Enuka Okuma – Biography

Born in Vancouver, Enuka Okuma is of Nigerian descent and sometimes shows up in the credits as Enuka Vanessa Okuma. Before finding a successful career in film and television, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from Simon Fraser University.

With over 50 television roles to her credit, Okuma has become familiar to audiences as a series regular playing the role of Traci Nash (pictured above) on Rookie Blue, which was also broadcast south of the border on ABC where it had dominated its time slot in the ratings over rivals NBC and CBS. Prior to that she was best known for her long run as Sheri Davis on the Canadian series, Madison appearing in episodes 14 to 65 between 1994 and 1998. From 2002 to 2005 she costarred as Lucy Dotson in the series Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye. She also spent a year in the role of Marika Donoso on the seventh season of the Fox series 24 starring Kiefer Sutherland. Not one to sit still, Okuma has also made guest appearances on such hit shows as Grey’s Anatomy and Medium.

As to Rookie Blue, in an online interview with FAN.TV, she said, “I think a big part of our show is the fact that it’s these two different very familiar genres. It’s a romantic love story, but then it’s a crime drama. The fact that these two things have meshed together, I think that’s something that’s really special about our show.”

On the big screen, Okuma has worked with many of Hollywood’s elite, including Ben Affleck in the 2000 feature, Reindeer Games, and Kenneth Branagh in How to Kill Your Neighbour’s Dog, also released in 2000. The following year she was cast in the Anne Wheeler film Suddenly Naked, starring Wendy Crewson and Peter Coyote. She also had a role in the 2011 film Larry Crowne costarring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Directed by Hanks, Larry Crowne was written by Canadian Nia Vardalos and Hanks.

The actor has spent some time on the other side of the camera. In 2011 she wrote, directed and produced the 15-minute short film Cookie, costarring Jennifer Finnigan in the title role along with Virginia Kingston, Brooke Nevin, Jed Rees and and Jonathan Silverman. If handling all that wasn’t pressure enough, Okuma took a small role in the film herself.

If you had to sum up the career of this established actor and budding director you’d have to conclude that “busy, busy, busy” is a pretty good definition. And there are no signs she’s ready to slow down.

Also see: Enuka Okuma’s filmography.

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