Joaquina Kalukango
Actor
Biography
Joaquina Kalukango is an American actor and singer best known for playing Nelly O'Brien in the Broadway musical Paradise Square, for which she won the 2022 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Play in 2020 for portraying Kaneisha in Slave Play. In addition to her theatre work, Kalukango has appeared in One Night in Miami..., When They See Us and Lawmen: Bass Reeves.
Kalukango is a 2007 YoungArts alumnus. She graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Juilliard School. Kalukango is of Angolan descent, and her parents arrived in the United States as political refugees. Due to her heritage, Kalukango wants to work on roles that showcase the Black experience.
Filmography
Chained for Life
as Michelle 2019
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia
as Mildred Falls 2021
Cynthia Erivo & Friends: A New Year's Eve Celebration
as Self 2023
Steal Away
as Sarah Sheppard TBA
Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens
as Nonkosi 2020
Bring Me to Light
as Performer 2021