Jessica Oyelowo
Oyelowo in 2015
Born
Jessica Watson

1978 (age 45–46)
Ipswich, Suffolk, England
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active1999–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1998)​
Children4

Jessica Oyelowo (née Watson; born 1978) is a British actress and singer.

Early life

She was born Jessica Watson in Ipswich and spent her childhood in Suffolk.[1] She attended Woodbridge School as a child and was a member of the National Youth Music Theatre.[1]

Career

In 2006, she starred as Detective Sergeant Alex Jones[1] in Mayo and went on to appear in Murphy's Law alongside James Nesbitt, in 2007.[2] She provided the voice of Mrs. Equiano (alongside her husband as Olaudah Equiano) in Grace Unshackled – The Olaudah Equiano Story, a radio play adapting Equiano's 1789 autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. This was first broadcast on BBC 7 on 8 April 2007.[3]

Personal life

David and Jessica Oyelowo

Oyelowo resides in Tarzana in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, US with her husband, actor David Oyelowo. They met while attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.[4][1] They have four children.[4][5][6] They formerly resided in Brighton, England.[1]

Both she and her husband are committed Christians.[4]

Oyelowo and her husband became naturalised US citizens on 20 July 2016.[7][8]

As the wife of a Yoruba tribal prince, Oyelowo is entitled to the honorific style Olori, she does not use it.[9][10]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Sleepy Hollow Sarah
2004 Churchill: The Hollywood Years Princess Margaret
2005 It's a Boy! Mary Video short
2009 Big Guy Bear Vendor Short
2010 Alice in Wonderland Woman with Large Poitrine in Red Queen Court
2011 Rahab Rahab Short
2015 Captive Meredith MacKenzie
2016 After the Storm None Short; director, writer and producer
Nina Nurse
A United Kingdom Lady Lilly Canning
2019 Sorry, Not Sorry Abby Short
2020 The Water Man Missus Bakemeyer Also composed and performed several songs

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Unfinished Business Flora Episodes: "2.4", "2.6"
1999 People Like Us Emma Episode: "The Photographer"
2000 Madame Bovary Felicite TV miniseries
2000 Reach for the Moon Claire Jones Episode: "This Means Nothing to Me"
2000 Don Quixote 1st Handmaiden TV film
2000 The Sight Isobel TV film
2001 Lee Evans: So What Now? Episode: "Swinger"
2002 Helen West Rose Darvey Episodes: "Deep Sleep", "Shadow Play"
2003 The Deal Make-up Artist TV film
2004 Hex Rachel McBain Episode: "Pilot: The Story Begins"
2006 Mayo Alex Jones Main role
2007 Murphy's Law Jackie Cole Episodes: "Food Chain: Parts 1-3"
2008 Inseparable Camille Hutton TV film
2011 Off the Map Chloe Episode: "Smile. Don't Kill Anyone."
2012 Childrens Hospital Mother Episode: "British Hospital"
2023 Lawmen: Bass Reeves Rachel Reeves Episode: "Part I"; also Executive Producer

Stage work

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Suffolk actress in crime show". Ipswich Star. 31 March 2006. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Be glad he's on your side". BBC. Retrieved 4 October 2007.[dead link]
  3. ^ "Network Radio Programme Information Week 15 Easter Sunday 15 April 2007" (Press release).[dead link]
  4. ^ a b c Gilbert, Gerard (8 February 2013). "Upwardly mobile: David Oyelowo on going from Tooting Bec to Tom Cruise's jet". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  5. ^ Gilbey, Ryan (1 February 2015). "David Oyelowo: 'No one says to Oliver Stone: white characters AGAIN?'". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  6. ^ Mandell, Andrea (10 October 2012). "David Oyelowo comes out of 'Nowhere' to become star". USA Today. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  7. ^ WENN.com (29 September 2016). "David Oyelowo was inspired to become a citizen after filming Selma". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  8. ^ Park, Andrea (24 November 2016). "David Oyelowo on his first Thanksgiving as an American citizen". CBS News.
  9. ^ "David Oyelowo interview: The Selma actor on being an African prince". Independent.com. 13 June 2015. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  10. ^ "BBC The Girl Before star's actress wife of 23 years and his unusual contract demand to keep the relationship working". mylondon.news. 19 December 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  11. ^ Hickling, Alfred (7 December 2006). "Cyrano de Bergerac". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 October 2016.

External links

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