Shaniqua Okwok

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Shaniqua Okwok
Shaniqua Okwok Alan Howard Photography.jpg
Shaniqua Okwok by Alan Howard Photography (2021)
Born
Surrey, England
Alma mater Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActress
Years active2018–present

Shaniqua Okwok is a British actress. She is best known for her roles as Maia in Paramount+ series The Flatshare (2022) and Dominique in the Sky Max series Wolfe (2021). [1]

Contents

Okwok has also made appearances as Solly Babatunde in It's a Sin (2021), Patty in Small Axe , Lotta Nagel in Van der Valk , and Leah in War of the Worlds . [2]

Early life

Okwok was born in Surrey to a Ugandan mother and a Jamaican father. She attended The BRIT School and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where she graduated in 2018. After receiving the Laurence Olivier Bursary Award from the Official London Theatre in 2017, she went on to make her television debut on BBC One in 2018 as Helen Nedarson in Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators. [3]

Okwok originally wanted to be a stock broker and planned to study economics at LSE. However, she claims she "fell into acting and it kept falling into place". [4]

Personal life

Okwok got involved in social justice work early on in her acting career. Following her graduation from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and during the summer of 2020, Okwok led a student campaign of hundreds to call out the "words and actions of open and overt racism" that occurred during her tenure at the institute, including an incident of being called a "slave" during a class. Okwok remains an active advocate for the protection of minority actors to this day. [5] [6]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2020AnthonyDominique WalkerTV movie
2020AcrimoniousKehindeShort film
2020Rejoice ResistSelfShort film
2021I Love You I Hate You [7] AnnieShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018 Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Helen NedarsonEpisode: "Ill Met by Moonlight"
2020 Van der Valk Lotta NagelEpisode: "Death in Amsterdam
2020 Sick of It WaitressEpisode: "Use by Date"
2020 Marcella AlanahSeason: 3
2020 Small Axe PattyEpisode: "Lovers Rock"
2021 It's a Sin Solly BabatundeSeason: 1
2021 War of the Worlds LeahSeason: 2
2021 Wolfe (TV series) [8] DominiqueSeason: 1
2022 The Flatshare MaiaSeason: 1

Podcasts

YearTitleRoleNotes
2021Fully AmplifiedNarratorEpisode: Still Gay As Hell

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References

  1. "'The Flatshare' review: First UK Paramount+ original is a canny romcom". Yahoo!News. 1 December 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  2. "The Beat at the Heart of 'Lovers Rock'". New York Times. 29 November 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  3. "Shaniqua Okwok". Royal Court Theatre. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  4. "Wolfe star Shaniqua Okwok: For young black women, there aren't many complex leading roles like this". Evening Standard. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  5. "Drama school's former principal apologises for past racist remarks". BBC. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  6. "Drama Schools Uncovered: Prestigious UK Institutions Are Breeding Grounds For Sexual Harassment & Racism". Deadline. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  7. "Little Simz releases new short film 'I Love You, I Hate You'". NME. 17 November 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  8. "'Wolfe' — cast, plot, release date and everything you need to know about the Sky Max forensics drama". watchtowatch. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2023.