Rutina Wesley Biography, Career, Family, Spouse, and Net Worth

Who is Rutina Wesley?

Rutina Wesley is a famous American professional actress. Wesley is popular for her roles as Tara Thornton on the HBO television series True Blood, and Nova Bordelon on OWN’s Queen Sugar.

Rutina Wesley Career

Wesley was featured in David Hare’s Broadway play The Vertical Hour in December 2006. She appeared in The Public Theater production of In Darfur by playwright Winter Miller, co-starring Aaron Lohr and Heather Raffo, among others in 2007. Wesley then had a minor role in the 2005 movie Hitch, which was edited out in the final cut. In 2007, Wesley made her on-screen debut as the main character in the movie How She Moves, from British director Ian Iqbal Rashid. The character Raya Green, who enters a step-dancing competition to secure funds for her education, was inspired by Tony Manero, played by John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Before the shooting of the movie, she underwent a five-week dance rehearsal period, Playing a woman of Jamaican descent, Wesley also took dialect coaching for the role.

She later auditioned for the role of Tara Thornton in the HBO series True Blood in 2007. Wesley then secured the part after creator Alan Ball chose her because she was the first person who showed the character’s vulnerable side. It was revealed that she had been cast in a recurring role on the NBC drama series Hannibal in January 2015.

Wesley played Reba McClaine, ”a blind woman who enters into a relationship with Francis Dolarhyde (Richard Armitage), and assists soothe his murderous urges-at least at first.” She then appeared as Liza Warner in the 4th season of Arrow. Wesley was cast as the lead character Nova Bordelon in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series Queen Sugar, produced by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey in 2016. In 2023, she played Maria in the HBO series The Last of Us.

How old is Rutina Wesley?

Rutina Wesley is aged 44 years as of 2022, having been born on December 21, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. She shares her birthday with famous people including Nidal Wonder, Madelyn Cline, Kaitlyn Dever, Mario Selman, Jane Fonda, Samuel L. Jackson, Nick Davis Weinstein, Andy Dick, and many others.

Rutina Wesley Family

Who are Rutina Wesley’s parents?

Rutina Wesley was born in Las Vegas, Nevada to Cassandra Wesley and Ivery Wheeler. Her father is a professional tap dancer while her mother was a showgirl. Not much information is available to the media about her family and parents.

Does Rutina Wesley have siblings?

Wesley has kept her family’s information very private and away from the limelight and her siblings are not known to the media.

Rutina Wesley Education

Wesley attended high school at the Las Vegas Academy, of International Studies, Performing, and Visual Arts. She also studied dance at Simba Studios and the West Las Vegas Arts Center. Wesley then opted to join the University of Evansville in Indiana, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance in 2001. After being asked to do nursing, she insisted on pursuing her artistic education. She joined the Juilliard School in 2001 and graduated in May 2005. Wesley’s studies consisted of a summer spent at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.

Rutina Wesley Spouse

Wesley was married to former Juilliard classmate Jacob Fishel, an actor in 2005. They later broke up in July, and she filed for divorce on August 16, 2013, citing irreconcilable differences. She revealed her partnership with Shonda, a chef from New Orleans, in November 2017. The love birds then separated in 2019. Wesley resides in Los Angeles and sometimes in Astoria, Queens.

Rutina Wesley Kids

Despite being linked to several relationships in the past, Wesley does not have any children of her own to date.

Rutina Wesley Height

Wesley has a sexy, stunning, and well-curved body. She has an average height of 5 ft 5 in (1.66 m) and a weight of 57 kg (125 lbs).

Rutina Wesley Net Worth

American professional actress Wesley has been active in her acting career from 2005 to the present. She has an estimated net worth of approximately $4 million as of 2023.