Jury Duty actor Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola is taking on a different kind of duty for this weekend’s BET Awards, where she serves as head writer.
Olayiwola was hired in recent months, and been working with a team to craft jokes for the show after spending two years as a staff writer for the awards, under producer Jesse Collins Entertainment. She is the second Black woman in the show’s history to hold the head writer position, following Nefetari Spencer in 2021.
Olayiwola was among the breakout stars of Jury Duty, in which she played officer Nikki Wilder, the bailiff in a fake trial in which everyone was an actor (save for an unsuspecting jury member named Ronald Gladden). She and her cast earned an Independent Spirit Award for the show. Olayiwola also has a role in Marvel Studios’ upcoming streaming series Ironheart. As a writer, she has worked on HBO’s South Side, IFC’s Sherman’s Showcase and the WNBA TV series The Syd & TP Show.
Taraji P. Henson is hosting Sunday’s BET Awards, with guests including Usher, who is getting a lifetime achievement award, and Will Smith, who will debut a new song. Other performers include GloRilla, Ice Spice, Latto, Ms. Lauryn Hill &YG Marley, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Tyla and Victoria Monét. Going into the show, Drake leads the BET Awards nominees with seven noms.
