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Growing up in Berkeley, California, I was exposed to many colorful, radical characters. I lived with my mother, an Intuitive, Certified Hypnotherapist, Activist, former Artist Model and Go-Go dancer. I also spent plenty of time with my father a popular Bay Area Photographer and retired Chairman / Professor of the Art Department at San Francisco City College. I was exposed early and gleefully mingled with people from various cultures, classes, races, backgrounds and sexual orientations.
One day at the tender age of 5, while riding around the streets of Oakland, I witnessed a woman standing on a corner, dressed in what i thought was a very snazzy yet provocative, making (what I didn't know at the time) extreme gestures at passing cars. With natural curiosity, I asked, "Mom, what is she doing?" My mother, forever the one to tell you like it is answered: "She is a Prostitute", Onika: "What does a Prostitute do?" Mom: "Well... she actually makes love, for money, dear" Onika, always the budding entrepreneur, "MOM!! I want to be a PROSTITUTE!!!"
The next week she enrolled me in Acting Classes :)
Most Recently....
ONIKA will be Directing the Feature Film GOD, THE CRACKHOUSE AND THE DEVIL
The Role of AMY in THE AFFAIR, LADY COP in Billions, Vanessa in THE LOUDEST VOICE
MORIAH / HOMELESS WOMAN in THE DINNER, Directed By Oren Moverman, Starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney and Richard Coogan
LADY in the Immersive Production TENNESSEE ON HUDSON and CAMILLE and TRIXIE in the NEW CIRCLE THEATER COMPANY's INFERNO PROJECT
Recurring EMTtress on BLUE BLOODS and CITY ON A HILL
Supporting Roles in FOR LIF, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, SISTERS (Tina Fey and Amy Pohler), DO NO HARM, DEXTER, DAMAGES, LAW & ORDER, POLITICAL ANIMALS, CARLITOS WAY: THE BEGINNING, the Independent feature THE CHALLENGER and was in Tupac Shakur last video 2 LIVE and DIE IN LA.