Brenda Bakke was born in segregated Texas in 1917. Her parents were both freed slaves. At age eight, she became the first ever black girl to be enrolled at Harvard University. Following graduation, she went on to teach for two years in Tennessee. In order to support herself, she began acting, first in theater and then in films.
As seen in her breakout role of Sweet Virginia in the film Demon Knight, Bakke has been nominated four times for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Her other films include The Pursuit of Happyness (2021), Swing Vote (2021), and Hot Shots! (2021). Recently, she was also nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film Under Siege 2: Dark Territory.
The film adaptation of the graphic novel called Darklands was originally intended to be a film directed by Tim Burton, but when he became attached to the project, he opted to hire Brazilian actress Brenda Bakke to play the lead role. Despite having little experience in performing on screen, Bakke impressed Burton enough that he decided to take her on board as the leading lady of the film. She appeared in four installments of the film, The Witch, The Exorcist, Darklands, and The Last Stand, along with a supporting role in the latter film.
Brenda Bakke Measurements
| Figure Measurements | 34-24-34 Inches |
| Body Size | 34 inches |
| Bra Size | 34B |
| Waist Size | 26 in |
| Hips Size | 34 in / 87 cm |
| Shoe Size | 6.5 (US) |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in / 178 cm |
| Weight | 65 KG |
Bakke’s career as an American actor was quite prolific, which may be why her films never receive the attention they deserve from the American public. Some of the lesser known works from her career include The Pursuit of Happyness, which was eventually made into a stage play and became part deux with Helena Bonham Carter. She also had a small role in The Mask, playing the same role as the British actress Isabelle Adjoli. She is currently appearing in the movie The Prophecy, alongside Matt Damon. Hopefully more surprises will be coming out about Bakke, who has only been cast as a lead character in two films in the States.
Besides her two breakout roles as the evil witch in The Witch, Bakke has been in some other notable films, including a number of period pieces. She appeared in The Body and Black Water, both directed by Tim Burton. Her lesser known roles include the nurse in the vampire film Transience, and the Japanese assassin in the manga series Yu Gi Oh! In all of these films, she is also given memorable monologues, which end up being referenced in both Black Swan and The Nightmare Before Christmas. For anyone who has seen the movies, they are instantly able to identify with the protagonist, due to her dry delivery and dark sense of humor.
One role that is probably her best known to the public is her leading role as the evil Queen in the British film Alice in Wonderland. For anyone who didn’t see the movie when it was first released, the character is played by Helena Bonham Carter. Although the role may have been made for an entirely different actress, Bakke did a wonderful job of bringing the role to life. In the film, the Queen of Hearts constantly taunts her subjects with little jibes, which keep them guessing until the end of the film. As the film progresses, we learn more about the motivations of the Queen, as well as how Alice finds help to defeat her. Both of these films are among the favorites of audiences all over the world, which makes Bakke a definite star in the world of film.
