Yetide Badaki (; born 24 September) is a Nigerian actress. She is best known for playing Bilquis on the Starz series American Gods.
Early life Yetide was born in Ibadan, Nigeria. Before moving to England, Yetide lived in Nigeria for three years. At the age of 6, she returned to Nigeria. Finally, she settled in America at age twelve. She is a graduate of McGill University with a major in English Literature (Theater) and a minor in Environmental Science. Yetide also has a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from Illinois State University.
Career Yetide received a 2006 Jeff Award nomination for Best Actress in a Principal Role (Play) for I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda. She has received positive reviews for her portrayal of Bilquis on American Gods. For the television series, the character of Bilquis was expanded from the novel. In 2018, Yetide played the recurring character Chi Chi on This Is Us.
Yetide has written a short film called In Hollywoodland, which she funded with IndieGoGo. Yetide and Karen David produced and starred in the short film while Jessica Sherif directed it. In Hollywoodland is a re-imagining of Alice in Wonderland set in present-day Los Angeles. In Hollywoodland premiered in August 2020 at the Bentonville Film Festival.
Yetide played the mother of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2022 biographical movie Rise for Disney Plus.
In 2023, Deadline announced that Yetide was developing a Nigerian vampire series titled Naija Vamp with Prentice Penny and Sebastian A. Jones, as both a comics series and a TV series.
Yetide has also played the notable role of an Illyrian attorney, Neera Ketoul in 2023 in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wherein she saved fellow Illyrian, Una Chin-Riley from dishonorable discharge and 20 years in a Federation penal colony for lying about the genetic engineering that she received, going against the Federation’s codes.
Personal life She became a United States citizen in 2014. In 2021, Yetide revealed that she is bisexual.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2003 Expiration Naomi 2017 Cardinal X Anita2019 The Buried Girl Alex Precipice Morena Short The Long Shadow Sissy Leblanc 2020 What We Found Alex Chasing the Rain The Woman 2022 Rise Veronica Antetokounmpo
Television Year Title Role Notes 2008 Lost Narjiss Episode: "The Shape of Things to Come"2012 Touch Grace Episode: "Safety in Numbers" The Failing Man Sanjana 4 episodes 2013 Criminal Minds Maya Carcani Episode: "Final Shot"2014 Sequestered Keira 7 episodes Masters of Sex Nurse Williams Episode: "Blackbird"2015 NCIS: New Orleans Felicia Patrice Episode: "Le Carnaval de la Mort" Aquarius Rita Carter Episode: "Your Mother Should Know" 2016 K.C. Undercover Penelope Episode: "Coopers Reactivated!" 2017–2021 American Gods Bilquis 26 episodes 2018–2019 This Is Us Chi Chi 4 episodes 2020 The Magicians Zoe Marcus Episode: "The Mountain of Ghosts" 2023 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Neera Ketoul Episode: "Ad Astra Per Aspera" 2024 Twilight of the Gods Dahl 3 episodes 2025 Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara CroftYemọja (voice) TBA Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas Queen Meeru (voice) TBA Queen Nzinga Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba Main cast TBA Naija Vamp Bisi
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2016 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Ebele Yetide Voice
See also List of Yoruba people List of Nigerian actresses
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