You might not have heard of Weruche Opia, but you certainly know her family. Her mother, the veteran broadcaster Ruth Benamasia Opia is renowned for her nearly 3 decades on national television hosting a series of shows, most prominently, Nightline, a human interest show, that showed slice of life stories. Weruche is no stranger to Nigerian cinema either, in 2014, she was the lead character in the romantic comedy ‘When Love Happens’ and she was nominated for Nigerian Entertainment Award for Actress of the Year. Weruche went on to win the award, and followed the film with a sequel before taking a break from Nollywood to pursue an acting career in the UK.

Now nearly 6 years and a few projects later, Weruche has landed the role that is reintroducing her to the world as an acting revelation. Created by Ghanaian American Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You is a semi-autobiographical exploration of millennial life as told from the perspective of Arabella, a writer who gains virality when her debut book of essays goes viral among black women on social media making her an instant hit. Weruche plays Terry, one of the show’s main characters and Arabella’s best friend, a struggling actress who is trying desperately to make a path for herself.

First off, its thrilling to see Weruche back on our screens, on a HBO project no less. HBO has had the power of establishing actresses by giving them screen time and complex roles. Weruche’s Terry is as complex as they come and she gets to shine in a cast of predominantly black characters and actors highlighting how race and identity warp perception and how we are treated especially in creative spaces. She is delightiful to watch on the show and we cannot wait for the rest of the world to discover Weruche’s small screen/big show debut. To get a sense of the show and what ground ‘I May Destroy You’ covers check out the trailer here:

Editor