Oct. 28, 2025

How actress Pepi Sonuga keeps the faith, even when Hollywood says 'We don't need you'

Pepi Sonuga always knew she would become a performer. Even as a little girl in Lagos, Nigeria, watching “Barney” tapes that her flight attendant mother brought home, Pepi felt certain that someday, she’d be the one onscreen. That childhood conviction helped Pepi survive the culture shock of moving to Los Angeles at age 10, teen bullying, and years of grinding in an industry that tried to tell her, over and over, that she was replaceable.

With her star now on the rise – with roles in Tyler Perry’s “The Six Triple Eight” and Hulu’s “Pam & Tommy” – Pepi joins Sophie to reflect on her journey so far, the songs that defined her girlhood, and her ultimate dream: to lift up the country she came from and “the little girl just like me who deserves everything she dreams about, too.” Here are her songs.

  1. "I Wanna Be a Rockstar" – Barney
  2. "You Gotta Be" – Des’ree
  3. "This Is What Makes Us Girls" – Lana Del Rey
  4. "The Only Exception" – Paramore
  5. "Dreamer" – Charli XCX
  6. "Ready" – Tems
  7. "Ojuelegba" – Wizkid