Joaquina Kalukango is an American actor and singer best known for playing Nelly O'Brien in the Broadway musical'' Paradise Square'', for which she won the 2022

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical is awarded to the best actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival. The award has been given since 1948, but the nominees who did not win have only been publicly ...

. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Play in 2020 for portraying Kaneisha in ''

Slave Play ''Slave Play'' is a three-act play by Jeremy O. Harris about race, sex, power relations, trauma, and interracial relationships.Lapacazo Sandoval, Contributing Writer. Slave Play' by Jeremy O. Harris a Real Look at Racism in America —Opening ...

''. In addition to her theatre work, Kalukango has appeared in '' One Night in Miami'' and '' When They See Us''.

Early life

Kalukango was born in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

, and graduated from the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most eli ...

. Kalukango is of Angolan descent, and her parents arrived in the United States as political refugees. Due to her heritage, Kalukango wants to work on roles that showcase the Black experience.

Theatre credits

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * Living people African-American actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American musical theatre actresses 21st-century American actresses 21st-century African-American women Year of birth missing (living people) American people of Angolan descent Tony Award winners Drama Desk Award winners {{US-actor-stub