
2016 | Denial | Libby Holbrook | |
2017 | The Children Act | Amadia Kalu QC | Legal Drama |
2018 | A Private War | Rita Williams | |
2019 | The Laundromat | Miranda | Crime / Drama / History |
The Personal History of David Copperfield | Mrs. Steerforth | ||
2021 | Old | Patricia Carmichael | Drama / Thriller |
2022 | The Outfit | Violet | Thriller |
Persuasion | Lady Russell | ||
2023 | Knock at the Cabin | Sabrina | [14] |
Jericho Ridge | Tabby Temple | ||
2024 | Rumours | Cardosa Dewindt | Comedy / Drama |
Here | Helen Harris | Drama | |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1999–2005 | Holby City | Various | 3 episodes |
1999 | The Bill | Doreen West | 1 episode |
1999 | Grafters | Martha | Miniseries |
2000 | Safe as Houses | Carole | Television movie |
2000 | Doctors | Nurse | 1 episode |
2003 | The Canterbury Tales | Constance Musa | 1 episode |
2003–2004 | Bad Girls | Paula Miles | 8 episodes |
2004 | Murder Prevention | Gemma | 1 episode |
2005 | Afterlife | Sandra Petch | 1 episode |
2005 | Casualty | Moji Muzenda | 1 episode |
2005 | Casualty @ Holby City | Moji Muzenda | 3 episodes |
2005; 2010 | Silent Witness | Simone Campbell / Det Supt Gaynor Jenkins | 4 episodes |
2006 | The True Voice of Prostitution | Television movie | |
2006 | The Line of Beauty | Rosemary Charles | 2 episodes |
2006 | Spooks | Michelle Lopez | 1 episode |
2006 | Robin Hood | Abbess | 1 episode |
2006 | Born Equal | Itshe | Television movie |
2007 | Five Days | PC Simone Farnes | Miniseries |
2007 | The Whistleblowers | Helen Errol | 1 episode |
2008 | Torchwood | Beth Halloran / Sleeper Agent | 1 episode |
2008 | The Last Enemy | Susan Ross | Miniseries |
2008 | The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency | Alice Busang | 1 episode |
2008–2010 | Survivors | Samantha Willis MP | 5 episodes |
2009 | Small Island | Celia | Miniseries |
2011–2013 | Luther | Det. Sgt / Det. Chief Inspector Erin Gray | 8 episodes |
2012 | Sinbad | The Professor | 1 episode |
2014 | House of Fools | Fiona | 1 episode |
2014 | Death in Paradise | Anna Jackson | 1 episode |
2014 | Lovesick | Anna | 1 episode |
2015 | Inside No. 9 | Joanne | Episode: "Cold Comfort" |
2016 | NW | Natalie | Television movie |
2017 | Doctor Who | The Testimony (voice) / Helen Clay | 1 episode "Twice Upon a Time” |
2018 | Hard Sun | Grace Morrigan | Main cast, 6 episodes |
2019 | Gold Digger | Marsha | Miniseries |
2020–2022 | Avenue 5 | Rav Mulcair | Main cast |
2023–present | Citadel | Grace | 3 Episodes |
2025 | I, Jack Wright | Sally Wright [15] | 6 episodes |