Deborah Ayorinde
{{Short description|English actor (born 1987)}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Deborah Ayorinde
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Deborah Olayinka Ayorinde
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|8|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = London, England
| alma_mater = Howard University
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 2010–present
}}
Deborah Olayinka Ayorinde (born 13 August 1987) is a British-Nigerian{{cite tweet|last=Ayorinde|first=Deborah Olayinka|date=21 July 2021 |user=DeborahAyorinde|number=1417872553385865226|title=I'm… Nigerian first…Londoner second…YAY Arean third (IYKYK)|access-date=21 July 2021}} actress raised in the United States. She is known for her role in the Amazon Prime horror series Them.{{Cite web|title='Them': Deborah Ayorinde & Ashley Thomas To Star In Amazon Anthology Series From Lena Waithe |url=https://deadline.com/2019/07/them-covenant-deborah-ayorinde-ashley-thomas-star-amazon-anthology-series-lena-waithe-1202655501/ |access-date=2021-04-19|website=Deadline|date=27 July 2019 |language=en-US}}
Early life and education
Ayorinde was born in London, England{{Cite web|title=Deborah Ayorinde |url=http://issuemagazine.com/deborah-ayorinde/#/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Issue|language=en-US}} to Nigerian parents.{{Cite web|title=British-Nigerian Actress Deborah Ayorinde Will Star in Lena Waithe's Horror Series 'Them'| url=https://www.okayafrica.com/actress-deborah-ayorinde-star-in-lena-waithe-horror-series-them/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Okay Africa|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|title=5 Things To Know And Cherish About 'Girls Trip' Star Deborah Ayorinde| url=https://www.essence.com/celebrity/deborah-ayorinde-facts-interview/|access-date=2021-04-21|website=Essence| date=26 October 2020|language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=mybiohub |date=2016-10-28 |title=Deborah Ayorinde Biography - Age, Wiki |url=https://mybiohub.com/2016/10/deborah-ayorinde-biography-age-wiki.html/ |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=MyBioHub |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Deborah Ayorinde - Biography |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3831822/bio/ |access-date=2024-07-31 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}} She spent her childhood in London before relocating to San Jose, California when she was 8.{{Cite web|title=Starring On Them Helped Deborah Ayorinde Confront Her Trauma| url=https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/who-plays-lucky-on-them-deborah-ayorinde-interview|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Bustle| date=9 April 2021|language=en-US}}
In May 2009, she graduated with honors from Howard University's John H. Johnson School of Communications with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production. During her time at Howard, she won the coveted Paul Robeson Best Actress award for her performance in a short film she wrote and directed. The film also won the award for Best Cinematography.{{Cite web|title=Deborah Ayorinde |url=http://issuemagazine.com/deborah-ayorinde/#/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Issue|language=en-US}}
Acting career
Ayorinde's resume includes her work on Netflix's popular Marvel series Luke Cage, and as Simone (the “other woman”) in the American comedy film, Girls Trip. She starred opposite Cynthia Erivo and Janelle Monáe in Harriet, a biopic of African American abolitionist and political activist Harriet Tubman, and she also starred in a season of HBO's True Detective.
In 2019, it was announced that she had joined the cast of Amazon Prime's Them for which Ayorinde received rave reviews for her portrayal of the character, Livia "Lucky" Emory. She received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her performance.
In the same year, it was also announced that she had been added to the cast of Fatherhood.{{Cite web|title=Lil Rel Howery, Paul Reiser, & Deborah Ayorinde Join Sony's Kevin Hart-Led 'Fatherhood' Film|url=https://deadline.com/2019/06/lil-rel-howery-paul-reiser-deborah-ayorinde-kevin-hart-fatherhood-sony-1202639546/|access-date=2021-06-23|website=Deadline|date=28 June 2019 |language=en-US}} In June 2021, Fatherhood debuted at Number 1 on Netflix in both the United States and the United Kingdom.{{Cite web|title=The Most Popular Movies On Netflix Right Now Besides 'Fatherhood'|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/fatherhood-popular-netflix-movies_l_60cffc5ee4b02e04e28e0d2f//#/|access-date=2021-06-23|website=Huffington Post|date=21 June 2021 |language=en-US}}
She gained further popularity through her work on the ITV series Riches which debuted in 2022 to much acclaim. It resonated with audiences due the storyline being centered around the black British experience.
In 2024, it was announced she would appear as the lead female in a play Wedding Band: A Love Hate Story in Black and White in Lyric Theatre in London.{{cite web | url=https://lyric.co.uk/shows/wedding-band-a-love-hate-story-in-black-and-white/ | title=Wedding Band: A Love Hate Story in Black and White }}
Filmography
=Film and TV Movies=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2014
| She Believes | Pearl | Short |
| 2015
| Taryn | Video |
| rowspan="2"| 2016
| Marquita | |
| Bad Dad Rehab
| Regina | TV movie |
| rowspan="3"| 2017
| DMV Attendant | |
| The Wizard of Lies
| Salon Receptionist | TV movie |
| Girls Trip
| Simone | |
| 2019
| Harriet | Rachel Ross | |
| 2020
| Always and Forever | Sommer | |
| 2021
| Liz | |
| 2023
| Chasing the Night | Fatimah | Short |
| 2024
| Sense and Sensibility |Elinor Dashwood |Hallmark |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2010
| Chloe | Episode: "Meet the Consequences" |
| 2011
| Rochelle | Episode: "Spinning Out" |
| 2012
| The Game | Jennifer | Episode: "Grand Opening, Grand Closing" |
| rowspan="2"| 2014
| Heather | Episode: "How to Build a Brand" |
| Constantine
| Officer Sullivan | Episode: "Rage of Caliban" |
| rowspan="2"| 2015
| Michelle | Episode: "Awakening" |
| Complications
| Kate | Episode: "Relapse" |
| rowspan="2"| 2016
| Young Nurse Amy Reese | Episode: "Blood Brothers" & "Ghosts of Quitman" |
| Luke Cage
| Candace Miller | Recurring cast: Season 1 |
| 2017
| Jessa | Episode: "Episode #3.8" |
| rowspan="2"| 2019
| Becca Hays | Recurring cast: Season 3 |
| The Village
| Dana | Recurring cast |
| rowspan="2"| 2021
| Them | Livia 'Lucky' Emory | Main cast |
| Truth Be Told
| Rose | Recurring cast: season 2 |
| 2022
| Riches | Nina Richards | Main cast |
| 2024
| Them | Detective Dawn Reeves | Main cast |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Award ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result ! class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
|---|
| {{center|2022}}
| Best Female Performance in a Scripted Series | Them | {{Nom}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{cite web |title=Film Independent Spirit Awards |url=https://www.filmindependent.org/nominee-category/best-female-performance/|website=Filmindependent.org|access-date= 30 December 2021}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|3831822}}
- [https://instagram.com/itsdeborah/?hl=en Deborah Ayorinde profile on Instagram]
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayorinde, Deborah}}
Category:21st-century English actresses
Category:Black British actresses
Category:English expatriate actresses in the United States
Category:English film actresses
Category:English television actresses
Category:English people of Nigerian descent
Category:Howard University alumni