Diaspora Star | Joy Sunday : The Nigerian-American Actress Lighting Up Netflix in Wednesday

When Joy Sunday steps on screen as Bianca Barclay in Netflix’s smash-hit series Wednesday, she commands attention. Bianca is bold, sharp, and impossible to ignore and Joy plays her with a magnetic presence that makes audiences take notice. But behind the perfectly delivered lines and icy confidence lies a Staten Island–born talent with deep Nigerian roots, remarkable training, and a career on the rise.

Born in 1996 to Nigerian parents in Staten Island, New York, Joy Sunday grew up in a household where discipline met creativity. Her mother worked as a nurse’s assistant, her father as a social worker, and Joy spent her childhood immersed in books, often reading aloud to “imaginary kids” a childhood game that became an early lesson in performance and character building.

Joy’s artistic foundation was laid at New York’s renowned Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts the same school that counts Nicki Minaj and Timothée Chalamet as alumni. She later earned her degree in Critical Studies at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, graduating with honors while simultaneously exploring filmmaking through the Tribeca Film Institute.

Joy’s on-screen journey began with a 2016 guest appearance on MacGyver. By 2020, she earned her Screen Actors Guild card with Justin Simien’s satirical horror film Bad Hair. She quickly built a resume that included roles in indie standouts like Shithouse, thriller projects like The Beta Test, and the feature film Dog.

But it was her breakout role as Bianca Barclay in Tim Burton’s Wednesday (2022) that brought her global recognition. Playing the queen bee of Nevermore Academy, Joy infused Bianca with elegance, edge, and depth making the character far more than a rival to Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams. Critics and fans alike praised her performance for its charisma and command.

Though born and raised in the United States, Joy Sunday proudly carries her Nigerian heritage. In Netflix’s Strong Black Lead “Rep Your Flag” segment, she waved a green-and-white flag with pride, sharing her favorite Nigerian dish meat pies “with a twist” and teasing fans about her controversial food allegiance: “When it comes to jollof, I’m team Ghana and that’s okay. We have so many other best things. Like the music.”

Her playlist is as eclectic as her career path. She’s a Rema fan (“a Rema girl through and through”), loves Teni’s energy, and treasures the timeless sound of Sade. When it comes to Nollywood royalty, she lists Genevieve Nnaji, Nkem Owoh, and Patience Ozokwor among her favorites a nod to the industry she proudly celebrates from afar.

Joy isn’t just an actress; she’s also a filmmaker, having directed shorts and experimented with storytelling from behind the camera. She has a fascination with horror, telling Teen Vogue that she considers herself “a zombie connoisseur” and loves exploring the darker side of storytelling because it highlights life’s beauty and resilience.

At 28, she is still at the dawn of what promises to be an exceptional career. Whether she’s stealing scenes on Netflix or championing African culture abroad, Joy Sunday embodies what it means to be a true Diaspora Star talented, versatile, and deeply connected to her roots.

As she once said with a laugh while waving her flag, “We don’t have to have the best jollof… we have the best music.” And now, thanks to Joy, we may just have one of the best rising stars on screen.