Dewanda Wise has been a well-known actress in the television industry for some time, but it wasn’t until 2016-2017 that she really began to gain recognition. Her roles as Shameeka Campbell in Shots Fired and Nola Darling in Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It were key in solidifying her success. She also had a part in the popular film Jurassic World: Dominion as Kayla Watts.
Early Life
Dewanda Wise was born in Jessup, Maryland, and grew up in Woodlawn, Laurel, and Baltimore. During her time in high school, she initially aspired to become a therapist but changed her mind after taking AP Psychology.
It was during her sophomore year at Atholton High School that she discovered her passion for acting, thanks to her theatre director who offered her a role in a production instead of detention.
She completed her bachelor’s degree in fine arts in drama and urban studies at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2006 and became friends with Gina Rodriguez. While studying, Wise also held jobs as a resident assistant and a stocker at Trader Joe’s.
Dewanda Wise Movies & TV Shows
Initially, Dewanda Wise was seen in various episodes of TV shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Good Wife, and Boardwalk Empire. She then made her big-screen debut in the 2007 dramatic film Spinning into Butter alongside Sarah Jessica Parker. Following this, she took on supporting roles in Steam (2007) and Precious (2009).
In 2016, Dewanda Wise was the lead actress in the independent romantic comedy How to Tell You’re a Douchebag, which made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. The following year, she appeared regularly in the WGN historical drama series Underground and also played a major role alongside Sanaa Lathan in the Fox miniseries Shots Fired.
Wise played a prominent character in the Netflix comedy-drama She’s Gotta Have It from 2017 to 2019 when it was terminated after two seasons.
She was also selected for Disney’s Captain Marvel in 2018 but was unable to participate due to her commitments to the Netflix show. During the same year, she was featured in the comedy movie The Weekend, which was directed by Stella Meghie.
In 2019, Dewanda Wise was featured alongside Gina Rodriguez and Brittany Snow in the Netflix romantic comedy Someone Great. In the film, she and a pantless Rodriguez performed a lively rendition of Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts”, which helped propel the song to become a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
She also had roles in the comedy-drama Fatherhood (2021) with Kevin Hart and Alfre Woodard. DeWanda Wise was chosen to star in Universal Pictures’ highly anticipated sequel, Jurassic World Dominion (2022), which was co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow.
Alongside a star-studded cast including Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong, and Omar Sy, the film grossed an impressive $1 billion worldwide.
Wise also appeared in the comedy mystery Poolman (2023), where she acted alongside Chris Pine, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ray Wise, Juliet Mills, and Stephen Tobolowsky.
In 2024, DeWanda Wise played a leading role in the horror film “Imaginary,” produced by Blumhouse Productions and Lionsgate. The movie was directed and co-written by Jeff Wadlow and co-produced with Jason Blum. She also starred alongside Pyper Braun and Betty Buckley.
Wise later appeared in the historical drama “Killing Faith,” set in the 1859 slave era. The film, written and directed by Ned Crowley, also featured Guy Pearce and Tim Roth. An official release date has yet to be announced.
Married Life
After only three months of dating, Dewanda Wise tied the knot with actor Alano Miller in 2009. She follows a vegan lifestyle and currently resides in Pasadena, California.
