Mouna Traoré

Mouna Traoré is a Canadian actress and filmmaker. She is known for her performances in a variety of television series, such as Global TV's Rookie Blue (2012), CBC's Murdoch Mysteries (2015–2018), and Netflix's The Umbrella Academy (2020). Her film work includes the 2017 films The Drop In, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Brown Girl Begins, directed by Sharon Lewis.

Mouna Traoré
Traoré in 2016
Born
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
NationalityCanadian
OccupationActress, filmmaker
Years active2009–present

Early life

Traore was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Her mother is from Haiti and her father is from Mali.[1]

Career

Traoré began acting at a young age. She attended classes at the Young People's Theatre.[2] She later graduated from the Etobicoke School of the Arts,[2] and completed a Bachelor of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto.[3]

In 2017, Traoré starred in the short film The Drop In, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.[4][5] She leads the film as Joelle, a hairdresser at a Black Canadian hair salon who faces an unexpected challenge when Grace (Oluniké Adeliyi), a woman she knew in her prior life, drops in ostensibly for a haircut, but in fact with ulterior motives involving Joelle's immigration status.[5] The film was named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for short films in December 2017.[6] Also that year, she starred in the Afro-futurist feature film Brown Girl Begins,[7] opposite Emmanuel Kabongo.[8] The film was released theatrically in 2018 and screened at several film festivals.[9][10]

Traoré has featured in more than a dozen television series, beginning with a recurring role in the Teletoon children's comedy series, Majority Rules!. Her notable television roles include Crystal Markes on Global TV's Rookie Blue(2012),[11] and Rebecca James on CBC's long-running detective series Murdoch Mysteries (2015–2018).[12] She auditioned several times for a part on Murdoch Mysteries, before finally landing a recurring role on the series.[13]

In 2020, she starred in the Netflix series Self Made as Esther,[14] and The Umbrella Academy as Jill.[15]

Other work

Traoré is the co-founder of a production company, The Mini Films, through which she has written and produced two short films.[3] Her 2015 short film, Adorn, won the award for Best Narrative Short at the Montreal International Black Film Festival.[16]

Filmography

Film
YearFilmRoleNotes
2013CarrieErika
Home AwaySabrinaShort film
2014All of MeMelisShort film
2015MunaMunaShort film
2016The ChoirMounaShort film
Manhattan UndyingHeather
2017The Drop InJoelleShort film
Brown Girl BeginsTi-Jeanne

Television
YearTV ShowRoleNotes
2009Majority Rules!Serena Balfour9 episodes
'Da Kink in My HairEssenceEpisode: "Forced Ripe Mango"
2010Cra$h & BurnRuby2 episodes
2011Being EricaModelEpisode: "Purim"
Connor UndercoverDonnaEpisode: "Deadly Lipgloss"
2012Rookie BlueCrystal Markes5 episodes
2014Beauty and the BeastHannahEpisode: "Ever After"
2015–2018Murdoch MysteriesRebecca James28 episodes
2015Hemlock GroveAli4 episodes
The Book of NegroesRosettaTV mini-series
2016Shadowhunters: The Mortal InstrumentsMidori[17]2 Episodes
2017SuitsJasmineEpisode: "Donna"
2017RansomKim NewhamEpisode: "Grand Slam"
2018CondorIris Loramer5 episodes
2018In ContemptVanessa HastingsMain role
2019American GodsRuby Goodchild2 episodes
2020 Self Made Esther 3 episodes
2020The Umbrella AcademyJill4 episodes

Production
YearFilmPositionNotes
2014All of MeProducer, writerShort film
2015AdornProducer, director, writerShort film

Accolades
YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2016Montreal International Black Film FestivalBest Narrative ShortAdornWon

References
  1. Smith, Gabrielle. "CANADIAN ACTRESS MOUNA TRAORÉ CO-STARS ON NEW AMERICAN SERIES". Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  2. "FEATURE: Mouna Traore On Success & Her Thoughts On The Brown Girl Movement". TheUpperEch. April 26, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  3. "CANNES SHORT FILM CORNER - Adorn". wearemovingstories.com. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  4. "The Drop In". www.tiff.net. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  5. Wilson Morales, "TIFF 2017 Preview: Naledi Jackson’s Short Film ‘The Drop In’". Blackfilm, August 31, 2017.
  6. Regan Reid, "What made TIFF’s top-10 Canadian movies of 2017?". Playback, December 6, 2017.
  7. "Brown Girl Begins | Art Gallery of Ontario". Art Gallery of Ontario. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  8. "'We are ready. We've been ready:' Black Panther ushers in a new wave of black sci-fi". CBC News. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  9. "BROWN GIRLS BEGIN | Festival International du Film black de Montréal". montrealblackfilm.com. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  10. "In dystopian science fiction, one thing is clear: it doesn't end well for women or people of colour | CBC Arts". CBC. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  11. "Rookie Blue Recap: Season 3 Episode 3 'A Good Shoot' 6/7/12 | Celeb Dirty Laundry". www.celebdirtylaundry.com. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  12. "Mouna Traoré - Cast - Murdoch Mysteries". cbc.ca. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  13. "Murdoch Mysteries' new kid on the block: Mouna Traoré". tv-eh.com. November 15, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  14. "Meet the cast of Netflix drama 'Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker'". Radio Times. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  15. Jones, Zoe Christen. "Umbrella Academy's Mouna Traoré Is Ready for the Next Big Thing". Forbes. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  16. "Revisiting CC x CIINEMA". Never Apart. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  17. ""Shadowhunters" casts Hodge Starkweather, Madame 'Dot' Dorothea, Midori & Little Clary". tmiaustralia.blogspot.ca. Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
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