Early life

Aduba was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the daughter of Nigerian parents of Igbo origin from Achi in Enugu State.

She grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts. She graduated from Medfield High School in 1999. She attended Boston University, where she studied classical voice and competed in track and field. She describes her family as a "sports family". Her younger brother, Obi, played hockey at the University of Massachusetts and went on to play six seasons professionally.

Career

Aduba first garnered recognition for her acting in 2003, when her performance in Translations of Xhosa at the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts earned her a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play. In 2007, she made her Broadway debut, portraying Toby in Coram Boy. From 2011 through 2012, she sang "By My Side" as part of the original revival cast of Godspell at the Circle in the Square Theatre. Her first television appearance was as a nurse on Blue Bloods in 2012. She also played the mother of the title character of Venice at The Public Theater in New York.

In 2013, Aduba began portraying Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. On being cast, Aduba said:

I auditioned for the show back in late July or early August of . I had been auditioning that summer for more television and film . I'd read a lot of scripts and I remember reading Orange Is the New Black, and it was at the head of the pack. I remember thinking, 'Wow, that is really good, I would love to be a part of that.' I went in and auditioned for another part, and my representatives called me about a month later and they were like, "Hi, we have some really good news. You remember that audition you went on for Orange Is the New Black? You didn't get it." I go, "So… okay, what's the good news?" They said they wanted to offer me another part, Crazy Eyes. I was like, "What in my audition would make someone think I'd be right for a part called Crazy Eyes?" But to be honest, when I got the script for it, it felt like the right fit.

Casting director Jennifer Euston explains the selection of Aduba for the role thus: "Uzo Aduba...had her hair in those knots for the audition...They saw something amazing in her and were able to connect it to what they were looking for in Crazy Eyes." In joining the series, Aduba obtained her Screen Actors Guild card, about which she says, "I was just like, 'Wow, this means I'm a full actor now.' It was such a big deal, and I remember being so thankful and feeling so proud."

She has been recognized for her performance as "Crazy Eyes": Aduba won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards as well as Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series at the 4th Critics' Choice Television Awards and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film at the 18th Satellite Awards for her season 1 performance. Aduba's season 2 performance earned her the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series as well as recognition for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards and a nomination Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards. She won a second Primetime Emmy at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2015, winning the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. This makes her the first actress to win both a drama and comedy Emmy for the same role.

In March 2014, Aduba performed at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit concert Broadway Backwards. Aduba teamed with Rachel Bay Jones for a rendition of the song "Lily's Eyes" from the musical The Secret Garden.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2015	Pearly Gates	Corrie
2015	Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip	TSA Officer
2016	Tallulah
2016	American Pastoral	Vicky	Completed
2017	My Little Pony	TBA (voice)	Filming

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2012	Project Runway: All Stars	Herself	Episode: "Putting On The Glitz"
2012	Blue Bloods	Nurse	Episode: "Nightmares"
2013	How to Live Like a Lady	Acting Teacher	Television film
2013-present	Orange Is the New Black	Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren	36 episodes
2014	Saturday Night Live	Daughter Dudley	Episode: "Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar"
2015	Comedy Bang! Bang!	Herself	Episode: "Uzo Aduba Wears a White Blouse and Royal Blue Heels"
2015	The Wiz Live!	Glinda the Good Witch	Television special

Stage credits

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2007	Coram Boy	Toby	Imperial Theatre
2011	Godspell	Company	Circle in the Square Theatre
2013	Venice	Anna Monroe	The Public Theater
2016	The Maids	Solange	Trafalgar Studios

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Nominated work	Result
2013	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film	Orange Is the New Black	Nominated
2014	Critics' Choice Television Award	Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series		Won
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series		Won
	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series		Won
		Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Won
2015	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series		Won
2016	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series		Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series		Won
		Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Won
	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actress - Series, Miniseries or Television Film		Nominated
	Glamour Awards	Comedy Actress		Pending

[ Source: Wikipedia ]