Moni Ogunsuyi is a name you’ll want to remember. On March 15th, she shares the screen with the ever-charismatic D.B. Woodside in Lifetime’s Taken at a Basketball Game, a heart-pounding thriller ripped straight from real-life headlines. As Splendid, a sex worker with a resilience as fierce as her name, Moni delivers a performance packed with grit, heart, and urgency, teaming up with Woodside’s Wayne Edwards in a desperate race against time to find his missing daughter.

A first-generation Canadian of Nigerian descent, Moni’s journey to the screen is as captivating as the roles she inhabits. Before she was commanding attention on HBO and gracing the sets of Oscar-nominated films, she was dazzling on the pageant stage. Competing in Miss AfriCanada, Miss World Canada, and Miss Universe Canada, she refined not just her poise but her confidence—something that ultimately led her to the world of acting. “If it wasn’t for pageants, I would have never taken the leap into acting,” she reveals. It was a pageant sister’s encouragement that pushed her into background work, and within months, she landed her first line on set—proof that sometimes, destiny just needs a little nudge.

Moni has since built an impressive résumé, appearing in pop culture juggernauts like The Umbrella Academy, The Boys, and The Handmaid’s Tale. But it was her role in the acclaimed miniseries For The Record that truly marked a turning point. “It was my first supporting lead role, and I was able to put so much into that character. To this day, it’s one of my best performances,” she shares. That moment cemented her drive to push boundaries, tackle complex roles, and keep audiences captivated.

In Taken at a Basketball Game, Moni’s portrayal of Splendid is more than just another role—it’s a testament to the power of humanizing the unseen. “I wanted to make sure people saw her as a person, not just her circumstances,” she explains. The weight of playing a character inspired by real-life tragedies wasn’t lost on her. With guidance from her acting coach Lewis Baumander, she delved deep into Splendid’s psyche, ensuring a portrayal that was raw, respectful, and authentic. “These things happen faster than we realize. I hope this film sparks conversations about missing women, especially in marginalized communities.”

And Moni is just getting started. Later this year, she’s stepping into the eerie world of Stephen King’s Welcome to Derry, the highly anticipated prequel to IT. “I’m actually terrified of horror,” she admits with a laugh, “but working on this was unreal. The cast, the crew—it was an experience I won’t forget.” The psychological demands of the role pushed her as an actress, revealing new layers to her craft.

Then there’s The Apprentice, a film unpacking the rise of Donald Trump, where Moni found herself alongside powerhouse talents like Sebastian Stan. “Sebastian was scarily good—it made me realize how much harder I had to work.” From the intensity of political drama to the thrills of horror and the rawness of true crime, Moni is proving she can do it all.

But don’t expect her to settle into any one lane. “I don’t want my work to be defined by just being a Black woman—I want it to be about authenticity, depth, and storytelling.” Still, she knows representation matters. As she continues carving her space in Hollywood, she dreams of one day sharing the screen with legends like Angela Bassett and Denzel Washington.

With her star rising fast, Moni Ogunsuyi is here to stay. Whether she’s breaking hearts, stealing scenes, or sending chills down our spines, one thing is clear—she’s a force to be reckoned with.

Photography Created: Calyssa Lorraine