Sope Aluko (/ˈʃoʊpwɛ əˈluːkoʊ/ SHOHP-weh ə-LOO-koh;[3] born July 5, 1975) is a Nigerian-born British-American actress.
Sope Aluko | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 5, 1975[1][2] |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2009-present |
Life and career
editAluko was born in Nigeria. She was raised in the United Kingdom, as her father was in the diplomatic service, which resulted in her traveling many places. Ultimately, she began attending boarding school at ten and studied in the U.K. where she grew up and earned her master's degree in Marketing. Sope had previously tried theater, but her parents did not approve of it. She traveled to America while she was on holiday and ran into her future husband "by accident". She stayed and worked in Corporate America for fifteen years. After her parents died, she decided to pursue acting again. On her background, Sope said, "When I started off in this industry...they would say, “I love your accent but…” I just didn't trust myself enough. I started going to classes to try to get rid of my accent. One day, I just said, NO because this is me. If that doesn't work then maybe I'm just not cut out for this. The minute I did that, things just changed."like it was magic[4]
Since then, Sope has made numerous appearances on television since then including Bloodline, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Parks and Recreation, Burn Notice, Graceland and Army Wives. She has also acted in feature films including Identity Thief and Pitch Perfect 2.[5]
In early 2018, Sope began gaining attention for nabbing a role in the Marvel Studios film Black Panther as a Shaman.[6] Her casting was met with praise in her home town in Nigeria. On being in the movie Sope stated, "I had to make sure I was fit for the role because one of my scenes that was going to involve some physical activity...And then for my role, I had to speak in a different accent. I made sure I did my research about the accent...I wanted to make sure I was prepared prior to coming on set." She expressed that being in the movie was a dream come true and hoped that she could expand her acting to Nollywood.[7] Sope later appeared in Venom, her character was given the name Dr. Rosie Collins.[5]
In 2022, Sope was cast in the lead for a new Hulu series titled Bammas.[8]
Personal life
editSope Aluko is married and has two sons.[4] She is a practicing Christian.[9]
Due to her role in Black Panther, Miami-Dade County, Florida Mayor Carlos A. Giménez has labeled April 10 as "Sope Aluko Day".[10]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Up in the Air | Software Woman | Uncredited |
| 2009 | Reckoning | Jennifer Carson | Short film |
| 2009 | Corporate Karma | Penny | Short film |
| 2010 | Realm | Alyssa's Teacher | Short film |
| 2011 | 96 Minutes | Prison Worker | |
| 2011 | Overruled: Government Invasion of Your Parental Rights | Spokeswoman | Short film |
| 2012 | Message in a Bottle | Angela | Short film |
| 2013 | Identity Thief | Secretary at Prominence Denver | |
| 2014 | Sabotage | Receptionist | Uncredited |
| 2014 | Untold | Records Clerk | |
| 2014 | The Good Lie | Processing Office Woman | |
| 2015 | Pitch Perfect 2 | French Commentator | |
| 2015 | American Ultra | Krueger's Wife | Uncredited |
| 2015 | Joy | Fimi | Short film |
| 2016 | 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi | BBC News Anchor | Uncredited |
| 2016 | Remember When | Maggie | Short film |
| 2017 | All Summers End | Mrs. Morris | |
| 2018 | Black Panther | Sope the Shaman | |
| 2018 | Venom | Dr. Rosie Collins | |
| 2019 | The Best of Enemies | Henrietta Kaye | |
| 2022 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Sope the Shaman |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back | Sherly Pierre | Episode: "Emmana Michel" |
| 2012 | Burn Notice | Dr. Winnick | Episode: "Last Rites" |
| 2012 | Army Wives | Laura Oakley | Episode: "The War at Home" |
| 2013 | The Glades | Zombie Nurse | Episode: "Apocalypse Now" |
| 2013 | Parks and Recreation | Lisa | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Arrangement | Mariana | TV movie |
| 2013 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Reporter #2 | Episode: "American Tragedy" |
| 2013-2014 | Ravenswood | Doctor | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Zoo | Host | Episode: "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" |
| 2015 | Graceland | Agent Avery Stanwood | 4 episodes |
| 2015 | How to Get Away with Murder | Detective Shelby Diaz | Episode: "She's Dying" |
| 2015 | Satisfaction | Detective Lacy | Episode: "...Through Travel" |
| 2015 | The Mindy Project | Nadine | Episode: "Mindy and Nanny" |
| 2017 | The Inspectors | Professor Madeline Magoro | Episode: "Trial by Error" |
| 2017 | Shots Fired | Judge Margeaux Matthews | Episode: "Hour Six: The Fire This Time" |
| 2017 | Bloodline | Shana Wilson | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Counterpart | Nurse Jacqueline | Episode: "No Man's Land - Part Two" |
| 2021 | Legacies | Ayomi | 3 episodes |
| 2023 | Captain Fall | Additional voices | Episode: "Je Suis Tanner" |
References
edit- ^ "Sope Aluko". Explore Talent. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ^ Official Twitter account states she was born on July 5.
- ^ CBS Los Angeles (January 28, 2018). "Actress Sope Aluko Discusses Role In 'Black Panther' On KCAL9". YouTube. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
- ^ a b Vo, Thao (February 16, 2018). "Black Panther's Sope Aluko Gives Us Insight on Her Journey to Pursuing Her Passion". Sheen Magazine. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ a b Izuzu, Chidumga (March 3, 2018). "Nigerian-born actress lands role in another Marvel superhero film". Pulse. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ Ndeche, Chidirim (March 12, 2018). "Sope Aluko: The Shaman Of Wakanda". The Guardian - Life. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ Augoye, Jayne (February 17, 2018). "How I landed a role in the Black Panther movie – Nigerian-born actress, Sope Aluko". Premium Times. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ White, Peter (April 13, 2022). "'Black Panther's Sope Aluko Joins Hulu Pilot 'Bammas'". Deadline. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
- ^ Hallowell, Billy. "Sope Aluko Reveals Surprising Presence of God on the Set of 'Black Panther'". Light Workers. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ Nan (April 11, 2018). "U.S. honours Sope Aluko, Nigerian-British actor". Vanguard. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
External links
edit- Sope Aluko at IMDb
- Sope Aluko on Twitter