Yetide Badaki

Yetide BadakiListenⓘ (born September 24, 1981) is a Nigerian-American actress. She is best known for playing Bilquis on the Starz series American Gods.[1][2][3]

Yetide Badaki
Badaki at the 2017 New York Comic Con
Born (1981-09-24) September 24, 1981
Ibadan, Nigeria
EducationMcGill University (BA)
Illinois State University (MFA)
OccupationActress
Years active2003–present

Early life

Badaki was born in Ibadan, Nigeria. Before moving to England, Badaki lived in Nigeria for three years. At the age of 6, she returned to Nigeria. Finally, she settled in America at age twelve.[4] She is a graduate of McGill University with a major in English Literature (Theater) and a minor in Environmental Science.[5] Badaki also has a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from Illinois State University.[6][7]

Career

Badaki received a 2006 Jeff Award nomination for Best Actress in a Principal Role (Play) for I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda.[8] She has received positive reviews for her portrayal of Bilquis on American Gods.[9][10] For the television series, the character of Bilquis was expanded from the novel.[11] In 2018, Badaki played the recurring character Chi Chi on This Is Us.[12]

Badaki has written a short film called In Hollywoodland, which she funded with IndieGoGo.[13] Badaki and Karen David produced and starred in the short film while Jessica Sherif directed it. In Hollywoodland is a re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland set in present-day Los Angeles.[14] In Hollywoodland premiered in August 2020 at the Bentonville Film Festival.[15]

Badaki played the mother of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2022 biographical movie Rise for Disney Plus.[16]

In 2023, Deadline announced that Badaki was developing a Nigerian vampire series titled Najia Vamp with Prentice Penny & Sebastian A. Jones. It will include a comic run and a TV series.[17]

Personal life

She became a United States citizen in 2014.[18] In 2021, Badaki revealed that she is bisexual.[19]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2003 Expiration Naomi
2017 Cardinal X Anita
2018 Chasing the Rain The Woman
2018 The Long Shadow Sissy Leblanc
2019 The Buried Girl Alex
2019 Precipice Morena Short
2020 What We Found Alex
2022 Rise Veronica Antetokounmpo

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2008 Lost Narjiss Episode: "The Shape of Things to Come"
2013 Criminal Minds Maya Carcani Episode: "Final Shot"
2014 Sequestered Keira Recurring character
2014 Masters of Sex Nurse Williams Episode: "Blackbird"
2015 NCIS: New Orleans Felicia Patrice Episode: "Le Carnaval de la Mort"
2015 Aquarius Rita Carter Episode: "Your Mother Should Know"
2016 K.C. Undercover Penelope Episode: "Coopers Reactivated!"
2017–2021 American Gods Bilquis Main cast
2018 This Is Us Chi Chi Recurring
2020 The Magicians Zoe Marcus Episode: "The Mountain of Ghosts"
2023 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Neera Ketoul Episode: "Ad Astra Per Aspera"
TBA Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas Queen Meeru (voice)
TBA Queen Nzinga Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba Main cast
TBA Naija Vamp Bisi

Video games
Year Title Role Notes
2016 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Ebele Yetide

See also

References
  1. Robinson, Joanna (2016-07-16). "American Gods: Exclusive First Look at Bilquis and the Show's Most Challenging Scene". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  2. "I want to tell the African story, says American Gods star Yetide Badaki". Times Live. 2016-04-10. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  3. Josh Wigler (2017-06-18). "'American Gods' Star Talks Finale and Her Powerful "Come to Jesus" Moments". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  4. "Yetide Badaki: Nigeria's Hollywood sweetheart". Daily Trust. 2016-08-27. Archived from the original on 2017-04-18. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  5. "Bio". Yetide Badaki. 2017-04-17. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  6. "Yetide Badaki". The Echo. 2017-04-17. Archived from the original on 2018-06-23. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  7. "Neil Gaiman's American Gods (the Series) Includes ISU Alum Yetide Badaki". A Follow Spot. 2017-04-17. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  8. "Flaherty, Galati, Griffin, Bell, Zimmerman Among 2006 Jeff Award Nominees". Playbill. 2006-09-06. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  9. "American Gods episode 1 review: Shadow meets Wednesday in intoxicating, blood-soaked pilot". International Business Times. 2017-04-17. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  10. Jensen, Jeff (2017-04-17). "American Gods: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  11. "The Women of American Gods Get to Actually Be People". The Geekiary. 2017-04-18. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  12. Kimberly Roots (2018-10-02). "This Is Us Enlists American Gods Star Yetide Badaki for Season 3 Stint". TVline. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
  13. Tricia Ennis (2018-06-15). "American Gods' Yetide Badaki launches fundraiser for Wonderland short film". Syfy. Archived from the original on 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  14. Dino-Ray Ramos (2018-06-17). "'American Gods' Star Yetide Badaki Launches Campaign For Reimagining Of 'Alice In Wonderland'". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  15. "2020 Spotlight Film and Competition Program Announcement". Bentonville Film Festival. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-26.
  16. Joe Otterson (2021-03-19). "Giannis Antetokounmpo Movie for Disney Plus Finds Its Lead, Adds Yetide Badaki and Dayo Okeniyi (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
  17. White, Peter (2022-12-07). "Yetide Badaki Developing Nigerian Vampire TV Series & Comic With Prentice Penny & Sebastian A. Jones". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  18. "American Gods' Yetide Badaki: 'Why can't a black woman be a love goddess?'". The Guardian. 2016-05-08. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  19. "Yetide Badaki says American Gods inspired her to come out as bisexual". GAY TIMES. 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
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