Joy Sunday

Joy Sunday is a Nigerian-American actress who has appeared in feature films and television productions. She is best known for her breakthrough role as the siren Bianca Barclay in the Netflix series Wednesday, as well as her performances in television projects such as Dear White People and DTF St. Louis. Her film credits include supporting roles in feature releases such as Bad Hair, Shithouse, and Dog.

Sunday was born in Staten Island, New York, to Nigerian parents. Her mother worked as a nurse’s assistant, and her father worked as a social worker. During her childhood, she drew artistic inspiration from Nigerian actors Genevieve Nnaji and Nkem Owoh. Sunday attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in New York City, where she studied theatre. She later noted that her time at the institution was challenging, describing conservatories as spaces that are not always supportive of Black, Brown, or poor actors.

Following high school, Sunday chose to focus on filmmaking and moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California. She enrolled in the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she earned a degree in critical studies. Alongside her academic pursuits, she gained practical experience in the film industry by collaborating with the Tribeca Film Institute on several short films.

Sunday made her professional television debut in 2018 with a guest appearance in an episode of MacGyver. In 2020, she joined the Screen Actors Guild following her performance in the film Bad Hair. That same year, she played the supporting role of Sophia in Cooper Raiff's directorial debut feature, Shithouse. She subsequently appeared in an episode of the Netflix comedy-drama Dear White People and earned additional film credits with supporting roles in The Beta Test and Dog.

In 2022, Sunday achieved widespread recognition when she was cast in the Netflix series Wednesday, produced by Tim Burton. Portraying Bianca Barclay, a siren and rival to the title character Wednesday Addams, she starred alongside Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, and Gwendoline Christie. The project opened to strong critical reviews and went on to become the most-viewed English-language series on the Netflix platform.

Sunday expanded her career into major brand partnerships in 2024, when she became a global ambassador for the cosmetics company Lancôme. In 2025, she joined the main cast of the HBO limited dark comedy series DTF St. Louis, performing alongside Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Richard Jenkins, and Chris Perfetti. For her role in the production, Sunday received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.