Enuka Okuma is best known to audiences as Detective Traci Nash from the hit police procedural drama series Rookie Blue. Having made her acting debut in the early 1990s, Okuma has starred in several films and television projects. However, beyond her on-screen charm lies a deeply creative, multi-faceted artist.
The actress, who turns 50 in 2026, has had a 35-year career. With over 90 acting credits to her name, Enuka Okuma has established herself as a standout character actress. Whether a longtime fan or just discovering the actress, here are nine interesting facts you probably didn’t know about Enuka Okuma.
1. Enuka Okuma’s Ancestral Roots are Nigerian
Although born Enuka Vanessa Okuma in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Enuka Okuma’s family heritage traces back to Nigeria. Specifically, she’s of Igbo descent, a major ethnic group in Eastern Nigeria. Okuma has always been proud of her roots, as she has admitted that her identity as a Nigerian-Canadian has deeply shaped her perspective and her outlook on representation in the arts.
2. Enuka Okuma Has a Strong Academic Foundation in the Arts
Enuka Okuma developed a passion for the arts at a relatively young age. As such, she decided not only to make a career out of it but also to pursue formal training. Okuma studied at Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. Her time at the University provided her with theoretical and practical training, which later informed her work as a writer and director.
3. Enuka Okuma Made Her Acting Debut in 1990
Enuka Okuma’s first-ever screen role was in a 1990 episode (“The Gun”) of the famous ABC action-adventure series MacGyver. Okuma was cast as a Young Club Member in the episode. At the time, the actress was still using her middle name and was credited as Vanessa Okuma. Although it was a guest role, it provided the actress with the exposure she needed to launch her career. Like many actors before her, Okuma spent the first decade of her career appearing in guest or minor roles in film and television.
4. Enuka Okuma Voiced a Character in a Famous Anime Series
A decade before making her debut as Traci Nash in Rookie Blue, unbeknownst to many, Enuka Okuma voiced a popular character in an anime series. She was part of the voice cast of Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball Z, voicing Android 18. In that same year, she also voiced Lady Une in the English dub of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. These roles made Okuma a part of the early English voice-acting boom in anime in Hollywood. If anything, it is a testament to her range, going from iconic animated characters to action police dramas.
5. She Has Also Voiced Several Video Game Characters
Beyond her iconic voice acting credits, Enuka Okuma has also done voiceovers in video games. According to her IMDb credits, Okuma’s first video game voiceover was in 2019, when she voiced Tau Idair in Star Wars: The Old Republic – Onslaught. She reprised the role in the 2022 sequel Star Wars: The Old Republic – Legacy of the Sith. In 2023, she voiced Cyrax in Mortal Kombat 1 and in Mortal Kombat 1 Khaos Reigns (2024). Her most recent video game voiceover credits include Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition (2025) and Mecha BREAK, where she’s credited as the Female Protagonist Voice 6 (voice: English version).
6. Enuka Okuma Made Her Directorial Debut with a Short Film
Enuka Okuma’s passion for the arts goes far beyond her on-screen roles. For a long time, she had wanted to produce and direct, lending her voice and vision to a project entirely her own. Opportunity presented itself with the 2011 short comedy-drama Cookie. Besides directing the project, Okuma wrote, acted, and executive-produced Cookie. Three years later, she was allowed to direct an episode of Rookie Blue Webisodes. Its success led to co-writing a 2015 episode of Rookie Blue, and subsequently three episodes of Workin’ Moms (2022–2023) and the 2024 horror thriller Out Come the Wolves.
7. Enuka Okuma Initially Auditioned to Play Gail Peck in Rookie Blue
When Rookie Blue’s casting began, Enuka Okuma auditioned for Gail Peck, a role later played by Charlotte Sullivan. Interestingly, Sullivan had auditioned for Traci Nash. After they both landed the part they auditioned for, Okuma expressed her preference for Traci Nash’s character. Coincidentally, Sullivan also felt the same way about playing Gail Peck. The show’s producers had a second look and agreed to the change. The casting twist worked well, as Okuma became Detective Traci Nash, one of the show’s grounded, emotionally rich characters. The swap highlights Okuma’s clarity about her strengths as an actor.
8. Enuka Okuma Played a Character Created Just for Her in the Caught TV Series
In the CBC Television crime drama series Caught, Enuka Okuma portrayed DEA Agent K.C. Williams. Interestingly, the character does not appear in the source material on which the show was based. Since the Canadian series was adapted from Lisa Moore’s 2014 novel, the show’s producer decided to create a modern character specifically for the series. Okuma, who had bought the book to read during pre-production, admitted she only realized her character was entirely made up after she had read halfway through.
9. Enuka Okuma is Married to Joe Gasparik
Enuka Okuma has been married to musician Joe Gasparik since July 2, 2011. Their wedding was in Vancouver, with close friends and family in attendance. The couple has kept many details private to protect their relationship. Gasparik is a talented musician who has worked in sound and production. Interestingly, the couple met while filming a television series. Although the couple haven’t had a child yet, speculation about Enuka Okuma’s pregnancy trended in early 2025 after her performance in a graphic birth scene in an episode of The Pitt.
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