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Zainab Jah

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British-African actress
Zainab Jah
BornLondon, UK
OccupationActress
Years active2000–present

Zainab Jah is a British award-winning theater, television and film actress of Sierra Leonean descent. She is mostly known for her theater performances as Maima (Wife Number Two) in Danai Gurira's Broadway play Eclipsed, Venus, and School Girls, among others.

She has also worked in film and television. She plays anti-corruption minister Aminata Sissoko in the second season of Deep State, and Aby Bah in Homeland. She has also appeared on Blindspot and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Dinner Rush Adrian
2006 Naptime Singer Short film
2007 The Summoning of Everyman Confession
2008 How to Make Afang Soup Mama Short film
2015 Emily & Tim Helayne Specter
2016 New York, I Love You Sophie Short film
2016 Buried Zainab Short film
2019 Jazz in Wakanda Zainab Short film
2020 Farewell Amor Esther
2021 False Positive Grace Singleton
2021 Out/Side Of Time Short film
2021 The Black Disquisition Sedalia/Mom Short film
2022 Sherman Sherman Short film
2022 Launch at Paradise Elsa Short film
2022 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Mining Tribe Elder
2023 Drift Etweda Kamara
2023 All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt Older Mack

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2001 100 Centre Street Episode: "Lost Causes"
2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Homeless Person Episode: "Goliath"
2016–17 Homeland Aby Bah Recurring role; 4 episodes
2017 Elementary Female Crematory Worker Episode: "High Heat"
2018 Blindspot President Botros Episode: "Defection"
2018 Instinct Rebreau Episode: "Bye Bye Birdie"
2019 Deep State Aminata Sissoko Season 2 regular; 7 episodes
2020 The Good Lord Bird Harriet Tubman Episode: "Smells Like Bear"
2021 Only Murders in the Building Ndidi Idoko Recurring role; 4 episodes
2023 East New York Adama Gueye Episode: "We Didn't Start the Fire"
2023 The Blacklist Aissa Joachim Episode: "Dr. Michael Abani (No. 198)"
2023 The Continental Mazie Mini-series; 2 episodes

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Medea Death
2006 King Lear Regan
2007 (The Blood) Electra Electra
2008 Trojan Women Helen
2009 Eclipsed Maima (Wife #2)
2015
2016
2016 Stuffed Katey
2017 Venus Sarah Baartman
2017 School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play Eloise Amponsah
2019 Boesman and Lena Venus

Awards

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2016 Obie Award Obie Award for Performance Eclipsed Won
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Nominated
2017 Audie Award Audie Award for Young Listeners 28 Days: Moments in Black History That Changed the World Won
2018 Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Ensemble Award School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play Won
2019 Drama League Award Distinguished Performance Boesman and Lena Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Play Nominated
Lucille Lortel Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play Nominated
2021 FESPACO Award Best Actress Farewell Amor Won

References

  1. "ZAINAB JAH". Huntington theatre. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  2. Mcphee, Ryan. "Zainab Jah and More Set for School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play Off-Broadway". Playbill. Playbill. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  3. Quinn, Gwendolyn (2017-05-28). "INSIDE BROADWAY: BRITISH-BORN AFRICAN ACTRESS ZAINAB JAH STARS IN HISTORIC 'VENUS' AND SHARES HER JOURNEY FROM SIERRA LEONE TO AMERICA". EurWeb. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  4. "Eclipsed's Zainab Jah on Being an African Woman in American Theater". Elle. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  5. "Sahr Ngaujah and Zainab Jah in New Photos From Boesman and Lena". Theatre Mania. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  6. Soloski, Alexis. "Zainab Jah, 'Eclipsed' Star, Is Ready for Battle". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  7. "Zainab Jah, Sahr Ngaujah & Thomas Silcott to star in Signature Theatre's Boesman and Lena". New York Theatre Guide. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  8. Windman, Matt. "'Venus' review: Zainab Jah shines in superb off-Broadway drama". Amny. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  9. "See Suzan-Lori Parks, Zainab Jah & More Step Out for Venus' Off-Broadway Opening". Broadway. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  10. "Zainab Jah". iobdb. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  11. Mcphee, Ryan. "Nominations for the 2019 Drama Desk Awards Announced; Oklahoma!, Tootsie, Rags Parkland Lead the Pack". Play Bill. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
FESPACO Best Actress Prize
1972–2000
2001–present
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