Joy Sunday (born September 25, 1996) is a Nigerian-American actress. She has performed in television, notably in Wednesday and Dear White People. In film, she is known for side roles in Bad Hair, Shithouse, and Dog. As of its March 2026 premiere, she starred in the HBO limited series DTF St. Louis, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Early life and education Sunday was born in Staten Island, New York, to Nigerian parents. Her mother worked as a nurse’s assistant and her father was a social worker.
Sunday is a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in New York City, where she studied theatre. Sunday states that her time at LaGuardia was difficult, as "conservatories aren't always kind to Black and Brown actors [or] to poor actors." She chose to pursue filmmaking instead and enrolled at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. There she studied at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and earned a degree in critical studies.
Outside of academia, she worked as a filmmaker with Tribeca Film Institute on the side, working on several shorts.
Career Sunday made her television debut in an episode of MacGyver in 2018, where she appeared in one episode. She joined the Screen Actors Guild in 2020 with her performance in Bad Hair. She had a side role as Sophia in Cooper Raiff's 2020 directorial debut film Shithouse. She had an appearance in one episode of the Netflix series Dear White People. Sunday followed that up with side roles in the film The Beta Test and Dog.
Her breakout role came in 2022 in the Netflix series Wednesday, produced by Tim Burton. She portrays siren Bianca Barclay, the rival to the titular character, Wednesday Addams. She stars alongside Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, and Gwendoline Christie. The show opened to rave reviews and became the most viewed English language series on Netflix.
In 2024, Sunday became a global ambassador for the cosmetics house Lancôme. In 2025, she joined the HBO limited dark comedy series DTF St. Louis, alongside Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Richard Jenkins, and Chris Perfetti.
Personal life Sunday credits Nigerian actors Genevieve Nnaji and Nkem Owoh as her childhood inspiration in the film industry.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2014 Beautiful Hair Short filmDirector and writer 2015 Embody Sasha Short film 2017 Darling Unnamed role Short filmAlso director and writer 2018 Joy Joy Short filmAlso featured in Her Mind in Pieces anthology film Alive, Again Sage Short film 2019 Callback Sarah Short film Her Mind in Pieces Joy Anthology filmSegment: Joy 2020 Bad Hair Cynthia Shithouse Sophia Take My Heart Mac Short film Limelight Didienne Short film 2021 The Beta Test Celia 2022 Dog Dr. Gray 2023 Rise Rayowa 2024 Under the Influencer Rachel
Television Year Title Role Notes 2018 MacGyver Abina Episode: "Scavengers + Hard Drive + Dragonfly" Yas Kween Ria 5 episodes 2019 Carol's Second Act Macy Episode: "Therapy Dogs" Good Trouble Janella Episode: "A Very Coterie Christmas" 2021 Dear White People Claire Episode: "Volume 4: Chapter VII" 2022–present Wednesday Bianca Barclay 15 episodes 2026 DTF St. Louis Jodie Plumb 7 episodes
Awards and nominations Award Year Category Nominated work Result Primetime Emmy Awards 2026 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie DTF St. Louis
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