Megalyn Echikunwoke

Megalyn Echikunwoke

Active - 1998 - 2022  |   Born - May 28, 1983 in Spokane, Washington, United States  |   Genres - Drama, Mystery, Action

Share on

Biography by AllMovie

Actress Megalyn Echikunwoke has bewitched the viewers of many TV shows with her knowing charm and stunning looks, showing up on everything from period sitcoms to sci-fi dramas. With a black Nigerian father and a white American mother, Echikunwoke was seemingly predisposed to a wide cultural and ethnic understanding from birth, an aspect of her personality that was bolstered by growing up on a Navajo Indian Reservation. At 14 she attended an arts-oriented summer camp, where she was discovered by her manager while performing a monologue.

By 15, Echikunwoke had been cast in the mini-series Creature, and her family moved to L.A. She found regular work, soon scoring a recurring role on the first season of 24 as Nicole Palmer. She also made guest appearances on shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Veronica Mars, and starred in a series called Like Family. She played a recurring character on That '70s Show in 2004, before signing on to play the grown-up version of Isabelle Tyler on the sci-fi series The 4400. She stayed with the show for two seasons, after which she joined the cast of the 2008 drama Fix.

Movie Highlights

See Full Filmography

Factsheet

  • Is the granddaughter of a Nigerian tribal chief—her last name means "leader of men."
  • Grew up on a Navajo Indian reservation (though neither of her parents is of Native American descent).
  • As a teen, she attended an arts-oriented summer camp, where she was discovered by a Hollywood manager.
  • Landed her first job in Hollywood while she was still a teenager, starring in the TV miniseries Peter Benchley's 'Creature' (1998). 
  • Originally auditioned for the role of Jeannie on House of Lies, but the producers asked her to come back and audition for the role of April instead.
  • Founded W.E.A.P.O.N., a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women and girls in Africa through education and the arts, in 2008.
  • Is a fan of musicals, and has a singing and dancing background.