Uzo Aduba, the Emmy-winning actress recognized for her captivating performances, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Nigerian parents of Igbo heritage.
Raised in Medfield, a predominantly white town, Aduba embraced both her Nigerian background and American upbringing.
She completed her high school education at Medfield High School in 1999 before pursuing classical voice studies at Boston University, where she also participated in track and field.
Her early love for the arts led her to theater and, eventually, television and film.
Aduba made her television debut in 2012 with a guest role as a nurse on Blue Bloods. While this marked her first appearance on TV, she had already established herself in the theater scene.
Her film debut came in 2015 with Pearly Gates, a musical comedy-drama, followed by notable roles in 2016, including Showing Roots alongside Maggie Grace.
She also appeared in Tallulah, Steven Universe, and American Pastoral, and voiced Queen Novo in My Little Pony: The Movie (2017).
Continuing her work with Netflix, Aduba co-starred in Candy Jar (2018) and Beats (2019), and played the lead role in the inspiring drama Miss Virginia.
Aduba’s breakthrough role came as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in the acclaimed Netflix series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019).
Her portrayal earned widespread praise and numerous awards, including two Emmys—one for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (2014) and another for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2015).
She also received two Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2014 and 2015. Notably, Aduba is one of only two actors to win Emmy Awards in both comedy and drama categories for the same role.
In 2020, Aduba portrayed Shirley Chisholm in Mrs. America on Hulu, a role that earned her yet another Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, as well as a Critics’ Choice Television Award.
Off-screen, Aduba has celebrated personal milestones. In September 2021, she shared that she had married filmmaker Robert Sweeting in 2020.
At the 2023 Tony Awards, the couple announced they were expecting their first child, and on November 12, 2023, they welcomed a baby girl.
