Rutina Wesley was born in Las Vegas and raised with a diverse group of friends and peers. Like many serious young thespians, leading up to high school graduation, she dreamed of Juilliard. But, as she puts it: the universe knew she wasn’t ready yet. With matriculation to her dream school postponed, she headed east to the University of Evansville in Indiana to take advantage of the school’s excellent theatre program. After she graduated from college, it seemed that fate met her at the other side of the graduation stage. From there she attended Juilliard; acted on Broadway; starred in the major motion picture How She Move; and starred in the HBO series True Blood. And now, she stars in Queen Sugar, the hottest show on the Oprah Winfrey Network (“OWN”). If you ever doubted #blackgirlmagic, Rutina Wesley will make you believe.