Andrea Solonge

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Andrea Solonge is an Australian actress of Nigerian and Congolese heritage. She is the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Heath Ledger Scholarship which is awarded to an emerging Australian actor who demonstrates extraordinary ability and dedication to their craft. Globally regarded as a barometer for the best acting talent coming from Australia, the award was judged by industry luminaries such as Blumhouse casting head Terri Taylor and award-winning actors Sarah Snook and Melanie Lynskey. Andrea recently recurred opposite Lisa Kudrow in Taika Waititi's Apple TV+ series Time Bandits, adapted from the beloved Terry Gilliam-directed movie. Andrea played "Madame Queenie", a powerful leader in the underground running of alcohol during Prohibition and the Harlem Renaissance and "Queen Inari", one of the wives of the King of Mali, the richest man in the world. She previously starred as a series regular on the Stan/ Roku series Prosper which chronicles the inner sanctum of a family bound together by unfathomable wealth and power as they build an evangelical megachurch hell-bent on global domination. Andrea played "Juno Mendes", a damaged young woman who is ripe for the all-consuming grip of the megachurch but is in fact no lamb to the slaughter and should not be underestimated. Before winning this year, Andrea was honored as one of six finalists for the Heath Ledger Scholarship in 2021 and won New York's Equity Atlantic Award in 2019.