Nikki Amuka-Bird | |
|---|---|
 Amuka-Bird in 2022 | |
| Born | 27 February 1976 Delta State, Nigeria |
| 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 Nigerian-born 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]
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 Amuka-Bird at the Virgin TV BAFTA Television Awards in 2017 |
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 . [6] 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 Det. Supt 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. [7] In June 2016 it was announced that she and Phoebe Fox would star in the production of Zadie Smith's novel NW . [8] It was broadcast on BBC Two on 14 November 2016 [9] [10] and Amuka-Bird received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress. [11]
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 is currently playing the role of Rav Mulclair, Head of Judd Mission Control, in HBO's Avenue 5 . She recently 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.
She was married to actor Geoffrey Streatfeild from 2003 to 2010. [12]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Forgive and Forget | Nicky | |
| 2005 | Almost Heaven | Rosie | |
| 2006 | Cargo | Subira | |
| The Omen | Dr. Becker | ||
| 2008 | The Disappeared | Shelley Cartwright | |
| 2011 | Coriolanus | TV Pundit | |
| 2014 | The Face of an Angel | Roxanne | |
| 2015 | Jupiter Ascending | Diomika Tsing | |
| 2016 | Denial | Libby Holbrook | |
| 2017 | The Children Act | Amadia Kalu QC | |
| 2018 | A Private War | Rita Williams | |
| 2019 | The Laundromat | Miranda | |
| The Personal History of David Copperfield | Mrs. Steerforth | ||
| 2021 | Old | Patricia Carmichael | |
| 2022 | The Outfit | Violet | |
| Persuasion | Lady Russell | ||
| 2023 | Knock at the Cabin | Sabrina | [13] |
| Jericho Ridge | Post-production [14] | ||
| 2024 | Rumours | Post-production | |
| Here | Helen Harris | Post-production | |
| 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 |
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