Okonedo was born in London, the daughter of Joan, a pilates teacher, and Henry Okonedo, who worked for the government. Her father is Nigerian and her mother, a Ashkenazi Jew, was born in the East End to Yiddish-speaking immigrants from Poland and Russia; Okonedo was raised attending synagogue. Her father left the family when Okonedo was five, and she was subsequently raised in poverty by her single Read more...

Okonedo trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She has worked in a variety of media including film, television, theatre, and audio drama. She performed in Scream of the Shalka — a webcast based on the BBC television series Doctor Who — as Alison Cheney, a companion of the Doctor. As well as providing the character's voice, Okonedo's likeness was used for the animation of the character. Read more...

Okonedo has a daughter, Aoife, from her previous relationship with Irish film editor Eoin Martin. They live in Muswell Hill, London. On her heritage, Sophie says, "I feel as proud to be Jewish as I feel to be black" and calls her daughter "a gorgeous Irish, Nigerian Jew, so she’s really got it made."