Saturday Night Live star and USC Dornsife alumna Ego Nwodim to deliver 2022 commencement address
While a student at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Ego Nwodim used to perform impromptu songs and comedy routines for her classmates in the organic chemistry lab. Soon, the Saturday Night Live (SNL) regular will work her magic on the Trojan crowd again, but in a more official capacity. Nwodim will be the commencement speaker for the USC Dornsife satellite ceremonies on Cromwell Field May 13 at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
“Ego is a tremendously talented entertainer whose hilarious and brilliant satire on social and racial issues makes people think as she makes them laugh. We couldn’t be more proud to call her one of our Dornsife alumni,” said USC Dornsife Dean Amber D. Miller.
Nwodim, who graduated in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, enrolled at USC Dornsife on a pre-med track, a deal she made with her physician mother. But her heart was set on a career in entertainment. So after graduating, she ditched the lab coat for the stage and signed up for classes with Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, where she eventually became a mainstage performer.
She was featured in the 2016 CBS Diversity Showcase and in 2017 wrote and performed her first-ever one-woman show, “Great Black Women … and Then There’s Me,” for a sold-out run in L.A. Nwodim then hopped to the East Coast, landing a spot as a featured player in the SNL cast. In 2020, she was promoted to repertory player, ahead of the show’s 46th season. She is the show’s seventh Black woman to be hired as a cast member.
On SNL, her acclaimed roles include legendary singer Dionne Warwick; Pauline: A Weary Mother in Her Darkest Hour; A Black Woman Who’s Been Missing for Ten Years; the titular character in a spoof of A Teacher; and a Nigerian parent who almost certainly is inspired by Nwodim’s experience. Through comedy, Nwodim has found that she can bring people joy and laughter while also illuminating important social issues.
Besides SNL, Nwodim was seen most recently in Love Life on HBO Max. She’ll be seen next in Roar for Apple TV, Lyle Lyle Crocodile for Warner Brothers and Players for Netflix.
More information about the USC Dornsife commencement ceremonies can be found at https://dornsife.usc.edu/commencement/.