At just fifteen years old, award-winning actor Shahadi Wright Joseph has quickly become known in the entertainment industry for the diverse and dynamic characters she has brought to life on the stage and screen. This year, Joseph can be seen starring as Ruby Emory in the upcoming Amazon Original series, Them.
In film, Joseph was most recently seen starring in Universal Pictures’ critically acclaimed horror/thriller film Us, opposite Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke. Written and directed by Academy Award winner Jordan Peele, the film follows a family who takes a seemingly harmless vacation to Santa Cruz, California, only to find themselves fending for their lives against their psychotic doppelgängers. Joseph was a scene-stealer as Zora Wilson, the daughter to Gabe (Duke) and Adelaide (Nyong’o) and sister to Jason (Evan Alex). Us was nominated for a handful of prestigious awards, with Joseph landing her first NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Breakthrough Perform
At just fifteen years old, award-winning actor Shahadi Wright Joseph has quickly become known in the entertainment industry for the diverse and dynamic characters she has brought to life on the stage and screen. This year, Joseph can be seen starring as Ruby Emory in the upcoming Amazon Original series, Them.
In film, Joseph was most recently seen starring in Universal Pictures’ critically acclaimed horror/thriller film Us, opposite Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke. Written and directed by Academy Award winner Jordan Peele, the film follows a family who takes a seemingly harmless vacation to Santa Cruz, California, only to find themselves fending for their lives against their psychotic doppelgängers. Joseph was a scene-stealer as Zora Wilson, the daughter to Gabe (Duke) and Adelaide (Nyong’o) and sister to Jason (Evan Alex). Us was nominated for a handful of prestigious awards, with Joseph landing her first NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture. Additionally, Joseph was also nominated for Outstanding Breakthrough Female Performance at the 2020 Black Reel Awards and won the 2020 Next Generation of Hollywood HCA Award from the Hollywood Critics Association.
Joseph is also well known for her role as Young Nala in Walt Disney Pictures’ The Lion King, a CGI re-imagining of the 1994 Disney classic directed by Jon Favreau. The Lion King grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide, making the picture one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time. Joseph lent her voice to the character alongside talents such as Beyoncé, Seth Rogen, Keegan-Michael Key, Donald Glover, and more. The film marked Joseph’s second time appearing as Nala– at just nine years old, she made history as the youngest actress to play the character in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway.
