Zikora Mbadugha always had an interest in film. This creative spark had been present very early in life, starting out in acting when she was 10 years old, and nurtured with the support of her parents as she kept exploring it. Once she enrolled at Emory, she started to work towards a major in Film and Media and a focus in Marketing in the Business School, alongside personal creative endeavors.
In her sophomore year, she booked a minor role in FX’s English Teacher, a comedy series centering on a high school teacher grappling with the personal, professional, and political facets of his job. Mbadugha also went on to co- create the web series Reality Check with fellow Emory student Cyreema Marshall, and take on the lead actress role. The series follows two Black girls as they explore the hardships of being in a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) through a comedic lens, inspired by works like Broad City and The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl. The first season of Reality Check gained thirteen thousand views, and earned around $4,000 USD in grants and crowdfunding campaigns.
The reach of the series expanded past the Emory bubble, as Mbadugha recounts an encounter she had during summer break. “I was in L.A., and I met this girl who studied at NYU. She comes up to me and says, ‘Oh my god, you’re the girl from that show!’. I think a friend of mine that attends that university posted something about the series, and so she watched it and recognized me. It was very rewarding to see how that story resonated with people in other institutions.”
This past summer, she took part in the United Talent Agency’s Agent Trainee Program as an Intern. During her time in the program, she worked under seasoned professionals in the film world, which gave her greater insights into the functionings of the industry. Due to the experience, she was later able to connect with some professionals who invited her to attend the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.
“Getting to go to the Emmy’s was such a cool experience,” she asserts. “It was a very serendipitious moment that let me know that I was in the right place.” One of the highlights for her was being able to share a space with Ayo Edebiri (one of the leads in FX’s The Bear), an up-and-rising actress from the same cultural background as Mbadugha.
Zikora Mbadugha is currently in her senior year at Emory, and working on the second season of Reality Check. In looking ahead, one of the things she feels she’ll miss the most from Emory is the community built from working in film together. Regarding post-graduate plans, she is currently planning on relocating to Los Angeles and returning to work at United Talent Agency.