---
name: "Uzo Aduba"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/uzo-aduba"
fi1m_id: "uzo-aduba"
imdb_id: "nm2499064"
tmdb_id: 1332680
wikidata_id: "Q14941915"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "10 February 1981"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 72
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-24T21:52:24.526291+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."
---

# Uzo Aduba

## Identity

Uzo Aduba

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/uzo-aduba
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** uzo-aduba
- **IMDb ID:** nm2499064
- **TMDB ID:** 1332680
- **Wikidata ID:** Q14941915
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzo_Aduba, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14941915, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2499064/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1332680

Actor. Born 10 February 1981 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 10 February 1981, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- **Active:** 2013–present
- **Also known as:** Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 3 Emmys (3 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 2010s 79 (1), 2020s 70 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 72 to 73 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 3, Crime 3, Drama 3, Mystery 1
- **Screen time:** 2 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $35m across 1 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzo_Aduba, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14941915, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2499064/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1332680

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Orange Is the New Black*](https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black.md) (79), [*The Residence*](https://film.one/tv/the-residence.md) (62)
- **Disney+:** [*Mrs. America*](https://film.one/tv/mrs-america.md) (79)
- **Apple TV:** [*Roofman*](https://film.one/film/roofman.md) (68)

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

## Fi1m on Uzo Aduba

> Uzo Aduba can make watching and listening as interesting as speaking. We value her precision and dry humour, especially in *The Residence*, where her restraint keeps a noisy, overextended mystery worth considering.

In *The Residence* (2025), Uzo Aduba's Cordelia Cupp watches closely while the people around her seem determined to be noticed. The stillness suits a birdwatching detective, and Aduba keeps us interested in what Cupp might have noticed. She can deliver a complicated sentence rapidly and precisely, letting us hear how quickly Cupp processes information. We laughed at her dry delivery because her restraint lets the jokes land amid all the fuss. There is pleasure in watching someone who does not need to compete for our attention.

That economy is worth remembering when we look back at her breakthrough as Suzanne Warren in *Orange Is the New Black* (2013–2019). Suzanne's piercing stare and childlike tics made the physical detail more conspicuous, but close control of movement remains a useful thread to follow through Aduba's work. She later played the central therapist, Dr. Brooke Taylor, in *In Treatment* (2021). With Cupp, she leads a series again, this time allowing patient observation and dry humour to do much of the work. The detective is eccentric without the performance constantly having to insist on it.

Paul William Davies's *The Residence* also makes clear how much a series can ask of its lead. Across eight episodes, the investigation repeatedly wanders away from its most interesting person to let a crowded cast keep talking. Aduba provides a steady centre, but her timing cannot make every diversion funny or justify how long they take. The writing also presses the connection between birdwatching and detection too hard. We understand why Cupp is good at her job before the programme has finished explaining it.

The next part need not come with another conspicuous set of habits. We would like to see that comic restraint given a tighter script, with enough confidence to leave her watching while other people talk. Cupp gives us reason to want more of Aduba's comedy, though not necessarily more of this particular programme. Try *The Residence* for her, and stop if the diversions wear you down.

## Biography

Uzoamaka Nwanneka 'Uzo' Aduba is an American actress. She was born on 10 February 1981 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Nigerian Igbo parents and grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts. She attended Boston University, where she studied classical voice and competed in track and field.

Aduba gained wide recognition for her role as Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren in the Netflix series *Orange Is the New Black* (2013–2019). Her performance earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014 and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2015, as well as two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She is one of only two actors to win Emmys in both comedy and drama categories for the same role. She later received a further Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for portraying Shirley Chisholm in the 2020 Hulu miniseries *Mrs. America*.

Her other screen credits include the films *American Pastoral* (2016), *Candy Jar* (2018), *Lightyear* (2022) and *Roofman* (2025). In 2021 she starred in the Broadway play *Clyde's*, receiving a Tony Award nomination. She stars as Cordelia Cupp in the 2025 Netflix series *The Residence*.

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

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Roofman* (2025), Fi1m 68, as Eileen — [page](https://film.one/film/roofman.md)
- *The Residence* (2025), Fi1m 62, as Cordelia Cupp — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-residence.md)
- *Mrs. America* (2020), Fi1m 79, as Shirley Chisholm — [page](https://film.one/tv/mrs-america.md)
- *Orange Is the New Black* (2013), Fi1m 79, as Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren — [page](https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black.md)

## Complete filmography (38)

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

- *Magicampers* (2026), series, as Trina (voice)
- *Roofman* (2025), as Eileen — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/roofman.md)
- *Caregiving* (2025), as Narrator
- *The Residence* (2025), series, as Cordelia Cupp — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-residence.md)
- *Greedy People* (2024), as Murphy
- *The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat* (2024), as Clarice Baker
- *Painkiller* (2023), series, as Edie Flowers
- *This World Is Not My Own* (2023), as Nellie Mae Rowe (voice)
- *Lightyear* (2022), as Alisha Hawthorne (voice)
- *National Champions* (2021), as Katherine Poe
- *Clyde's* (2021), as Clyde
- *Solos* (2021), series, as Sasha
- *Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine* (2020), Thanks
- *Really Love* (2020), as Chenai Hungwe
- *Mrs. America* (2020), series, as Shirley Chisholm — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/tv/mrs-america.md)
- *Steven Universe Future* (2019), series, as Bismuth (voice)
- *Miss Virginia* (2019), as Virginia Walden
- *Steven Universe: The Movie* (2019), as Bismuth (voice)
- *Beats* (2019), as Carla Monroe
- *We Are Boats* (2019), as Sir
- *2018 Boston Red Sox: The Official World Series Film* (2018), as Narrator
- *Steven Universe: Heart of the Crystal Gems* (2018), as Bismuth
- *Candy Jar* (2018), as Julia Russell
- *2 Dope Queens* (2018), series, Actor
- *My Little Pony: The Movie* (2017), as Queen Novo (voice)
- *Wally's Opening Day* (2017), as Francette (voice)
- *American Pastoral* (2016), as Vicky
- *Tallulah* (2016), as Louisa Kinnie
- *Showing Roots* (2016), as Pearl
- *Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip* (2015), as TSA Officer
- *The Wiz Live!* (2015), as Glinda the Good
- *Verbatim: The Ferguson Case* (2015), as Sheila Whirley
- *Pearly Gates* (2015), as Corrie
- *Steven Universe* (2013), series, as Bismuth, Bismuth (voice) — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/tv/steven-universe.md)
- *Orange Is the New Black* (2013), series, as Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/tv/orange-is-the-new-black.md)
- *Sing Along* (2013), as Cafeteria Lady
- *In Treatment* (2008), series, as Dr. Brooke Taylor
- *Clybourne Park*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![The cast from the TV show "Orange is the New Black" at The Paley Center For Media's PaleyFest 2014 Honoring "Orange Is The New Black". From left in chairs: Exec](https://film.one/media/person/46953/gallery-ba66864a3629.jpg) The cast from the TV show "Orange is the New Black" at The Paley Center For Media's PaleyFest 2014 Honoring "Orange Is The New Black". From left in chairs: Exec — Dominick D, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Cast_of_Orange_Is_The_New_Black_at_Paley_Fest.jpg/1280px-Cast_of_Orange_Is_The_New_Black_at_Paley_Fest.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Uzo Aduba, Dascha Polanco, Samira Wiley, Lea DeLaria and Alysia Reiner from Orange Is the New Black (2013)](https://film.one/media/person/46953/gallery-0acc6c94ad50.jpg) Uzo Aduba, Dascha Polanco, Samira Wiley, Lea DeLaria and Alysia Reiner from Orange Is the New Black (2013) — Greg Hernandez from California, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Orange_Is_the_New_Black_cast.jpg/1280px-Orange_Is_the_New_Black_cast.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Abuda at Pen America/Free Expression Literature, May 2014. © Ed Lederman/PEN American Center](https://film.one/media/person/46953/gallery-03d74b0ea9bb.jpg) Abuda at Pen America/Free Expression Literature, May 2014. © Ed Lederman/PEN American Center — PEN American Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Uzo_Aduba_2014.jpg/1280px-Uzo_Aduba_2014.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Uzo Aduba](https://film.one/media/person/46953/gallery-de913e235b41.jpg) Uzo Aduba — PEN American Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Uzo_Aduba_2014_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Uzo Aduba](https://film.one/media/person/46953/gallery-eeebd772506d.jpg) Uzo Aduba — Image via TMDB
- ![Uzo Aduba](https://film.one/media/person/46953/gallery-63d4abe52490.jpg) Uzo Aduba — Image via TMDB
- ![Uzo Aduba](https://film.one/media/person/46953/gallery-a8e24cd10537.jpg) Uzo Aduba — Image via TMDB
- ![Uzo Aduba](https://film.one/media/person/46953/gallery-b65945106695.jpg) Uzo Aduba — Image via TMDB
- ![Uzo Aduba](https://film.one/media/person/46953/gallery-ee15e5368de4.jpg) Uzo Aduba — Image via TMDB
- ![Uzo Aduba](https://film.one/media/person/46953/gallery-db46e24e79ea.jpg) Uzo Aduba — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 3 won

- 2020: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (won), for *Mrs. America*
- 2015: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (won), for *Orange Is the New Black*
- 2014: Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (won), for *Orange Is the New Black*

### Other awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- OkayAfrica 100 Women 2018: OkayAfrica 100 Women (won)
- Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film 2013: Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (nominated), for *Orange Is the New Black*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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/uzo-aduba