Hey everyone and welcome back to that weekly article of "Hey, It's That Voice!" Today, we are going to look at the voice behind a once-forgotten Crystal Gem, Bismuth!
It's Bismuth! I won't lie, I've been wanting to talk about this gem since the second I started these articles. She's fierce and aggressive, she's devoted and affectionate, and she sticks to her guns when it comes to her beliefs. Bismuth was a welcome surprise when she first appeared, showing plenty more history and backstory to Homeworld and Rose respectively. Unfortunately, the reunion was cut short and we had to say goodbye to Bismuth in the same episode. Perhaps we may get some more Bismuth in future episodes? Hard to say at this time. But just who's "bismuth" is it to voice this blacksmith powerhouse? Why, that would be Uzo Aduba!
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| When I saw this, I was hoping it would be a permanent addition to the series. |
Born on February 10, 1981 in Boston, Massachusetts, Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba was raised Medfield, Massachusetts by her parents, both of Nigerian parents of Igbo origin. Growing up in what she would describe as a "sports family", Aduba competed in track and field at Boston University. It was at the university that she would get an interest in acting.
Aduba first gained attention for her performance for the play Translations of Xhosa at the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts, which earned her a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play. In 2006, she would take the role of Amphirus in The Seven at the New York Theatre Workshop, and again in 2008 at La Jolla Playhouse. In 2007, Aduba made her Broadway debut as the lead for Coram Boy at the Imperial Theatre. She has also starred in other plays, such as Eclipsed (written by The Walking Dead actress Danai Gurira), A Civil War Christmas, Godspell, Venice, and, most recently, The Maids.
As for her screen work, Aduba is know for one very well-known role; Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren from the critically acclaimed and award-winning Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. While originally not trying out for the role, Aduba got the role due to the casting director "....saw something amazing in her and were able to connect it to what [they] were looking for in Crazy Eyes." Aduba would say "'[w]hat in my audition would make someone think I'd be right for a part called Crazy Eyes?' But to be honest, when I got the script for it, it felt like the right fit."
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| Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren (Aduba), left, and Poussey Washington (Samira Wiley), right, in the Orange Is the New Black episode "Tongue-Tied". |
As Crazy Eyes, Aduba would earn 16 award nominations with a total of 8 wins (at the time of writing this article). Her awards include Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series (2014), Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2014) as well a Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2016), and recently Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2017). Finally, and probably most noteworthy, Aduba is one of two actors to win a Emmy for both the comedy and drama genre for the same role (the other being Ed Asner for his role as Lou Grant). She won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014, and won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2015.
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| Aduba showing off her award at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. |
However, just because Aduba is known for her work on Orange Is the New Black, it certainly doesn't mean it's the only work she has done on the big and small screens. She has appeared on television on programs such as Project Runway: All Stars, Blue Bloods, How to Live Like a Lady, Saturday Night Live, Hell's Kitchen, Comedy Bang! Bang!, and The Wiz Live! as Glinda the Good Witch.
As for the big screen, Aduba had her first role film role as Corrie from Pearly Gates. She will go on to have roles in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, Tallulah, and American Pastoral. Also, scheduled to be released later this year, Aduba has lent her voice to My Little Pony: The Movie as the seapony Queen Novo.
And that will do it for this edition of "Hey, It's That Voice!" Join me next week when we will look at the voice behind Beach City's favorite mailman and actor!
