Susan Kelechi Watson

Biography

Susan Kelechi Watson is an American TV actress, writer, singer known for her roles such as Beth Pearson in This Is Us, Emma St. Claire in "Third Watch", Janet in "Louie", Nikki Jardine in NCIS, Elle King in Kidnapped, Ellie in "The Blacklist", Cindy in "The Following".

Susan Watson was born on 11th November 1981 in Brooklyn, New York to African American parents of Nigerian and Jamaican descent.

Susan Kelechi Watson Education

• Bachelor of Fine Arts: Susan has a bachelor's degree in fine Arts from the Howard University in Washington D.C
• Master of Fine Arts: Susan has a master's degree from the The New York University Tisch School of the Arts, she graduated in the acting program.

Susan Kelechi Watson Interesting Facts & Trivia

• Ancestry: Susan is of Nigerian and Jamaican ancestry. Both her parents are from Jamaica and settled in the United States.
• she is a first generation African American.
• Kelechi: Susan's middle name Kelechi is from igbo language and it means 'Thank God'.
• The Shakespeare Lab: She got trained at the Public Theater in New York City
• Breakthrough: She had a bleak career until the breakthrough in "This Is Us", she was already working in a coffee shop and wad living in a small, $500 per month rent apartment. She had given up after her first audition, finally she got recognized for her talents and got the main role in the TV series.
• Interest in Acting: Susan's interest in acting started when she was just 3. She in fact decided that she would become an actress and talked to god about the same.
• She has auditioned for Familiar.
• She auditioned for the role of Nova Bordelon in Queen Sugar, but the role eventually went to Rutina Wesley.
• Hairstyle Designing: Susan has been designing her own hairstyles on the show "This Is Us".
• A Naked Girl on the Appian Way: Susan appeared in John Lee Beatty's comedy play at the American Airlines Theatre.
• She has appeared in films such as Peter and John, Small Beautifully Moving Parts, Blackout
• Broadway and Off Broadway: Susan has appeared in numerous broadway plays at Ars Nova, Baltimore Center Stage, The Public Theater, The Roundabout Theater, Westport Country Playhouse.
• She is a professionally trained dancer.
• Oxford University Shakespeare study: susan went to England to study Shakespeare at the London theatre company, the course costed $5000 and was sponsored by Phylicia Rashad & Denzel Washington.
• She is a fan of Barack Obama.
• On her Instagram bio she calls herself "A spirit.. being"
• AFI Awards: American Film institute gave an "year of excellence" award in 2016 for her contribution to the cultural legacy.
• Operation Smile: Susan supports the non-profit organization which provides safe surgery to needy people, treats cleft lip and palate
• Red Nose Day: She supports the organization which works for ending Child poverty and has changed lives of more than 8 million children
• Charity: She publishes people in need of help on social media to draw attention of people who can help the needy
• Beauty items: Susan uses RENIA got2b styling gel & Hicks Edges.
• Award: Susan won "Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" for "This is Us"
• Susan considers her aunt, cousin, friend, godmother, great-grandmother to be the 5 great influences on her and that their deaths shaped her life.
• A Raisin in the Sun(2012): She played Ruth in the stage production directed by Phylicia Rashad at the Westport Country Playhouse
• Louie: She played the mother of two white girls in the series(her husband was white). Her younger version (as shown in the flashback) was white as well. The production team thought she would be a perfect fit for the role and chose to go ahead with her.

Susan Kelechi Watson Quotes

• [On changing the way she auditioned] I decided I was just going to enjoy sharing the thing I love to do & let that be enough, I started going to more auditions and chatting up casting directors and enjoying everything so much more with this new approach.
• You know, marriage is either one of two things: it is boring or somebody is trying to get out of it. What we’ve missed for a long time is seeing two people who actually really choose one another and they actually continue to choose one another
•  I loved Los Angeles, but I have found New York to be successful for me.
• May life bring you more love, peace and abundance than you can handle
• Marriage on TV these days can get a bum rap. I’m not married yet, but I’m looking forward to being married one day.
• You don’t know where people come from or what they’ve been through that’s bringing them to this place and their perspective on life at this moment
• It’s no secret to Black people that we’re smart, that we have abilities.  We’re obviously very strong, powerful, resilient, inspirational, intelligent, phenomenally talented…and I could go on and on about our culture.
• I like people to know I have your back 100 percent.  It’s the ride or die thing. We ride together, we die together