{{short description|British-African actress}} {{Infobox person | name = Zainab Jah | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = London, UK | education = | occupation = Actress | years_active = 2000–present | spouse = | partner = <!-- (unmarried long-term partner) --> | children = | parents = | relatives = | website = }}
'''Zainab Jah''' is a British award-winning theater, television and film actress of Sierra Leonean descent.<ref>{{cite web |title=ZAINAB JAH |url=https://www.huntingtontheatre.org/artists/zainab-jah/ |website=Huntington theatre |access-date=25 December 2019}}</ref> She is mostly known for her theater performances as Maima (Wife Number Two) in Danai Gurira's Broadway play ''Eclipsed'', ''Venus'', and ''School Girls'', among others.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mcphee |first1=Ryan |title=Zainab Jah and More Set for School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play Off-Broadway |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/zainab-jah-and-more-set-for-school-girls-or-the-african-mean-girls-play-off-broadway |access-date=12 August 2019 |agency=Playbill |publisher=Playbill}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Quinn |first1=Gwendolyn |title=INSIDE BROADWAY: BRITISH-BORN AFRICAN ACTRESS ZAINAB JAH STARS IN HISTORIC 'VENUS' AND SHARES HER JOURNEY FROM SIERRA LEONE TO AMERICA |url=https://eurweb.com/2017/05/28/inside-broadway-british-born-african-actress-zainab-jah-stars-historic-venus-shares-journey-sierra-leone-america/ |website=EurWeb |access-date=12 August 2019 |date=2017-05-28 |archive-date=2019-08-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812190048/https://eurweb.com/2017/05/28/inside-broadway-british-born-african-actress-zainab-jah-stars-historic-venus-shares-journey-sierra-leone-america/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Eclipsed's Zainab Jah on Being an African Woman in American Theater |journal=Elle |date=26 April 2016 |url=https://www.elle.com/culture/a35910/zainab-jah-eclipsed-star-essay/ |access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sahr Ngaujah and Zainab Jah in New Photos From Boesman and Lena. |url=https://www.theatermania.com/off-broadway/news/sahr-ngaujah-and-zainab-jah-boesman-and-lena_87757.html |access-date=12 August 2019 |agency=Theatre Mania}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Soloski |first1=Alexis |title=Zainab Jah, 'Eclipsed' Star, Is Ready for Battle |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/21/theater/zainab-jah-is-ready-for-eclipsed-and-for-the-life-of-an-actor.html |access-date=12 August 2019 |agency=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Zainab Jah, Sahr Ngaujah & Thomas Silcott to star in Signature Theatre's Boesman and Lena |url=https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/news-features/zainab-jah-sahr-ngaujah-thomas-silcott-to-star-in-signature-theatres-boesman-and-lena |access-date=12 August 2019 |agency=New York Theatre Guide}}</ref>
She has also worked in film and television. She plays anti-corruption minister Aminata Sissoko in the second season of ''Deep State'', and Aby Bah in ''Homeland.'' She has also appeared on ''Blindspot'' and ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''.
==Filmography== === Film === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2000 | ''Dinner Rush'' | Adrian | |- | 2006 | ''Naptime'' | Singer | Short film |- | 2007 | ''The Summoning of Everyman'' | Confession | |- | 2008 | ''How to Make Afang Soup'' | Mama | Short film |- | 2015 | ''Emily & Tim'' | Helayne Specter | |- | 2016 | ''New York, I Love You'' | Sophie | Short film |- | 2016 | ''Buried'' | Zainab | Short film |- | 2019 | ''Jazz in Wakanda'' | Zainab | Short film |- | 2020 | ''Farewell Amor'' | Esther | |- | 2021 | ''False Positive'' | Grace Singleton | |- | 2021 | ''Out/Side Of Time'' | | Short film |- | 2021 | ''The Black Disquisition'' | Sedalia/Mom | Short film |- | 2022 | ''Sherman'' | Sherman | Short film |- | 2022 | ''Launch at Paradise'' | Elsa | Short film |- | 2022 | ''Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'' | Mining Tribe Elder | |- | 2023 | ''Drift'' | Etweda Kamara | |- | 2023 | ''All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt'' | Older Mack | |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2001 | ''100 Centre Street'' | | Episode: "Lost Causes" |- | 2005 | ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' | Homeless Person | Episode: "Goliath" |- | 2016–17 | ''Homeland'' | Aby Bah | Recurring role; 4 episodes |- | 2017 | ''Elementary'' | Female Crematory Worker | Episode: "High Heat" |- | 2018 | ''Blindspot'' | President Botros | Episode: "Defection" |- | 2018 | ''Instinct'' | Rebreau | Episode: "Bye Bye Birdie" |- | 2019 | ''Deep State'' | Aminata Sissoko | Season 2 regular; 7 episodes |- | 2020 | ''The Good Lord Bird'' | Harriet Tubman | Episode: "Smells Like Bear" |- | 2021 | ''Only Murders in the Building'' | Ndidi Idoko | Recurring role; 4 episodes |- | 2023 | ''East New York'' | Adama Gueye | Episode: "We Didn't Start the Fire" |- | 2023 | ''The Blacklist'' | Aissa Joachim | Episode: "Dr. Michael Abani (No. 198)" |- | 2023 | ''The Continental'' | Mazie | Mini-series; 2 episodes |}
== Theatre == {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2005 | ''Medea'' |Death | |- | 2006 | ''King Lear'' |Regan | |- | 2007 | ''(The Blood) Electra'' |Electra | |- | 2008 | ''Trojan Women'' |Helen | |- | 2009 | rowspan=3|''Eclipsed'' | rowspan=3|Maima (Wife #2) | |- | 2015 | |- | 2016 | |- | 2016 | ''Stuffed'' |Katey | |- | 2017 | ''Venus'' | Sarah Baartman |<ref>{{cite news |last1=Windman |first1=Matt |title='Venus' review: Zainab Jah shines in superb off-Broadway drama |url=https://www.amny.com/entertainment/venus-review-zainab-jah-shines-in-superb-off-broadway-drama-1.13647744 |access-date=12 August 2019 |agency=Amny}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=See Suzan-Lori Parks, Zainab Jah & More Step Out for Venus' Off-Broadway Opening |url=https://www.broadway.com/photos/gallery/307/see-suzan-lori-parks-zainab-jah-more-step-out-for-venus-off-broadway-opening/ |access-date=12 August 2019 |agency=Broadway}}</ref> |- | 2017 | ''School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play'' |Eloise Amponsah | |- | 2019 | ''Boesman and Lena'' |Venus | |}
==Awards== {| class="wikitable" width="" ! colspan="6" style="background: #FBFC8A;" | Awards and nominations<ref>{{cite web |title=Zainab Jah |url=http://iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/31051 |website=iobdb |access-date=25 December 2019 |archive-date=25 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225100743/http://iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/31051 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;" ! Year ! Award ! Category ! Work ! Result !Ref |- |rowspan="2"|2016 |Obie Award |Obie Award for Performance |rowspan="2"|''Eclipsed'' |{{won}} | |- |Outer Critics Circle Award |Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | {{nom}} | |- |2017 |Audie Award |Audie Award for Young Listeners |''28 Days: Moments in Black History That Changed the World'' |{{won}} | |- |2018 |Drama Desk Award |Drama Desk Ensemble Award |''School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play'' |{{won}} | |- | rowspan="3"|2019 |Drama League Award |Distinguished Performance |rowspan="3"|''Boesman and Lena'' |{{nom}} | |- |Drama Desk Award |Outstanding Actress in a Play |{{nom}} |<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mcphee |first1=Ryan |title=Nominations for the 2019 Drama Desk Awards Announced; Oklahoma!, Tootsie, Rags Parkland Lead the Pack |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/nominations-for-the-2019-drama-desk-awards-announced-oklahoma-tootsie-rags-parkland-lead-the-pack |access-date=25 December 2019 |agency=Play Bill}}</ref> |- |Lucille Lortel Awards |Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play |{{nom}} | |- |2021 |FESPACO Award |Best Actress |''Farewell Amor'' |{{won}} | |}
==References== {{Reflist}} {{FESPACO Best Actress Prize|state=expanded}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jah, Zainab}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Sierra Leonean actresses Category:British stage actresses Category:British film actresses Category:British television actresses