Uzo Aduba On Nigerian Roots

Acclaimed actress Uzo Aduba, a three-time Emmy winner and multiple time Screen Actor Guild Award winner, recently sat down with One54 Africa hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila and Godfrey Danchimah to discuss her remarkable journey from being the daughter of Nigerian immigrants to becoming a global pop culture sensation. Aduba, the first African American actress to be honored by SAG and the Emmys across genres and one of only three performers ever to win Emmys across comedy, drama, and limited series, emphasized how her Nigerian heritage provided the foundation for her celebrated career.

The interview, marked by camaraderie and the sharing of traditional chin-chin and palm wine, delved into the profound influence of Aduba’s upbringing. Her parents, having fled persecution during the Biafran Civil War, instilled in her a foundational belief in the value of hard work and a commitment to excellence. Her mother, who was a painter and drawer and had also worked as a spy and relay[er] of information during the war, ensured her children understood that the American dream was for them to live their own dreams. Having left so much behind, the few things they carried that "cannot be erased" were their Nigerian names. Aduba’s full name, Uzoamaka, literally means "the road is good" but truly means "the journey was hard, but it was worth it". Godfrey Danchimah himself shared a similar experience, explaining that he uses "Godfrey" professionally because his birth name, Chima, was consistently "fuck[ed]" up by others.

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Uzo Aduba On Nigerian Roots, Code-Switching, Beyoncé, Gap & Orange Is the New Black

Growing up in a predominantly white suburb of Massachusetts, Uzo Aduba often felt challenged and embarrassed by her Nigerian identity, particularly when bringing Nigerian food like jollof rice or fufu to school. She recalls wanting the standard American Lunchables or turkey sandwiches of her classmates, and the strong smells of Nigerian staples like stockfish or ogiri would prompt people getting off the bus to ask, "what is that?". The struggle with her identity also extended to her appearance, specifically her gap. Though her mother celebrated it as a sign of beauty shared by her family, Uzo Aduba repeatedly asked for braces. It wasn’t until a high school senior yearbook photographer told her, "I think you have a beautiful smile", that she began to smile openly, feeling now that she is making up for "lost smiles". Her mother, who had lived through an era where creating gaps was a beauty standard, refused her daughter’s request for braces, believing it was essential to "celebrate those things about us that make us who we are".

The actress also detailed her experience with code-switching, adjusting her language when she entered the track world and met African American teammates. Initially teased for talking "so proper", she struggled to connect with the fast girls until her teammate Mo'Nique (Monique Tub) helped her realize that authenticity and connecting on a soul level mattered more than speaking the same way. Aduba now views code-switching not as "sellout" behavior but as a "superpower of sorts", a "vital tool for survival and connection" that reflects the sum total of her identity as a Black woman, Nigerian woman, and American woman.

Aduba’s career path was dramatically altered the day she decided to quit acting. After a summer of "no after no", the three-time Emmy winner had decided to go to law school. On the very day she gave up, she received a call from her agent: she didn't get the track star part she auditioned for but was offered another part—the role of "Crazy Eyes" in Orange is the New Black. Aduba anchored the complex character by viewing the role as a love story—doing what one would do for love, which can look "outrageous to other people". Reflecting on her success and the money that came with it, Aduba views herself as practicing the exercise of being effective with the returns on her parents’ investment, emphasizing that money is powerful and must be used with responsibility. Akbar Gbajabiamila, referencing his own NFL career, agreed that money comes with a certain responsibility. Finally, Aduba confirmed she is married to an American man and that they held two ceremonies: a white wedding and a full Nigerian traditional wedding with all the accompanying customs, including the kola nuts and wine.