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Enuka Okuma

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Enuka Okuma
Okuma at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival
Born
Enuka Vanessa Okuma

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation(s)Actress, writer, director
Years active1990–present
Spouse
Joe Gasparik
​
(m. 2011)​
Websitewww.enukaokuma.com

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).

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

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Okuma 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

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Acting

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1990s: Early teen roles

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In 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

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Okuma 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

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In 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 at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

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

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Okuma 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

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For 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

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On 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

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Film

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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

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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

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Year Title Role Notes
2024 Mortal Kombat 1 Cyrax (voice) Khaos Reigns DLC[23]

References

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  1. ^ "Opera News Detail". lucky-wap-ams.op-mobile.opera.com. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Cookie". May 1, 2011 – via IMDb.
  3. ^ a b "An interview with Enuka Okuma - Cinema Without Borders". cinemawithoutborders.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "Enuka Okuma Biography". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  6. ^ "15 HOLLYWOOD Actresses with NIGERIAN Roots". October 2016. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  7. ^ "Celebrating Black History Month – Enuka Okuma". Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  8. ^ Wong, Sara (March 7, 2021). "Enuka Okuma: from SFU to stardom". Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Crushable Quotable: Rookie Blue Star Enuka Okuma Got Her Start on Canadian Teen Dramas with Ryan Reynolds". Crushable. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "The Cultural Post". September 9, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  12. ^ "Rookie Blue's Enuka Okuma Talks Her Role and Future With Sam - The Cable TV Blog". cableinternet.tv. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ Lang, Sarah (December 6, 2022). "Workin' Moms Star Enuka Okuma Bids the Show Farewell". Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  16. ^ "The 1995 Gemini nominees". playbackonline.ca. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  17. ^ "Special Report: Gemini Nominees: Who's nominated". playbackonline.ca. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  18. ^ "New series scoop Gemini nominations". CBC News. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  19. ^ "Enuka Okuma on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  20. ^ "enuka okuma - the official site". Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  21. ^ "Actress Enuka Okuma's Movie-Inspired Wedding". Inside Weddings. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  22. ^ "Lucas Taylor". Troyeur. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  23. ^ 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.
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