Rutina Wesley

Classically trained actress Rutina Wesley always brings a passion and intelligence to her work. Many have likened her to a young Angela Basset, an actress with true range who can make an audience both laugh and cry at the same time. Since her May 2005 graduation from the Drama Division of the Juilliard School, Rutina has amassed some high quality credits for her resume. She appeared in the high profile Broadway production of David Hare’s THE VERTICAL HOUR, starring two-time Academy Award® nominee Julianne Moore and directed by Sam Mendes.

While still at Juilliard, Rutina got her first taste of Hollywood when she was cast in a small role in the hit film HITCH, starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes. Just before the film’s release, Rutina learned that her scene had been cut from the final version of the movie, but chalked it up as an impressive learning experience for a young girl still in drama school.

In addition to her studies at Juilliard, Rutina spent a summer studying Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. There, Rutina was able to tackle the highly sought after role of Juliet in a production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Nona Sheppard. Rutina was also able to take part in many productions at Julliard, ranging from Macbeth, Richard III and The Winter's Tale to The Marriage of Figaro, Rebel Armies Deep Into Chad and In the Blood, among many others. Upon graduation from school, Rutina was a part of the pre-Broadway workshop for the Tony-nominated musical The Color Purple.

Rutina, a native of Las Vegas, received her BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Evansville after attending the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts.

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