Philicia Saunders

Philicia Saunders is an American actress of Jamaican parentage. She is best known for her role as Tabala Zo in the Star Wars Universe, The Force Awakens. Born in Los Angeles, her early formal education nurtured her interest in the performing arts. Philicia attended Princeton University where she participated in live theater performances, and as her senior thesis project she presented a solo performance of Anna Deavere Smith's one woman show, Fires in the Mirror. Philicia completed a master's degree program in acting at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. At UCLA, she appeared in many stage productions, including William Wycherley's The Country Wife, Elmer Rice's The Adding Machine and Noël Coward's Hay Fever. She also attended the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England with an emphasis on classical acting and Shakespeare. In addition, she attended the Guthrie Experience for graduate actors in training in Minneapolis, MN. During this time, Philicia also worked as a