Quick Facts
Biography
Gladys “Gdah” Oyenbot is a Ugandan stage, film and television actress, singer and dancer. She currently plays Beatrice on Yat Madit on NTV Uganda and as Amanda on Nana Kagga’s upcoming drama series, Reflections.
She was widely known for playing Lupita Nyong'os stand in and body double on the set of Queen of Katwe.
Career
Since late 2016 Oyenbot stars in a regular role as Beatrice, a mother and wife who suffers domestic violence silently on Yat Madit TV series airing on NTV Uganda.
She also stars as Amanda, a lady with trust issues from her past relationships who falls in love with a married man and father of her unborn child on the upcoming Nana Kagga’s TV series titled Reflections.
Oyenbot played two roles on Mira Nair’s Queen of Katwe as the shopkeeper from whom Lupita Nyong'o (as Phionah Mutesi's mother) buys paraffin to fuel the lamp so her daughter could read her chess book at night and as Lupita’s body and stand in double.
Oyenbot has participated in numerous stage productions. However, she is known for her performances in an Aida Mbowa directed stage play Desperate to Fight about mental violence and the world’s renown stage dramas Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames, Restore Tour: Child Soldier No More, KAD’s adaption of William Shakespearean plays, Much Ado About Nothing, the tragedy of Macbeth and Charles Dickens Oliver Twist. She also acted in Silent Voices: a play that mirrors the views and emotions of northern Uganda war.
Oyenbot holds a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from Makerere University; she has also graced the television shows and radio drama series like Rock point 256 and Mako-Mere to mention but a few.
She is involved with the Watoto Children's Choir where she supervises children and performs with them while on tour.
Filmography
Film and television
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Reflections | Amanda | Nana Kagga | TV Series, |
| 2017 | 256Film | Midwife | Stella Namatovu | Short |
| 2016 | Yat Madit | Beatrice | Irene Kulabako | Won three Awards |
| Queen of Katwe | Shopkeeper/Stand in double | Mira Nair | Walt Disney Studios | |
| The Bag | Mukyala Mulokole | Douglas Kasule Benda | Short movie | |
| 2015 | 5 @Home | Llyod Lutara | On Fox Life Africa | |
| 2013 | Haunted Souls | Aciru | Godwin Otwoma | Short |
Theatre
- Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames
- Restore Tour: Child Soldier No More
- Desperate to Fight
- Oliver Twist
- Much Ado About Nothing
- Macbeth
- Silent Voices
- Rock point 256- Radio drama series
- Mako-Mere