Life and career

Adepero Oduye (pronounced “Add-eh-pair-o Oh-due-yay) was born in Brooklyn, New York, one of seven children to Nigerian parents. Although she graduated pre-med from Cornell University, she decided to pursue her passion for acting upon graduation.

Oduye’s breakout role came in 2011 when she starred in Dee Rees’ critically acclaimed and award-winning independent film Pariah, for which she received several awards and a nomination for Best Female Lead at the Independent Spirit Awards. During her Golden Globe acceptance speech for The Iron Lady, Meryl Streep mentioned some of her favorite performances of the year, highlighting Oduye in Pariah.

The following year, she joined an all-star cast in the Steel Magnolias television remake as Annelle Dupuy-Desoto, a role originated by Daryl Hannah.

Oduye starred alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor in Steve McQueen’s historical drama 12 Years a Slave, winner of the 2014 Academy Award for Best Picture. She also appeared in Ava DuVernay's short film The Door part of Miu Miu's ad campaign known as The Women's Tales.

After several lead roles in regional theater productions, including Eclipsed and The Bluest Eye, Oduye made her Broadway debut opposite Cicely Tyson in Horton Foote’s The Trip To Bountiful.

In 2015, she shared the screen with Steve Carell in Adam McKay’s comedy-drama The Big Short, which won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

She made her directorial debut with Breaking In, a short film about a young black man's first time being stopped and frisked by the NYPD, based on her brother’s early experience. The film has garnered several film festival acknowledgments and awards.

Her upcoming projects include the sci-fi action film Geostorm and the American drama thriller The Dinner, starring Richard Gere.

Features

• Vanity Fair - Hollywood Issue Cover (2012)
• The New York Times - Great Performances (2012)
• Time Magazine - Great Performances (2012)
• W Magazine - Best Performances issue (February 2012)

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2002	Water	Woman	Short film
2004	Fall		Short film
	On the Outs	Adepero
2005	Law & Order	Traci Sands	TV series; Episode: "Birthright"
2006	Thee and a Half Thoughts	Bodega Woman	Short film
	Half Nelson	Crack Smoker
	The Tested	Mom	Short film
	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Jackie	TV series; Episode: "The War at Home"
2007	Pariah	Alike	Short film
	Wifey	Kadijah	TV film
2009	Sub Rosa	Ayesha	Short film
	If I Leap	Zipporah	Short film
	The Unusuals	Regina Plank	TV series; Episode: "The Circle Line"
2010	This Is Poetry	Wife	Short film
	Tags	Shayla Johns	Short film
	Louie	Tarese	TV series; Episode: "Dentist/Tarese"
2011	Men in Love	Leo's Ex	Short film
	Pariah	Alike	Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Denver Film Festival Rising Star Award Nominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated - Black Reel Award for Best Actress Nominated - Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble
2012	Steel Magnolias	Annelle Dupuy Desoto	TV film NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Nominated - Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
2013	The Door	L	Short film
2013	12 Years a Slave	Eliza	Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2015	My Name Is David
2015	Artemis Fall	Commander Aiden Collins	Short film
2015	Outliving Emily	Meg (Segment 5)
2015	The Big Short	Kathy Tao
2017	Geostorm	Adisa

[ Source: Wikipedia ]