Biography
Gina Yashere is a British comedian, actress, writer and producer. Born Regina Obedapo Iyashere on 6 April 1974 in Bethnal Green, London, to Nigerian parents, she worked as a lift maintenance technician and engineer before entering comedy.
She began performing stand-up in the mid-1990s, appearing on British television programmes including Mock the Week and Live at the Apollo. Yashere later moved to the United States, where she performed on shows such as The Tonight Show and became the first British comedian to appear on Def Comedy Jam.
She co-created the CBS sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola (2019–2024), in which she also starred as Kemi. Yashere plays Lura Thok in the series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (2026) and has provided voice work for Early Man (2018) and several animated series.
