---
name: "Susan Kelechi Watson"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/susan-kelechi-watson"
fi1m_id: "susan-kelechi-watson"
imdb_id: "nm1635244"
tmdb_id: 155228
wikidata_id: "Q18684392"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "11 November 1981"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 70
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-24T19:30:19.145014+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Susan Kelechi Watson

## Identity

Susan Kelechi Watson

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/susan-kelechi-watson
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** susan-kelechi-watson
- **IMDb ID:** nm1635244
- **TMDB ID:** 155228
- **Wikidata ID:** Q18684392
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Kelechi_Watson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18684392, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1635244/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/155228

Actor. Born 11 November 1981 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 11 November 1981, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- **Active:** 2013–present
- **Average Fi1m score:** 70, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 72 (3), 2020s 62 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 70 to 70 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Crime 2, Mystery 2, Comedy 1, Family 1, History 1
- **Screen time:** 2 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $68m across 1 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Kelechi_Watson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18684392, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1635244/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/155228

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood*](https://film.one/film/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood.md) (77), [*The Residence*](https://film.one/tv/the-residence.md) (62)
- **Disney+:** [*This Is Us*](https://film.one/tv/this-is-us.md) (76)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Susan Kelechi Watson

> Susan Kelechi Watson makes grounded, capable women funny without making their feelings seem small. We value her warmth and comic timing, especially in *This Is Us*, and would welcome more parts that let her composure slip.

Beth Pearson's steadiness in *This Is Us* (2016) is never the whole performance. Susan Kelechi Watson gives her warmth and sharp humour, while her expressive body language allows less confident feelings to show through. We were moved by Beth's quieter moments because Watson makes vulnerability believable in someone so practised at holding herself together. That is the part of her acting we value most, and the reason a character described chiefly as grounded or unflappable can remain interesting over six seasons.

The programme itself sometimes makes that harder than it needs to be. Dan Fogelman's family drama has a cast and a sense of humour worth staying for, but the arranged revelations and persistent music can press too firmly on a scene. Watson's comic timing is particularly welcome here; it lets us enjoy the company before the programme starts asking us to feel for it. Her work with co-star Sterling K. Brown belongs to the programme's chief attraction: people worth spending an evening with, even when the storytelling becomes insistent.

Beth became the central role in a career that had already gathered momentum through recurring television work. Watson had drawn wider attention as Janet in *Louie* (2012); Andrea Vogel in *A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood* (2019) gave her a prominent feature role during the run of *This Is Us*. The repeated casting as intelligent, composed partners makes sense, given how comfortably she combines warmth with wit. It also makes us wary of parts that need her principally to understand everybody else.

Jasmine Haney in *The Residence* (2025) offers a different setting, a White House whodunnit, though not an escape from the crowded ensemble. We enjoyed its assorted temperaments, but too many supporting performances push for laughs beyond what the writing can supply. The series leaves too little room for the smaller reactions that make ensemble comedy rewarding, a limitation that matters when considering an actor with Watson's gifts. Start with *This Is Us* for the fuller account of what she can do, and allow for a programme that sometimes insists on telling us how moving it is.

## Biography

Susan Kelechi Watson is an American actress. She was born on 11 November 1981 in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Howard University and a Master of Fine Arts from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Watson is known for her role as Beth Pearson in the series *This Is Us* (2016–2022). She had recurring roles in *Louie* (2012–2014), *NCIS* (2003) and *The Blacklist* (2013). Her film credits include Andrea Vogel in *A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood* (2019). In 2025 she played Jasmine Haney in the series *The Residence*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *The Residence* (2025), Fi1m 62, as Jasmine Haney — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-residence.md)
- *A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood* (2019), Fi1m 77, as Andrea Vogel — [page](https://film.one/film/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood.md)
- *This Is Us* (2016), Fi1m 76, as Beth Pearson — [page](https://film.one/tv/this-is-us.md)
- *The Blacklist* (2013), Fi1m 63, as Ellie — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-blacklist.md)

## Complete filmography (29)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Residence* (2025), series, as Jasmine Haney — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-residence.md)
- *RoboGobo* (2025), series, as Professor Millie (voice)
- *High Potential* (2024), series, as Lucia — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/high-potential.md)
- *Will Trent* (2023), series, as Cricket Dawson
- *Merry Wives* (2022), as Madam Nkechi Ford
- *Rumble* (2021), as Maggie (voice)
- *Between the World and Me* (2020), Executive Producer
- *Premature* (2020), Executive Producer
- *A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood* (2019), as Andrea Vogel — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood.md)
- *Family Feud* (2018), as Blue Ivy Carter (adult)
- *Divorce* (2016), series, as Victoria Tuckson
- *This Is Us* (2016), series, as Beth Pearson · Writer — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/this-is-us.md)
- *Almost There* (2016), series, as Diane
- *Billions* (2016), series, as Wilma 'Billie' Keen
- *The Blacklist* (2013), series, as Ellie — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-blacklist.md)
- *Golden Boy* (2013), series, as April McGee
- *The Following* (2013), series, as Cindy Noble
- *Veep* (2012), series, as Sue's Friend — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/veep.md)
- *Small, Beautifully Moving Parts* (2011), as Towie
- *The Good Wife* (2009), series, as Lauryn Fisher — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-wife.md)
- *Blackout* (2007), as Fatima
- *Private Practice* (2007), series, as Beth O'Brien
- *Law & Order: Trial by Jury* (2005), series, as Jill Tolbert
- *Numb3rs* (2005), series, as Nina Hunter
- *Medium* (2005), series, as Subordinate
- *NCIS* (2003), series, as Nikki Jardine — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md)
- *Third Watch* (1999), series, as Emma St. Claire
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Thea Curry, Tanya Waze — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Don't Ever Wonder*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Susan Kelechi Watson](https://film.one/media/person/46958/gallery-34df5bddc6fd.jpg) Susan Kelechi Watson — chris roth, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Susan_Kelechi_Watson.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Susan Kelechi Watson at the premiere of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, 2019 Toronto Film Festival](https://film.one/media/person/46958/gallery-87e2f81ea29f.jpg) Susan Kelechi Watson at the premiere of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, 2019 Toronto Film Festival — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/A_Beautiful_Day_in_the_Neighborhood_08_%2848734830156%29.jpg/1280px-A_Beautiful_Day_in_the_Neighborhood_08_%2848734830156%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Susan Kelechi Watson at the premiere of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, 2019 Toronto Film Festival](https://film.one/media/person/46958/gallery-a811af755e3b.jpg) Susan Kelechi Watson at the premiere of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, 2019 Toronto Film Festival — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/A_Beautiful_Day_in_the_Neighborhood_09_%2848734833366%29.jpg/1280px-A_Beautiful_Day_in_the_Neighborhood_09_%2848734833366%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Chris Cooper, Tom Hanks, Marielle Heller, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Enrico Colantoni at the premiere of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, 2019 Toro](https://film.one/media/person/46958/gallery-7185f1b76984.jpg) Chris Cooper, Tom Hanks, Marielle Heller, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Enrico Colantoni at the premiere of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, 2019 Toro — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/A_Beautiful_Day_in_the_Neighborhood_18_%2848735024467%29.jpg/1280px-A_Beautiful_Day_in_the_Neighborhood_18_%2848735024467%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Chris Cooper, Tom Hanks, Marielle Heller, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Enrico Colantoni at the premiere of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, 2019 Toro](https://film.one/media/person/46958/gallery-3f63986b60aa.jpg) Chris Cooper, Tom Hanks, Marielle Heller, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Enrico Colantoni at the premiere of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, 2019 Toro — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/A_Beautiful_Day_in_the_Neighborhood_18_%2848735024467%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/1280px-A_Beautiful_Day_in_the_Neighborhood_18_%2848735024467%29_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![This Is Us PaleyFest 2017 2](https://film.one/media/person/46958/gallery-ef631100a45d.jpg) This Is Us PaleyFest 2017 2 — Chris Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Susan_Kelechi_Watson%2C_Sterling_K._Brown%2C_and_Milo_Ventimiglia_PaleyFest_2017_2_%2834663064835%29.jpg/1280px-Susan_Kelechi_Watson%2C_Sterling_K._Brown%2C_and_Milo_Ventimiglia_PaleyFest_2017_2_%2834663064835%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/susan-kelechi-watson