Lovie Simone
{{short description|American actress}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lovie Simone
| birth_name = Lovie Simone Oppong
| image = Lovie Simone on Dulce Osuna.jpg
| caption = Simone interviewed in 2020
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|11|29}}
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 2009–present
}}
Lovie Simone Oppong (born November 29, 1998){{Cite web|last=Kwateng-Clark|first=Danielle|title=Lovie Simone on the Psychology of Her "Greenleaf" Character and Wanting Complex Storylines|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/lovie-simone-up-next|date=September 27, 2019|access-date=July 4, 2020|website=Teen Vogue|language=en-us}} is an American actress, best known for her role as Zora Greenleaf in the drama series Greenleaf (2016–2020), and Keisha Clark in the critically acclaimed Netflix teen drama series Forever (2025).
Life and career
Simone was born in New York City in The Bronx and raised in Orange County, New York. Here, she attended Monroe-Woodbury High School from her freshman year to senior year. Her mother is African American and her father is Ghanaian.{{Cite web|title=V Girl: Lovie Simone {{!}} V Magazine|url=https://vmagazine.com/article/v-girls-lovie-simone-2/|website=vmagazine.com|access-date=2020-05-25}} She has a twin sister named Yuri, who's a musician that goes by Reiyo The Giant{{Cite web |title=Reiyo The Giant - Topic - YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1_bq2bVgjpKP9Ew8vDGwzg?app=desktop |access-date=2022-09-29 |website=www.youtube.com}} and a younger brother and sister. She studied at an acting school in New York and later appeared in a national commercial for JC Penney.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvovermind.com/lovie-simone/|title=10 Things You Didn't Know about Lovie Simone|first=Dana|last=Hanson-Firestone|date=September 23, 2019|website=TVOvermind}}
Beginning in 2016, Simone starred in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series, Greenleaf playing the role of Zora Greenleaf, the daughter of Kerissa (Kim Hawthorne) and Jacob Greenleaf (Lamman Rucker).{{Cite web|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/lovie-simone-up-next|title=Lovie Simone on the Psychology of Her "Greenleaf" Character and Wanting Complex Storylines|first=Danielle|last=Kwateng-Clark|website=Teen Vogue|date=September 27, 2019}} Simone was originally cast as a recurring cast member, but was promoted to a series regular by the second season.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/10/greenleaf-gregalan-williams-lovie-simone-series-regulars-own-1201844156/|title='Greenleaf': GregAlan Williams & Lovie Simone Upped To Regulars On OWN Drama|first1=Erik|last1=Pedersen|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=October 27, 2016}} Simone later made her film debut in a supporting role opposite Jennifer Hudson and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in the 2018 drama film Monster, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.{{Cite news|first=Spencer|last=Cain|title=It's time to meet Lovie Simone|language=en-US|work=ASOS|url=https://www.asos.com/us/women/fashion-feed/2017_08_02-wed/lovie-simone-interview-trend-story/|date=August 3, 2017|access-date=2020-10-28}} The following year, she appeared in two drama films that premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, Share and Selah and the Spades in which she played the titular role.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/01/sundance-2019-selah-and-the-spades-trailer-factions-1202037815/|title='Selah and the Spades' Trailer: Sundance Drama Explores Underground Life at Boarding School|first1=Tambay|last1=Obenson|website=IndieWire|date=January 24, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/amazon-studios-selah-and-the-spades-1203269881/|title=Amazon Studios Buys 'Selah and the Spades,' Will Develop Original Series (EXCLUSIVE)|first1=Brent|last1=Lang|magazine=Variety|date=July 17, 2019}} Both films received positive reviews from critics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/share_2019|title=Share (2019)|website=Rotten Tomatoes}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/selah_and_the_spades|title=Selah and the Spades (2019)|website=Rotten Tomatoes}} In 2020, Simone played one of the leads in writer-director Zoe Lister-Jones' horror film The Craft: Legacy, a sequel to the 1996 film The Craft.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/09/gideon-adlon-lovie-simone-zoey-luna-cailee-spaeny-the-craft-blumhouse-sony-1202737052/|title=Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, Zoey Luna Join Cailee Spaeny To Lead 'The Craft' Remake From Blumhouse|first1=Amanda|last1=N'Duka|website=IndieWire|date=September 19, 2019}}{{Cite web|first=Trey|last=Mangum|url=https://shadowandact.com/the-craft-remake-taps-lovie-simone-to-star-as-one-of-the-four-leads|title='The Craft' Remake Taps Lovie Simone To Star As One Of The Four Leads|website=shadowandact.com|date=September 19, 2019}}{{Cite web|first=Trey|last=Mangum|url=https://shadowandact.com/the-craft-remake-starring-lovie-simone-wraps-filming|title='The Craft' Remake Starring Lovie Simone Wraps Filming|website=shadowandact.com|date=February 20, 2020}}
In 2021, Simone starred in the first season of Starz crime drama series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/power-book-iii-raising-kanan-lovie-simone-1203526502/|title=‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ Casts ‘Greenleaf’ Star Lovie Simone (EXCLUSIVE)|first1=Joe|last1=Otterson|date=March 6, 2020}} In 2022, she was cast opposite Tobias Menzies Apple TV+ limited series, Manhunt.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/anthony-boyle-lovie-simone-tobias-menzies-apples-lincoln-assassination-limited-series-manhunt-1234960223/|title=Anthony Boyle & Lovie Simone Join Tobias Menzies In Apple’s Lincoln Assassination Limited Series ‘Manhunt’|first1=Denise|last1=Petski|date=February 25, 2022}} She starred in the period drama film The Walk, and in 2023, starred in the science fiction thriller 57 Seconds.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/film/markets-festivals/morgan-freeman-josh-hutcherson-team-on-time-bending-thriller-57-seconds-in-first-look-photo-1235274536/|title=Morgan Freeman, Josh Hutcherson Team on Time-Bending Thriller ’57 Seconds’ in First Look Photo|first1=Carole|last1=Horst|date=May 22, 2022}} In 2025, she starred as the lead character Keisha Clark in the Netflix teen drama series Forever, which received rave reviews from critics.{{Cite web |last=Shayo |first=Lukas |date=2025-05-10 |title=Netflix's New Judy Blume Series Debuts With Strong Rotten Tomatoes Score With Both Critics & Audiences |url=https://screenrant.com/forever-2025-show-rotten-tomatoes-score-netflix/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2018
|Renee Pickford | |
| 2019
|Jenna | |
| 2019
|Selah Summers | |
| 2020
|Tabby | |
| 2022
|Wendy Robbins | |
| 2023
|Jala | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2016–20
| Zora Greenleaf | Main role, 60 episodes |
| 2017
| Jasmin | 1 episode |
| 2017
| Gina Walker | 1 episode |
| 2020
| Social Distance{{Cite web|last=Allaire|first=Christian|title=Lovie Simone on Starring in 'The Craft' Reboot and Embracing Witchy Style|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/lovie-simone-the-craft-legacy-witchy-fashion|access-date=October 28, 2020|date=October 27, 2020|website=Vogue|language=en-us}} | Ayana | 1 episode |
| 2021
| Power Book III: Raising Kanan | Davina Harrison | Main role, 10 episodes |
| 2024
| Manhunt | Mary Simms | Miniseries |
| 2025
| Keisha Clark | Miniseries |
References
{{Reflist|3}}
External links
- {{IMDb name |7594279}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simone, Lovie}}
Category:American television actresses
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:American film actresses
Category:Actresses from the Bronx