Reanne Weruche Opia (/wəˈruːtʃeɪ ˈoʊpiə/)[1] (born 11 April 1987) is a British-Nigerian actress and entrepreneur. She is the founding CEO of the clothing line Jesus Junkie Clothing.[2] She was nominated for a British Academy Television Award for her performance in the BBC miniseries I May Destroy You (2020).
Weruche Opia | |
|---|---|
 Opia in 2017 | |
| Born | Reanne Weruche Opia 11 April 1989 Lagos, Nigeria |
| Alma mater | University of the West of England, Bristol |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Mother | Ruth Benamaisia-Opia |
Early life and education
editBorn in Lagos,[3] Opia moved to Southeast London at the age of 13. Her father is an author and professor of social sciences and her mother is veteran Nigerian broadcaster and television host Ruth Benamaisia-Opia.[4][5] Opia holds a degree in drama and sociology from the University of the West of England, Bristol.[4]
Career
editAfter making her television debut with a guest appearance in a 2010 episode of The Bill, Opia spent a year with the Renegade Theatre Company in Nigeria. Upon returning to England in 2012, she appeared in the Channel 4 crime drama Top Boy and the Channel 5 procedural Suspects.[6]
Opia gained prominence through her role as Cleopatra Ofoedo in the third series of the BBC comedy Bad Education and its 2015 spinoff film.[7] Opia was nominated in 2015 in the Nollywood Actress of the Year category at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards for her role in the film When Love Happens. From 2019 to 2020, Opia was in the main cast of the Dave sitcom Sliced as Naomi.
Opia starred as Terry Pratchard in Michaela Coel's BBC series I May Destroy You, which first aired in June 2020.[8][9] For her performance, Opia was nominated for a British Academy Television Award and won a Black Reel Award. In 2022, she appeared in the ITV thriller Our House.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | When Love Happens | Mo | Romance |
| 2015 | The Bad Education Movie | Cleopatra Ofoedo | Comedy |
| Prey | Ebele | Short film | |
| Isla Traena | Tamikah | Short film | |
| 2016 | When Love Happens Again | Mo | Romance |
| 2017 | Thereafter | June | Short film |
| 2018 | Haircut | Funmi | Short film |
| 2021 | Invisible Manners | Narrator (Epilogue) | Short film |
| 2022 | Slumberland | Agent Green | Netflix film |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Bill | Selina Moris | Episode: "Death Knock" |
| 2013 | Top Boy | Nafisa | 4 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | Suspects | Mae Roberts | 2 episodes |
| 2014, 2022 | Bad Education | Cleopatra Ofoedo | Main role (series 3) Cameo (reunion special) |
| 2015 | Banana | Lilia | 1 episode |
| Hot Pepper | Toya | Web series; episode: "One-Night Stand" | |
| 2017 | Just a Couple | Melissa | Miniseries; 4 episodes |
| 2018 | Inside No. 9 | Maz | Episode: "Tempting Fate" |
| 2019–2021 | Sliced | Naomi | Main role |
| 2020 | I May Destroy You | Terry | Miniseries; main role |
| 2022 | Our House | Merle | Miniseries; main role |
| 2023 | High Desert | Carol | Main role |
| Black Mirror | Unnamed actress | Episode: "Loch Henry" | |
| 2024 | Iwájú | Otin (voice) | Main role |
| The Jetty | Riz Samuel | Main role |
Stage
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Liberian Girl | Finda | Royal Court Theatre, London[10] |
| 2015 | The Trial | Comptroller | Young Vic, London |
| 2018 | The Divide | Giella | The Old Vic, London |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award(s) | Category | Work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Nigeria Entertainment Awards | Actress of The Year (Nollywood) | ...When Love Happens | Nominated | [11] |
| Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards | Best Actress in a Comedy | Nominated | [12] | ||
| 2021 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series (shared with cast) | I May Destroy You | Won | [13] |
| British Academy Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [14] | ||
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Weruche Opia On 'I May Destroy You', Sexual Consent And Her Dream Role". Elle UK. 13 July 2020. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ "YHP Interviews Young Entrepreneur and CEO of Jesus Junkie, Reanne Weruche Opia". Your Hidden Potential. 5 October 2009. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ Blair, Olivia (13 July 2020). "Weruche Opia On 'I May Destroy You', Black Narratives And Sticking To Your Guns". Elle UK. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ a b Akbar, Arifa (6 December 2020). "Weruche Opia: 'I told my team I didn't want the sassy rude girl roles any more'". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- ^ "Weruche Opia is the next Nigerian actress you should be stanning". YNaija. 29 June 2020. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
- ^ "10 Things You Didn't Know About Weruche Opia". Youth Village. 13 April 2016. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Bad Education's girls interview". British Comedy Guide. 15 September 2014. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ "Weruche Opia". Afrinolly. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ Harrison, Ellie (7 March 2022). "Weruche Opia: 'I nearly turned down I May Destroy You over the threesome scene'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ "Weruche Opia". Royal Court Theatre. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ Oneill, Danielle (15 July 2015). "The Nigeria Entertainment Awards Announce 2015 Nominees". OkayAfrica. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ Izuzu, Chidumga (11 December 2014). "AMVCA 2015 Nominees Rita Dominic, 'October 1', '30 Days in Atlanta', get nominations". Pulse Nigeria. Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ Warren, Matt (26 January 2021). "2021 Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations Announced!". Film Independent. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ "Television - 2020". British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
External links
edit- Weruche Opia at IMDb
- Weruche Opia at Curtis Brown