Jessica Sula

{{short description|British actress (born 1994)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox person | image = Jessica Sula.jpg | caption = Sula in 2012 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1994|05|03}} | birth_name =  | birth_place = Swansea, Wales | education = Gorseinon College | occupation = Actress | years_active = 2011–present }}

'''Jessica Bianca Sula''' (born 3 May 1994)<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://twitter.com/DakotaBlueR/status/594950429735268352 |title=Happy Birthday|work=twitter|date=3 May 2015|first=Dakota Blue|last=Richards}}</ref> is a Welsh actress. On television, she is known for her roles in the third generation of the E4 series ''Skins'' (2011–2012), the ABC Family series ''Recovery Road'' (2015–2016), the VH1 series ''Scream: Resurrection'' (2019) and the Amazon Prime series ''Panic'' (2021). Her films include ''Split'' (2016) and ''Malum'' (2023).<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-12313083 |title=Swansea actress beats 8,000 to Skins role |first=Polly |last=March |work=BBC News |date=29 January 2011 |accessdate=12 February 2012}}</ref>

==Early life and education== Sula was born in Swansea<ref>{{cite book |last=Molloy |first=Kate|date=2012|title=Skins A-Z|publisher=John Blake Publishing Ltd|pages=288|isbn=978-1-84358-392-9}}</ref> to Trinidadian mother Shurla Blades, who has Afro-Trinidadian and Chinese ancestry, and to Steven Sula, a father of German and Estonian heritage.<ref>{{cite tweet|number= 171192410792140800 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20121210182527/http://www.twitter.com/JessSula/statuses/171192410792140800 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 December 2012 |user= JessSula| first= Jessica| last= Sula |title= @j0anne_ I am ultimately mixed raced my mama is from Trinidad however she is half hispanic & chinese & my dad is half German,Estonian. |date= 19 February 2012 |accessdate= September 13, 2024}}</ref> She grew up in Gorseinon, Wales, where she completed her A-levels in Spanish, French and Drama at Gorseinon College.<ref name="BBC" />

==Career== Sula made her television debut in 2011, portraying Grace Blood in the fifth and sixth series of the E4 teen drama ''Skins.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/new-skins-star-jessica-sula-1859840 |title=New Skins star Jessica Sula talks about landing her first TV role|work=Wales Online |date= 23 January 2011 |accessdate=25 April 2014}}</ref> Afterwards, she gained a supporting role in comedy drama ''Love and Marriage'' which was broadcast on ITV in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep1week23/love-and-marriage#.UlMTJdK8AZk |title=Love and Marriage| work=itv.com| publisher=ITV| accessdate=7 October 2013}}</ref> In 2015, Sula was cast as the lead character, Maddie Graham, in the Freeform drama ''Recovery Road,'' alongside ''Skins'' co-star Sebastian de Souza.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/02/jessica-sula-star-recovery-road-series-recasting-abc-family-1201369622/ |title= ABC Family Series 'Recovery Road' Tweaks Cast; Jessica Sula To Play Lead|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|work=Deadline|date=10 February 2015|accessdate=12 February 2015}}</ref>

Her first big screen leading role was in ''Honeytrap'', the story of a 15-year-old girl who sets up the murder of a boy who is in love with her.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/s89/skins/news/a505949/skins-star-jessica-sula-to-play-lead-in-new-film-honeytrap.html |title= 'Skins' star Jessica Sula to play lead in new film 'Honeytrap'|work=Digital Spy |date= 12 August 2013 |accessdate=7 October 2013}}</ref> In 2017 she filmed the independent feature ''Big Fork'', in which she played the main character, Emily.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bigforkthefilm.com/|title=Big Fork|website=Big Fork|language=en|access-date=2018-03-15|archive-date=16 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316151737/https://www.bigforkthefilm.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Sula had a recurring role in the 2017 limited series ''Godless''. That same year, it was announced that she would be a series regular for the third season of the series ''Scream,'' portraying high school cheerleader Olivia "Liv" Reynolds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/scream-keke-palmer-rj-cyler-jessica-sula-giorgia-whigham-giullian-yao-gioiello-season-3-cast-1202169106/| title='Scream': Keke Palmer, RJ Cyler, Jessica Sula, More Round Out Season 3 Cast|last = Petski|first = Denise|date = 13 September 2017|work = Deadline|access-date = 13 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/09/13/keke-palmer-scream-mtv/|title=Keke Palmer to lead third season of Scream on MTV|last = Lenker|first = Maureen| date = 18 September 2017|magazine = Entertainment Weekly|access-date = 18 September 2017}}</ref> The season premiered on VH1 on 8 July 2019.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://etcanada.com/news/467876/scream-reboot-gets-trailer-with-cameo-from-paris-jackson/|title='Scream' Reboot Gets Trailer With Cameo From Paris Jackson|last=Samhan|first=Jamie|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=24 June 2019|access-date=25 June 2019|archive-date=26 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626202446/https://etcanada.com/news/467876/scream-reboot-gets-trailer-with-cameo-from-paris-jackson/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Personal life== Sula plays the guitar and practices karate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/info/press/press-packs/jessica-sula-plays-grace |title=Jessica Sula plays Grace |work=Channel 4 Press Info |date= January 2011 |accessdate=6 May 2012}}</ref>

== Filmography == {{Pending films key}}

=== Film === {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |2014 |''Honeytrap'' |Layla | |- |2016 |''Split'' |Marcia | |- |2017 |''The Lovers'' | Erin | |- |2017 |''The Lost'' |Tina Harmon |Short film |- |2019 |''All the Little Things We Kill'' |Katy Walker | |- |2020 |''Big Fork'' |Emily | |- |2023 |''Malum'' | Jessica Loren | |- |2026 |''Michael'' | La Toya Jackson | |}

=== Television === {| class="wikitable |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2011–12 || ''Skins'' || Grace Blood || Main cast (series 5-6) |- | 2013 || ''Love and Marriage'' || Scarlett Quilter || Supporting cast |- | 2015 || ''Eye Candy'' || Morgan || Episode: "YOLO" |- | 2016 || ''Recovery Road'' || Madeline "Maddie" Graham || Main cast |- | 2016 || ''Lucifer'' || Amy Dodd || Episode: "Everything's Coming Up Lucifer" |- | 2017 || ''Godless''||Louise Hobbs|| Recurring role |- | 2019 || ''Scream: Resurreccion'' || Olivia "Liv" Reynolds || Main cast (season 3) |- | 2019 || ''Epic Night'' || Jessica || 2 episodes |- | 2021 || ''Panic'' || Natalie Williams || Main cast |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Twitter}} * {{IMDb name}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sula, Jessica}} Category:1994 births Category:21st-century Welsh actresses Category:Actresses from Swansea Category:Black British actresses Category:Living people Category:People from Gorseinon Category:Welsh karateka Category:Welsh people of Chinese descent Category:Welsh people of Estonian descent Category:Welsh people of German descent Category:Welsh people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:Welsh television actresses