Shaniqua Okwok
English actress
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shaniqua Okwok is a British actress. She is best known for her roles as Maia in Paramount+ series The Flatshare (2022), Dominique in the Sky Max series Wolfe (2021), and Janvier in the crime drama Maigret (2025).[1]
Shaniqua Okwok | |
|---|---|
Shaniqua Okwok by Alan Howard Photography (2021) | |
| Born | Surrey, England |
| Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2018–present |
Okwok has also made appearances as Solly Babatunde in It's a Sin (2021), Patty in Small Axe, Lotta Nagel in Van der Valk, and Leah in War of the Worlds.[2]
Okwok was later cast in an adaptation of Never Let Me Go for FX, which was ultimately not taken forward in 2023.[3][4] She became an ambassador for the NSPCC's Childhood campaign in 2024.[5]
Early life
Okwok was born in Surrey to a Ugandan mother and a Jamaican father. She attended The BRIT School and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where she graduated in 2018. After receiving the Laurence Olivier Bursary Award from the Official London Theatre in 2017, she went on to make her television debut on BBC One in 2018 as Helen Nedarson in Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators.[6]
Okwok originally wanted to be a stock broker and planned to study economics at LSE. However, she claims she "fell into acting and it kept falling into place".[7]
Personal life
Okwok got involved in social justice work early on in her acting career. Following her graduation from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and during the summer of 2020, Okwok led a student campaign of hundreds to call out the "words and actions of open and overt racism" that occurred during her tenure at the institute, including an incident of being called a "slave" during a class. Okwok remains an active advocate for the protection of minority actors to this day.[8][9]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Anthony | Dominique Walker | TV movie |
| 2020 | Acrimonious | Kehinde | Short film |
| 2020 | Rejoice Resist | Self | Short film |
| 2021 | I Love You I Hate You[10] | Annie | Short film |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators | Helen Nedarson | Episode: "Ill Met by Moonlight" |
| 2020 | Van der Valk | Lotta Nagel | Episode: "Death in Amsterdam" |
| 2020 | Sick of It | Waitress | Episode: "Use by Date" |
| 2020 | Marcella | Alanah | Season: 3 |
| 2020 | Small Axe | Patty | Episode: "Lovers Rock" |
| 2021 | It's a Sin | Solly Babatunde | Season: 1 |
| 2021 | War of the Worlds | Leah | Season: 2 |
| 2021 | Wolfe (TV series) [11] | Dominique | Season: 1 |
| 2022 | The Flatshare | Maia | Season: 1 |
| 2025 | Bookish | Linda | Season: 1 |
| 2025 | Maigret | Janvier | Season: 1 |
Podcasts
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Fully Amplified | Narrator | Episode: Still Gay As Hell |
