Sonequa Chaunté Martin-Green (pronounced /səˈniːkwə/), born March 21, 1985, is an American actress. She is well-known for playing Michael Burnham in the TV series Star Trek: Discovery and Sasha Williams in The Walking Dead. Before these roles, she appeared in independent films and had a recurring role as Courtney Wells on The Good Wife. She also played Tamara in Once Upon a Time and Rhonda in New Girl.
Sonequa Martin-Green was born and grew up in Russellville, Alabama. Her parents were Charles Winston Martin and Vera Lynn Martin-Moore, who divorced and her mother remarried. Both her parents passed away in April 2021, one day apart. Her father died from cancer, and her mother, a three-time cancer survivor, died of a heart attack.
She has one full sister named NaKisha and three older half-sisters on her father’s side. Sonequa initially wanted to be a psychologist but decided to pursue acting in the tenth grade. She said she was interested in human behavior and had a realization during a school rehearsal that she wanted to act. She later earned a degree in theatre from the University of Alabama in 2007.
Sonequa made her film debut in 2009, starring in “Toe to Toe” as Tosha Spinner. The film, about the friendship and rivalry between two girls from different backgrounds, received positive reviews, particularly for Sonequa’s performance. In 2018, it was announced she would star in “The Outside Story” and in 2021, she appeared in “Space Jam: A New Legacy” as Kamiyah James.
Sonequa started appearing on TV in 2008 with a guest role on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”. She then had a recurring role on “Army Wives” in 2009. Her first significant recurring role was as Courtney Wells on “The Good Wife”. She appeared in “Gossip Girl” and “NYC 22” before being cast as Sasha in “The Walking Dead” in 2012. Although she originally auditioned for another role, the show’s creators were so impressed that they created the character of Sasha for her. She became a series regular and her performance was well-received.
After “The Walking Dead”, Sonequa played Tamara in “Once Upon a Time”. In 2016, she was cast as the lead in “Star Trek: Discovery”, playing First Officer Michael Burnham, a role she continues to play.
Sonequa married actor Kenric Green on December 4, 2010. They have two children, a boy born in 2015 and a girl born in 2020. She was pregnant while filming the fifth season of “The Walking Dead” and hid her pregnancy with costumes and props.
Since April 2016, Sonequa has been an ambassador for Stand Up to Cancer, promoting clinical trials and focusing on reaching diverse communities. In July 2021, she shared on Instagram that her parents had both passed away in April 2021. Her father had liver cancer.