De’Adre Aziza

Name: De’Adre Imani Aziza (Born De’Adre Danielle Avery)

Introduction: De’Adre Aziza is an accomplished African-American actress and singer. She is highly celebrated for her powerful stage performances, particularly her Broadway debut, which earned her a Tony Award nomination, and for her versatile roles across film and television.

Date of birth: June 14, 1977

Height: 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m)

Place of birth: Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. (She was raised in Teaneck, New Jersey).

Family:

Parents’ names: Donna L. Avery (mother, retired part-time assistant professor and textiles specialist at Parsons The New School for Design). Her father’s name is not widely publicized.
Siblings: Information not widely publicized.
Spouse: No publicly known spouse.
Children: No publicly known children.
Relatives: Not widely publicized beyond her mother.

Profession: Actress, singer.

Nationality: American

Religion: Information not consistently available.

College or university attended:

Harlem School of the Arts (attended for eleven years)
Dance Theater of Harlem (attended for four years)
Tisch School of the Arts at New York University (NYU)
Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute
Playwrights Horizon Theatre School (focused on Classical Works)

Biography and What Famous For:

De’Adre Aziza’s journey into the performing arts began at a young age, with extensive training in music, dance, and acting. She attended the prestigious Harlem School of the Arts and the Dance Theater of Harlem before being accepted into a summer acting program at Tisch School of the Arts at 15. She later attended NYU, continuing her studies at the Lee Strasberg Institute.

She is most famous for her Broadway debut in the critically acclaimed rock musical “Passing Strange” (2008). In this production, she showcased her remarkable versatility by portraying three distinct and incredibly diverse characters: a sassy 14-year-old schoolgirl, a Dutch sexual revolutionary, and a fanatical German filmmaker. Her performance garnered widespread critical acclaim and earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, as well as an Obie Award and a Theatre World Award. Spike Lee later collaborated with the show’s creators to film “Passing Strange” live on stage, preserving her performance for a wider audience.

Beyond “Passing Strange,” Aziza has made significant contributions to both stage and screen:

Broadway & Off-Broadway:

“Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” (2010): Another Broadway appearance.
“Doris to Darlene” (Off-Broadway): A performance for which The New York Times praised her “radiant” work.
“Redwood” (2024): Her fourth return to Broadway, starring opposite Brian Tyree Henry and Ryan Destiny.

Film and Television:

“Red Hook Summer” (2012): Directed by Spike Lee.
“The Breaks” (2016): Both the film and later the TV series adaptation.
“She’s Gotta Have It” (2017, 2019): Also directed by Spike Lee, a Netflix series based on his film.
“The Sinner” (2020)
“Evil” (2019)
“Power Book II: Ghost” (2020)
“Run the World” (2021, 2023)
“Younger” (2021)
“The Fire Inside” (Upcoming in 2024): A biopic where she stars alongside Brian Tyree Henry and Ryan Destiny.
“East New York” (2023)

In addition to her acting, Aziza has also made her mark as a jazz vocalist, having won New York’s Sexiest Jazz Vocalist contest multiple times and performing with notable artists like Roy Ayers.

De’Adre Aziza is celebrated for her powerful vocal abilities, her dynamic stage presence, and her skill in bringing complex and varied characters to life across different mediums.

Have participated (Selected Works):

Broadway:

Passing Strange (2008) – Edwina / Marianna / Sudabey (Tony Award Nomination, Obie Award, Theatre World Award)
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2010) – Paulina
Redwood (2024) – Lead Role

Off-Broadway: