Claudine Mboligikpelani Nako joined ACT Theatre’s Core Company in 2017. She is excited to return to the mainstage this year as Lucy in Dracula. She was last seen at ACT in the critically acclaimed production of The Crucible as Mary Warren, and previously as Colleen and Itchy in Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play. Nako is a two-time Gregory Award Winner for Outstanding Lead Actress for her work in Little Bee (Book-It) and My Heart is the Drum (Village Theatre). Other theatre credits include As You Like It and A Raisin in the Sun (Seattle Repertory Theatre); A Bright Room Called Day (The Williams Project); Hair (ArtsWest); Leap of Faith (Showtunes); The Mountaintop (Snowy Range Theatre).

In addition to theatre, Claudine is a film & television actor—starring most recently as Sherry O’Neil in the Netflix original series Everything Sucks! Her work can also be seen in the new Netflix series Raising Dion, NBC’s Grimm, the feature film Outside In, multiple national commercials, and the Strowlers series from Zombie Orpheus Entertainment streaming on Amazon Prime.

Nako is a writer, teaching artist, director, and activist. She believes in art’s power to transform communities for the better. Nako is committed to the continued growth and development of ACT Theatre’s mission to center marginalized voices through dynamic storytelling.