Caroline Chikezie

British actress Caroline Chikezie was a bold presence as strong-willed, confident women on such series as "Footballers' Wives" (ITV, 2002-) and in features like the grisly thriller "Mayhem" (2017).

Born February 19, 1974 in London, England, she was the daughter of Nigerian-born doctor Alfred Chikezie, who traveled regularly between the United Kingdom and his native country, where he served as director of a hospital. A performer from a very early age, Chikezie's parents indulged her interest by letting her study on weekends at the Italia Conti stage school. But they balked at letting her pursue a career as an actress, and sent her to a boarding school in Nigeria in hopes of persuading her to follow in her father's footsteps.

After three years overseas, Chikezie returned to London to take her A-level tests and then study medicinal chemistry at Brunei University. But her presentations had such a theatrical flavor that her professors encouraged her to devote her energies to acting.

She won a scholarship to the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts and after graduation, began working in guest roles on television in 1998. Chikezie earned her breakout role as the flinty, fashion-forward Sasha on "As If" (Channel 4, 2001-2004) and as a physical therapist who becomes involved with UK football player Gary Lucy in the fourth season of the frankly adult series "Footballers' Wives."

Roles in features like "Aeon Flux" (2005), with Charlize Theron, soon followed, as did recurring television characters, most notably a dangerous, half-human android on the cult science fiction series "Torchwood" (BBC One-Three, 2006-2011) and her first appearance on American TV in the third seasons premiere of "Supernatural" (The WB/CW, 2005- ).

After almost a decade of steady work on British TV Chikezie returned to features opposite Salma Hayek in the action-thriller "Everly," then landed the lead in "The Governor" (EbonyLife, 2016), a Nigerian TV production in which she played a deputy governor suddenly elevated to the top government position in an African region.

She then reunited with "Everly" director Joe Lynch for "Mayhem" (2017), a horror-thriller about a recently fired staffer (Steven Yeun) who finds himself trapped in his office with his former co-workers, who have succumbed to a dangerous virus.