Biography
Who is Uzo Aduba?
Early life and education
Uzo Aduba: Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents were Igbo immigrants from Nigeria. She grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts, where she attended Medfield High School, graduating in 1999. During her childhood, she showed promise as a figure skater. She attended Boston University, where she studied classical voice and participated in track and field. Her family was heavily involved in sports, and her brother Obi played professional hockey for six seasons.
Theatre and early acting career
Uzo began her professional acting career on the stage. In 2003, her performance in Translations of Xhosa at the Olney Theatre Center earned her a nomination for the Helen Hayes Award. She played the role of Amphiarus in The Seven in 2006 and again in 2008. Her Broadway debut arrived in 2007 when she portrayed Toby in Coram Boy. Between 2011 and 2012, she performed in the original revival cast of Godspell at the Circle in the Square Theatre. She made her initial television appearance as a nurse on the show Blue Bloods in 2012.
Orange Is the New Black and breakthrough
In 2013, Uzo joined the cast of the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black as Suzanne Crazy Eyes Warren. She had originally auditioned for a different role but was offered this part instead. The performance brought her significant recognition and critical success. She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014. In 2015, she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. These wins made her one of two actors to earn Emmys in both comedy and drama categories for the same role. She also received multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards for her work on the show.
Later roles and projects
After the series concluded, Uzo took on several well-known roles in television and film. She portrayed Shirley Chisholm in the 2020 Hulu miniseries Mrs. America. This role earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. She also appeared in the 2023 Netflix series Painkiller as Edie Flowers. Her film credits include American Pastoral, My Little Pony: The Movie, and the 2019 title role in Miss Virginia. In 2025, she began starring in the Netflix murder mystery series The Residence as detective Cordelia Cupp. She has also provided voice work for the Disney Junior show Magicampers.
Advocacy and personal life
Uzo is involved in various charitable causes. In 2017, she received the Point Courage Award from the Point Foundation for her advocacy within the LGBT community. In 2018, she became the first celebrity ambassador to Africa for Heifer International, having visited Uganda to see the organization's impact. She is also a minority investor in the Angel City FC soccer team based in Los Angeles. In 2025, she narrated the PBS documentary titled Caregiving. She published a memoir titled The Road is Good: How a Mother's strength became Her Daughter's Purpose through Viking Books in 2024.
Birthday and age
Uzo Aduba was born on February 10, 1981, which makes Uzo 45 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Uzo shares the date with 30 other famous people.
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