Amandla Stenberg

Amandla Stenberg

Actor
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Life Story

Named for the Zulu and Xhosa word for "power," Amandla was born in Los Angeles, California, to Karen Brailsford, a writer, and Tom Stenberg, a businessman. Her mother is African-American and her father is Danish (and of part Inuit-Greenlandic ancestry).

In the summer and fall of 2010, she shot her first feature, Colombiana (2011), an action-thriller starring Zoe Saldana whose character, the avenging assassin Cataleya Restrepo, Amandla plays as a child. In April 2011, Lionsgate announced that Amandla had landed the role of Rue in the screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' popular young adult series, The Hunger Games (2012). For her heart-breaking performance, Amandla earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. She also won (with Jennifer Lawrence) a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry.

Family

No info available

 

Trivia

Mother is African-American and father is Danish.
Once took a ride on the Goodyear Blimp.
Paternal grandmother was an Inuit from Greenland.
Amandla means power in Zulu.
At the dedication ceremony of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. on October 16, 2011, Amandla gave a speech entitled "Reflections on Women of the Civil Rights Movement" with Cicely Tyson. Her talk honored the four girls who were killed in the Birmingham church bombing in 1963.

Personal Quotes 

I've read the 'Mortal Instruments' series; I was obsessed with those.
'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' by Betty Smith is one of my favorites. Even though it doesn't have any monsters or crazy fantasy in it, it's such a raw story, and I can really relate to the characters. I think it's a beautiful story.
Within months after reading the novel 'The Hunger Games,' I went from telling my mom that I could see myself as this character to actually getting the role. My mother reminds me that if I could manifest such an important role just because I wanted it so much, all of my dreams are possible.
I think 'The Hunger Games' has a really powerful message about survival, and sacrificing for the ones you love. It's almost like a warning for us to not lose touch of our humanity. We live in a world in which we watch other's misfortunes for entertainment.
I love all kinds of art. I mean, I love sketching and acting and music.
My mom reminds me that all things are possible.
As a fan of the books, I feel fortunate to be part of 'The Hunger Games' family. It was an amazing experience; I am proud of the film and my performance. I want to thank all of my fans and the entire 'Hunger Games' community for their support and loyalty.

Filmography

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