Biographie

She learned to speak English from watching Three's Company.

She enjoys Muay Thai and Kickboxing.

She is the first actress to play the DC Comics character Starfire in a live-action production.

She works with the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness and is particularly keen to support their work in maintaining libraries in Kenya for blind children. Another organization she supports is Hippo Life, a non-profit organization aims to encourage art in inner city schools.

She was born in Senegal and moved to the United States at the age of six.

There's room for everyone, and everyone is wanted and needed. Whoopi showed me that. When I first saw 'The Color Purple,' it was so huge. That was the first time I had seen myself, my mother, my aunts, women that I had known my whole life on-screen. It gives us hope, and it gives us confidence.

There's nothing like being shot on camera.

Growing up, I wanted to be a journalist. I was in love with Lisa Ling, who's a broadcast journalist and who travels the world. I used to read all of her articles and watch her when she'd go to China or South Africa or Australia. I thought that was the coolest job because she got to travel and tell people's stories.

I didn't grow up reading the Bible.

Theater was something that I always wanted to study.