CCH Pounder is a veteran Guyanese-American actress who is often cast as a detective or doctor in TV shows. Arguably, her biggest big-screen credit would be her roles as Mo’at in James Cameron’s Avatar (2009), Avatar 2 (2021), and Avatar 3 (2023). Pounder has had a lot of prominent small-screen roles from Dr. Angela Hicks in ER to Detective Claudette Wyms in FX police drama, The Shield, and Dr. Loretta Wade in NCIS: New Orleans. There are many interesting facts to know about the actress and her family as you will uncover below.
How CCH Pounder Became an Actress
Carol Christine Hilaria (CCH) Pounder was born on December 25, 1952, in Georgetown, British Guiana, (today’s Guyana). Pounder’s love for performing arts developed while she was in a boarding school where she performed for her dormmates with a flashlight after light outs. She derived joy from making other people laugh with her mini-performances.
At the age of 18, she relocated to the United States where she attended Ithaca College. While studying in New York, she began acting in theatre, appearing on Broadway’s Open Admissions and Richard Wesley’s The Mighty Gents. Subsequently, she dabbled into films, making her debut in All That Jazz (1979).
In order to get better opportunities, Pounder relocated to Los Angeles in 1982. She landed small roles in a number of films and TV shows and in 1987, she got her breakout role as Brenda in Bagdad Café. In the late 80s, CCH Pounder had a recurring role in Women in Prison. She would then appear in a string of TV shows and movies like Postcards from the Edge (1990), RoboCop 3 (1993), and more.
The Accomplishments of Her Acting Career
Pounder in 1994, received her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress. This was for her role as Agent Lucy Kazdin in The X-Files. That same year, she appeared in ER as Dr. Angela Hicks. For that role, she received two Image Awards and one Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
For movies, her notable credits included Demon Knight, Face Off, and End of Days. The new millennium came and CCH Pounder focused more on small-screen projects. She appeared as a guest in a number of shows like The West Wing and Law and Order. From 2002 to 2008, the actress played Claudette Wyms in The Shield. That role earned her a Satellite Award for Best Actress, as well as an Emmy and Image Award nominations. In addition to that, she received another Emmy nomination in 2009 for her guest role in The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.
Her other TV credits include Warehouse 13, Sons of Anarchy, and of course, NCIS: New Orleans. A significant moment in Pounder’s career was when she portrayed Mo’at in 2009’s Avatar. In 2017, it was revealed that she would reprise the role in the subsequent sequels scheduled for release in 2021 and 2023.
CCH Pounder has lent her voice to a number of video game characters; most notably, Amanda Waller in Batman: Arkham Origins. Without a doubt, she has been a part of many successful projects and is well paid for her efforts. For her role in NCIS New Orleans, she received $50,000 per episode. Her net worth is estimated to be between $5 and $8 million.
Details About CCH Pounder’s Family
CCH Pounder was born to Ronald Urlington Pounder (father) and Betsy Enid Arnella. Records have it that the actress was raised on a sugarcane plantation and together with her sister, attended a convent boarding school in Britain.
Pounder got married to an anthropologist named Boubacar Kone in 1970. Unfortunately, she became a widow following the death of Kone on the 3rd of August 2016. Born on the 25th of October 1942 in Senegal, he was 74 when he passed. We have authenticated that he attended the Institute of International Journalism in Strasbourg, France. Kone was a member of Daka’s Etude de Systems de Pensees des Religions Africaine.
Pounder and her late husband shared a passion for arts, which could be what attracted them to each other. Together, they co-founded the Musee Boribana in Dakar, Senegal; that was in 1993. It is said that the museum was the first devoted to contemporary art in Dakar. In 2014, they gifted the museum to the people of Senegal.
The couple also joined forces to found the Pounder-Kone Art Space in Los Angeles. They shared three children: two daughters and a son. Their names are Nicole Kone, Libya Kone, and Matthew Kone.
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