Enuka Vanessa Okuma (/ɛˈnuːkə oʊˈkuːmə/ ) is a Canadian actress, writer and director, best known for her role as detective Traci Nash in the Global/ABC police drama series, Rookie Blue (2010–2015).
Enuka Okuma | |
|---|---|
 Okuma at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | Enuka Vanessa Okuma Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, writer, director |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Spouse |
Joe Gasparik (m. 2011) |
| Website | www |
Okuma is also known for her work on the Canadian television series Madison (1994–1998) and Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye (2002–2005). She appeared in the first season of TV soap opera Hillside as the scheming and conspiring Kelly.[1]
Okuma made her directorial debut with the short film, Cookie, on which she was also a writer, actor, and executive producer.[2][3] She has since expanded into writing for television.[4]
Early life
editOkuma was born in Vancouver, British Columbia.[5] She is of Nigerian descent, from the Igbo people,[6] and is a graduate of Simon Fraser University's School for the Contemporary Arts.[7][8]
Career
editActing
edit1990s: Early teen roles
editIn 1990, she began her career on television, appearing as regular cast member during the first season of the Canadian teen soap opera, Hillside.[9]
Throughout the 1990s, she also played supporting roles in several made for television films and Canadian television series, such as Madison.[9] She eventually made her feature film debut with a supporting role in Double Jeopardy (1999).
2000s: Transition into adult roles
editOkuma began to transition from teenage roles to adult roles, with appearances on a wide range of productions, especially television. Okuma co-starred in the American crime drama series Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye from 2002 to 2005.[10] She guest starred on various hit television series, including Dark Angel, Odyssey 5, Cold Case, Grey's Anatomy and NCIS: Los Angeles. She also had the recurring role as Marika Donoso on the seventh season of the Fox series 24.
2010s—2020s: Continued success
editIn 2010, Okuma began starring in the Global/ABC police drama series, Rookie Blue as detective Traci Nash.[11] When being interviewed about how she got her role on Rookie Blue, Okuma said:
I originally auditioned for the part of Gail [played by Charlotte Sullivan] and Charlotte auditioned for Traci. When we got the parts, I said, "I think I would rather play Traci" and Charlotte said, "I think I would rather play Gail." Thankfully, the producers thought the same.[12]
Okuma was cast as one of lead characters in the ABC pilot, The Adversaries, in 2015.[13] That year, she also guest starred as Nia Lahey on the hit series How to Get Away with Murder.[14]
She joined the series Workin' Moms in 2021 as recurring character Sloane Mitchell and became a regular the following season.[15]
Writing and directing
editOkuma made her directorial debut with the short film, Cookie, on which she was also a writer, actor, and executive producer.[2][3]
Okuma co-wrote the episode "Best Man" on Rookie Blue.[4]
Awards
editFor her role in Madison, she was nominated for Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series at the 1995 Gemini Awards.[16] The following year, also for Madison, she was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role.[17]
Okuma won a Women In Film award at the 1999 Vancouver International Film Festival for her role in Daydrift.[citation needed]
For her role on Rookie Blue, Okuma was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series at the 2011 Gemini Awards,[18] and for the Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Series at the 2013 Canadian Screen Awards.[19]
Personal life
editOn July 2, 2011, she married musician Joe Gasparik in Toronto, the city where they first met while working on a television show together. Gasparik proposed to Okuma on a beach in Vancouver after three years of dating.[20][21]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | G-Saviour | Cynthia Graves | Television film |
| Double Jeopardy | Parolee | ||
| Daydrift | Lucy | ||
| 2000 | Reindeer Games | Cocktail Waitress | |
| 2001 | Josie and the Pussycats | Fashion Team | |
| Suddenly Naked | Andrea | ||
| Sea | Sarah | ||
| 2003 | House of the Dead | Karma | |
| 2009 | What Colour Is Love? | Beverly Rivers | Television film |
| Stolen | Officer Angie Riddick | ||
| 2017 | Battle of the Sexes | Bonny | |
| 2019 | Eleven Eleven | Aleena (voice) | NBC Universal[22] |
| 2020 | The Sleepover | Elise | Netflix film |
| Eat Wheaties! | Michelle |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | MacGyver | Young Club Member (as Vanessa Okuma) | "The Gun" |
| 1991 | Hillside | Kelly (as Vanessa Okuma) | 13 episodes |
| 1993–1997 | Madison | Sheri Davis (as Enuka Vanessa Okuma and as Vanessa Okuma) | 5 episodes |
| 1998 | Da Vinci's Inquest | Summer | 2 episodes |
| NightMan | Singer/Crystal | 3 episodes | |
| Shadow Raiders | Jade (voice) | 10 episodes | |
| 1999 | The City | Kira | 5 episodes |
| 2000 | Mobile Suit Gundam Wing | Lady Une (voice) | English dub |
| Dragon Ball Z | Android 18 (voice) | Ocean Group/AB Groupe/Westwood Media English dub | |
| These Arms of Mine | Adrian | 2 episodes | |
| 2001 | Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz | Lady Une (voice) | English dub |
| Andromeda | Sofia/Isabella Ortiz! | "Last Call at the Broken Hammer" | |
| 2002 | Da Vinci's Inquest | Maria | 2 episodes |
| 2002–2005 | Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye | Lucy Dotson | 56 episodes |
| 2006 | Cold Case | Alice Stallworth in 1948 | "Sandhogs" |
| 2007 | Grey's Anatomy | Teresa Brotherton | "Physical Attraction... Chemical Reaction" |
| 2009 | 24 | Marika Donoso | 4 episodes |
| 2009 | Medium | Julie Skahan | 1 episode |
| 2010–2015 | Rookie Blue | Traci Nash | 74 episodes |
| 2015 | How to Get Away with Murder | Nia Lahey | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Slasher | Lisa-Ann Follows | 4 episodes |
| Masters of Sex | Cleo | "Coats or Keys" | |
| 2017–2019 | Steven Universe | Rhodonite (voice) | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Caught | KC Williams | 5 episodes |
| Impulse | Deputy Anna Hulce | Main role | |
| 2019 | A Million Little Things | Sandra | 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Frankie Drake Mysteries | Toni Freedmon | "Sweet Justice" |
| 2021–2023 | Workin' Moms | Sloane Mitchell | Main role |
| 2022 | S.W.A.T. | DEA Agent Nadia Lyons | 5.10 "Three Guns" |
| 2024 | Tracker | US Marshal Jenny Martinez | "Out of the Past" |
Video Games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mortal Kombat 1 | Cyrax (voice) | Khaos Reigns DLC[23] |
References
edit- ^ "Opera News Detail". lucky-wap-ams.op-mobile.opera.com. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "Cookie". May 1, 2011 – via IMDb.
- ^ a b "An interview with Enuka Okuma - Cinema Without Borders". cinemawithoutborders.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ a b "Rookie Blue's Enuka Okuma Accepts a New Challenge - The TV Junkies". The TV Junkies. June 30, 2015. Archived from the original on May 14, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ "Enuka Okuma Biography". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- ^ "15 HOLLYWOOD Actresses with NIGERIAN Roots". October 2016. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
- ^ "Celebrating Black History Month – Enuka Okuma". Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ Wong, Sara (March 7, 2021). "Enuka Okuma: from SFU to stardom". Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "Crushable Quotable: Rookie Blue Star Enuka Okuma Got Her Start on Canadian Teen Dramas with Ryan Reynolds". Crushable. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ "Q&A with F.B.Eye: Enuka Okuma | Sue Thomas F.B.Eye | The Official Site of the popular TV Series | The Official Site of the popular TV Series Sue Thomas F.B.Eye". suethomasdvd.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ "The Cultural Post". September 9, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- ^ "Rookie Blue's Enuka Okuma Talks Her Role and Future With Sam - The Cable TV Blog". cableinternet.tv. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
- ^ Petski, Denise (March 11, 2015). "Dilshad Vadsaria Joins Fox's 'Frankenstein'; ABC's 'The Adversaries', 'The Catch', 'LA Crime' Add Cast - Deadline". Deadline. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- ^ "Someone's Dying on How to Get Away With Murder Tonight & We Think It'll Be..." E! News. October 29, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ Lang, Sarah (December 6, 2022). "Workin' Moms Star Enuka Okuma Bids the Show Farewell". Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ "The 1995 Gemini nominees". playbackonline.ca. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ "Special Report: Gemini Nominees: Who's nominated". playbackonline.ca. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ "New series scoop Gemini nominations". CBC News. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ "Enuka Okuma on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ "enuka okuma - the official site". Retrieved March 17, 2015.
- ^ "Actress Enuka Okuma's Movie-Inspired Wedding". Inside Weddings. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ "Lucas Taylor". Troyeur. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ Okuma, Enuka [@enukaokuna] (July 26, 2024). "IT'S OUT!!! Been keeping quiet about this one but the news is out. I voice #CYRAX in #MortalKombat1 and it comes out Sept 24th!! You can WATCH THE TRAILER now!!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
External links
edit- Enuka Okuma at IMDb