Uzo Aduba

Uzo Aduba is a Nigerian-American actor and author known for her work across television, film, and theater. Her portrayal of Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in Orange Is the New Black brought her wide recognition and two of her three Primetime Emmy Awards; she later won another Emmy for portraying Shirley Chisholm in Mrs. America.

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About Uzo Aduba

Profile information current to 2026-08-19.

United States · Actor, Author

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Known for: Television acting; Stage acting; Memoir writing
Country: United States

Actor
Author

At a glance

Aduba became widely known for portraying Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in Orange Is the New Black.
She has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, including two for Orange Is the New Black and one for Mrs. America.
Her stage career includes a Broadway debut in Coram Boy and a 2022 Tony Award nomination for Clyde's.
Her debut memoir, The Road Is Good, was published in 2024.

Background and training

The daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Aduba grew up in the Boston area. She attended Boston University on a track scholarship and graduated from its College of Fine Arts School of Music in 2005 with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance.

Stage and screen career

Aduba made her Broadway debut in Coram Boy in 2007 and later appeared in the 2011 revival of Godspell. Her screen breakthrough came as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in Orange Is the New Black, a performance that earned her Primetime Emmy Awards in 2014 and 2015. She won a third Emmy in 2020 for portraying Shirley Chisholm in Mrs. America and received a Tony Award nomination in 2022 for her performance in Clyde's.

Later work and authorship

Aduba later led the Netflix series The Residence as detective Cordelia Cupp. She also expanded her work into authorship with The Road Is Good, a memoir published by Viking on September 24, 2024.

Timeline

2005 Graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance.
2007 Made her Broadway debut in Coram Boy.
2013 Broke out as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in Orange Is the New Black.
2014 Won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Orange Is the New Black.
2015 Won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Orange Is the New Black.
2020 Won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for portraying Shirley Chisholm in Mrs. America.
2022 Received a Tony Award nomination for her featured performance in Clyde's.
2024-09-24 Published her debut memoir, The Road Is Good.
2025-03-21 Netflix publicized The Residence as streaming, with Aduba leading the series as detective Cordelia Cupp.

Additional verified details

Biographical facts

Aduba is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants and grew up in the Boston area.
She attended Boston University on a track scholarship and earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from its College of Fine Arts School of Music.
She made her Broadway debut in Coram Boy in 2007 and later appeared in the 2011 revival of Godspell.
Aduba won Primetime Emmy Awards in 2014 and 2015 for Orange Is the New Black and in 2020 for Mrs. America.
She portrayed Shirley Chisholm in FX's Mrs. America.
She received a 2022 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for Clyde's.
Her debut memoir, The Road Is Good, was published by Viking on September 24, 2024.