Susan Wokoma

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Susan Wokoma
Susan Wokoma Premiere.png
Wokoma at the premiere of The Beautiful Game 2024
Born
Susan Indiaba Wokoma

(1987-12-31) 31 December 1987 (age 36)
Peckham, London, England
Alma mater Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation(s)Actor, writer, director
Years active2002–present

Susan Indiaba Wokoma (born 31 December 1987) is a British actress, writer and director. She is best known for her roles as Edith in the Enola Holmes films, Cynthia in Chewing Gum, Raquel in the E4/Netflix show Crazyhead and Fola in Cheaters. Wokoma was listed as one of Europe's Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2017 and named a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit by an international jury the same year. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Wokoma was born on 31 December 1987, in London; her parents are Kalabari from Rivers State in South-South Nigeria. They lived on the now demolished North Peckham Estate. Her mother worked as a cleaner, and her father worked multiple jobs. He died in 2012.

Wokoma made her television debut at the age of 14 as a participant in CBBC's Serious Jungle in 2002. [2] She was also a member of The National Youth Theatre, making her professional acting debut in the BAFTA-winning That Summer Day .

She has a bachelor's degree in acting from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 2010. [3]

Career

Since graduating, her television appearances have included Phoebe Waller-Bridge's debut television show Crashing [4] as well as the film adaptation of Half of a Yellow Sun and The Inbetweeners 2 . [5] Her theatre work includes productions at the Royal Court, Bush Theatre, Almeida Theatre, The Royal National Theatre, Donmar Warehouse and St. Ann's Warehouse in New York. [6] In 2017, she made her West End theatre debut alongside Martin Freeman and Tamsin Greig in the premiere of the Olivier Award-winning comedy Labour of Love by James Graham at the Noël Coward Theatre in London. [6]

In 2017, Wokoma won the RTS Best On-Screen Performance award for Crazyhead . [7] In 2016, she won Best Supporting Actor at the BBC Audio Drama Awards for her performance in the radio adaptation of Marie NDiaye's Three Strong Women . [8] Wokoma is the voice of Princess Talanji in World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth , the seventh expansion of the popular World of Warcraft game. [9] Wokoma wrote, starred and associate produced the Sky comedy short Love The Sinner. [10] Love The Sinner went on in 2019 to be screened at the BFI London Film Festival [11] and was longlisted for the British Independent Film Awards in the British Short Film category. [12]

Wokoma co-wrote (alongside Shaun Pye) an episode of Romesh Ranganathan’s sitcom The Reluctant Landlord (Series 2), also for Sky. [13] She was in the writers' room for the second series of the Netflix original series Sex Education . [14]

In 2019, she starred in the Channel 4 and IFC comedy Year of the Rabbit alongside Matt Berry and Freddie Fox. [4] In June and July 2019, she played Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London. [6] The Daily Telegraph said of her performance: "All are terrific and Susan Wokoma sheer bliss, delivering one of the most endearing and effortlessly funny Bottoms I've ever seen." [15] In October 2020, Wokoma starred in the Amazon Studios comedy Truth Seekers and joined the cast of the feature film adaptation of Enola Holmes alongside Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill and Helena Bonham Carter. [16] Wokoma had a leading role in the BBC drama Cheaters . [4] In May 2022, Wokoma started directing her first feature film, Three Weeks, which she also wrote and is starring in. [17]

Wokoma was a contestant on the 16th series of Taskmaster, which started airing in September 2023. [18] She came third.

Filmography

Key
†Denotes projects that have not yet been released

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2013 Half of a Yellow Sun AmalaDrama/romance
Director: Biyi Bandele
Alpha: OmegaFighterShort film
2014 The Inbetweeners 2 DellaComedy film
2015 Burn Burn Burn [5] MeganComedy/drama
2016Kid GlovesLucyShort film
2018Susan Wokoma's Sky Comedy Short: ‘Love The Sinner’Ann / Adult JoannahShort film
2019 The Ghost and the House of Truth [5] Bola OgunDrama
Director: Akin Omotoso
2020Night BusNatashaShort film
Enola Holmes EdithAction/adventure/crime
2022 The House [5] RosaVoice role
Save the Cinema DollyComedy/drama
Lilith & EveLilithShort film
The Loneliest Boy in the World SusanneComedy/horror
Enola Holmes 2 EdithAction/adventure/crime
2024 The Beautiful Game ProtasiaDrama/sport
And Mrs Completed

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2006 That Summer Day MarieTV film
2011 Holby City Elsa EzeEpisode: "China in Your Hands"
Doctors Jen OldhamEpisode: "Get Smart"
Hotel Trubble DaisyRecurring role; 5 episodes
2013 Misfits RozSeries 5, Episode 4
2015Brain FreezeMs HucklebuckSeries regular; 31 episodes
Uncle Cash Pig CashierSeries 2, Episode 6
Bluestone 42 JasmineRecurring role; 3 episodes
The Last Hours of Laura KJess ManningTV film
Horrible Science Dr. SensibleSeries regular; 10 episodes
2015–17 Chewing Gum CynthiaSeries regular; 10 episodes
2016 Crashing JessicaRecurring role; 3 episodes
Crazyhead RaquelSeries regular; 6 episodes
Our Ex-WifeAllisonTV film
2017 Zapped RinaEpisode: "The Party"
2017–19 Porters FrankieSeries regular; 9 episodes
2018To Provide All PeopleJunior DoctorTV film
2019 Year of the Rabbit [19] Mabel WisbechSeries regular; 6 episodes
Dark Money Sabrina StevensMiniseries; 4 episodes
Super Simple Love StoryEpisode: "Pilot"
2020 Truth Seekers [19] HelenSeries regular; 8 episodes
A Response to Your MessageNarratorTV film
2022 Toast of London Nina ArmenianEpisode: "LA Story"
Rules of the Game DI Eve PrestonRecurring role; 4 episodes [20]
Cheaters [19] FolaSeries regular; 18 episodes [21]
Peacock LizRecurring role; 3 episodes
2023 Teenage Euthanasia Conceived in Orlando Member #3 (voice)Episode: "Sexually Educated"
Tabby McTatSock (voice)TV film [22]
Taskmaster HerselfSeries 16 [23]
2024 Inside No. 9 Cleo / Party Guest2 episodes

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018 World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Princess Talanji

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References

  1. ↑ "BAFTA Announces Breakthrough Brits of 2017". BAFTA.org . 25 October 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  2. ↑ "BBC - Press Office - Serious Jungle". BBC.co.uk . Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  3. ↑ Fabrique. "Susan Wokoma — RADA". RADA.ac.uk . Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Meet the cast of Enola Holmes 2". Radio Times . Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Paz, Maggie Dela (8 November 2022). "Where You've Seen The Cast Of Enola Homes 2 Before". Looper.com . Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Wild, Stephi (1 September 2022). "Susan Wokoma Announced as Host of The Stage Debut Awards 2022 Alongside Presenters and Performers". BroadwayWorld.com . Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "RTS West of England Awards 2017". Royal Television Society. 29 March 2017.
  8. ↑ Anderson, Jane (1 February 2016). "I get stage fright, June Whitfield gets laughs and Terry Wogan gets a fitting send-off at the BBC Audio Drama Awards". Radio Times . Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  9. ↑ Marshall, Cass (7 July 2020). "Everything we know about the lore leading up to World of Warcraft: Shadowlands". Polygon .
  10. ↑ Davies, Hannah J (29 October 2020). "Susan Wokoma: 'I thought that TV belonged to size zero models'". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Joy to the World…". BFI. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "Best British Short Film Long List 2019". BIFA. 25 October 2019.
  13. ↑ "The Reluctant Landlord: Series 2, Episode 2 - Love & Marriage". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  14. ↑ Lockett, Dee (22 January 2019). "Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa Doesn't Want to Play the Gay Best Friend". Vulture.com .
  15. ↑ Allfree, Claire (6 July 2019). "A Midsummer Night's Dream, Open Air Theatre Regent's Park, review: Toxic masculinity and trippy tiffs make for a spellbinding evening". The Telegraph .
  16. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (2 July 2019). "'Enola Holmes': 'Chewing Gum' Actress Susan Wokoma Cast in Legendary Movie". Deadline.com .
  17. ↑ Richardson, Jay (12 May 2022). "Susan Wokoma directs her first film, abortion rom-com Three Weeks". British Comedy Guide .
  18. ↑ Rosseinsky, Katie (20 September 2023). "Taskmaster season 16: Release date, line-up and latest news". Radio Times . Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 "Susan Wokoma". Royal Television Society . Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  20. ↑ "Rules Of The Game". BBC.co.uk . Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  21. ↑ Robinson, Abby (15 February 2022). "Cheaters' Susan Wokoma praises sitcom's 'non-judgemental' exploration of infidelity". Radio Times .
  22. ↑ "BBC announces Tabby McTat, a star-studded animation based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler". BBC.co.uk . 11 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  23. ↑ Guide, British Comedy (1 June 2023). "Taskmaster Series 16 line-up revealed". British Comedy Guide . Retrieved 1 June 2023.
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