Adina Porter was born and raised in the South Bronx, New York City, to a first-generation American family. Her father was born in Sierra Leone, Africa, and her mother was born in Bermuda. From a young age, Porter entertained her parents by staging plays in their living room, which sparked her artistic streak.
Porter's parents enrolled her in a children's acting class at St. Mark's AME Church in Harlem, where she was taught by the legendary Butterfly McQueen. She later attended the High School of Performing Arts, also known as the Fame school, and studied acting at SUNY Purchase.
After graduating, Porter worked steadily in the theatre, appearing in off-Broadway plays and regional productions. She has worked with renowned directors such as George C. Wolfe, Lisa Peterson, and Michael Greif, and has received an Obie Award for her performance in Suzan-Lori Parks' Venus.
Porter has also had a successful career in television and film, with notable roles in HBO's True Blood, The Newsroom, and The Leftovers, as well as in CW's The 100 and WGN's Underground. She has also appeared in numerous other TV shows and films, including The Social Network, The Peacemaker, and About Sunny.
In addition to her acting career, Porter is a devoted mother to her two children and splits her time between Los Angeles and New York.
