| Déja J. Bowens | |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Years Active: | 2022- |
| Television: | Champion |
Déja J Bowens is a British actress and singer.
Bowens attended Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, graduating in 2021.[1] Her stage work has included playing Mamie in Marys Seacole by Jackie Sibblies Drury at the Donmar Warehouse in London in 2022[2] [3]
Bowens made her television debut playing the lead role of singer-songwriter Vita Champion in the 2023 Candice Carty-Williams television series Champion for BBC One. Prior to the series, Bowens had only previously publicly sang as part of her church choir.[4] She told The Evening Standard she was not fully prepared for how much music she would have to perform on the show,[5] but Hollie Richardson in The Guardian described it as “an exciting screen debut” for Bowens,[6] and Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph notably singled out Bowens for praise from a “talented cast”.[7] Morgan Cormack writing for The Radio Times said “You wouldn't think Champion was the TV debut for leading actress Déja J Bowens” adding “she artfully manages to capture the audience's sympathy while also pulling off the performance of someone who has had to embody years of conflicting feelings”.[8] The song My Girl, sung in show by Bowen’s character Vita with Ray BLK’s character Honey, written by Ray BLK, was released as a single on 30 June 2023.[9]