1. Rutina Wesley was born on December 21,1978 and is an American actress.
16 Facts About Rutina Wesley
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Rutina Wesley is best known for her roles as Tara Thornton on the HBO television series True Blood, and Nova Bordelon on OWN's Queen Sugar.
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Rutina Wesley's father, Ivery Wheeler, is a professional tap dancer, and her mother, Cassandra Wesley, was a showgirl.
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Rutina Wesley attended high school at the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts.
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Rutina Wesley studied dance at Simba Studios and the West Las Vegas Arts Center.
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Rutina Wesley finally decided to attend the University of Evansville in Indiana.
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Rutina Wesley enrolled at the Juilliard School in 2001 and graduated in May 2005.
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Rutina Wesley's studies included a summer spent at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
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In December 2006, Rutina Wesley was featured in David Hare's Broadway play The Vertical Hour.
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In 2007, Rutina Wesley appeared in The Public Theater production of In Darfur by playwright Winter Miller, co-starring Heather Raffo and Aaron Lohr, among others.
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Rutina Wesley had a minor role in the 2005 film Hitch, which was edited out in the final cut.
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Rutina Wesley auditioned for the role Tara Thornton in the HBO series True Blood in 2007 and secured the part after creator Alan Ball chose her because "[she] was the first person who showed [Tara's] vulnerable side".
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In January 2015, it was announced that Rutina Wesley had been cast in a recurring role on the NBC drama series Hannibal.
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In 2016, Rutina Wesley was cast as the lead character Nova Bordelon in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series Queen Sugar, produced by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey.
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In 2023, Rutina Wesley portrayed Maria in the HBO series The Last of Us.
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In November 2017, Rutina Wesley announced her partnership to Shonda, a chef from New Orleans.