Adepero Oduye

Who is the actress Oscar Queen, Meryl Streep gave a shout out to as an actress to watch at last year's Golden Globes awards show? I'll tell ya!

She is Adepero Oduye.  Adepero was born to Nigerian parents in Brooklyn, New York.  Growing up, she took expected steps toward becoming a doctor and attended Cornell University as a premed student.  However, she couldn't pretend she wasn't drawn to acting and during her last semester at Cornell,  Ms. Oduye enrolled in acting classes. One fateful day, she saw a flyer for a short film, Pariah and decided to audition for any part in the movie.  She actually hoped to at least get hired as an extra.  Dees Rees, the director of the movie thought otherwise - she saw Adepero and was convinced she had found her star. Pariah tells the story of Alike, a 17 year old Brooklynite searching for a girlfriend and coming to terms with her sexuality.

Pariah was extended from a short film to a feature film and after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Focus Features acquired the distribution rights of the movie. Pariah got a wide release in December 2011 and Hollywood paid attention.  Critics praised Ms. Oduye's performance as "breakout" and "on the verge."  She has graced the pages of magazines like Essence and Vanity Fair.  In fact, she was on the cover of Vanity Fair's18th Annual Hollywood issue featuring Hollywood's next generation of "it" girls like Jessica Chastain (The Help), Rooney Mara (Girl with the Dragon Tatoo), Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)  and Paula Patton (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol).

Adepero Oduye on acting:

"I was drawn to acting. I'm not sure why but it was something I wanted to pursue and try."

On self-image:

"I remember thinking, I don't know if anyone will want to see me on screen. But deep down I knew it had to happen as me.  And no one else.  If it can't happen with me, the way I look or my hair, or my name, then it can't happen at all." Sound familiar?

On style:

"I've always had natural hair and I always will.  I never shy away from prints and color.  I guess that's the Nigerian in me.  I don't wear anything black."

On her mother's reaction:

"My mother has said, 'Pariah needs to come to Africa because they are killing people here because they are gay.'  She never talks about LGBT issues anywhere. But my participation in Pariah has opened her mind up to a little more.  If that can happen to my mother, anything is possible."

On stardom:

"It's all surreal.  I'm never thankful enough. I feel thankful to be embraced by all of this.  I'm taking it all in and smiling a lot."


NEXT PROJECT:
She will star in the television remake of Steel Magnolias alongside Queen Latifah, Alfre Woodard, Phylicia Rashad, Jill Scott, and newcomer Condola Rashad.  The movie will premiere on Sunday, October 7 at 9:00 p.m. on the Lifetime Television Network. 

I know I will be watching!





Sources: huffingtonpost.com, essence.com, vanityfair.com and Essence.