Uzo Aduba is turning her personal experience with caregiving into a powerful call for change.
The actress, who stars in the new Netflix murder-mystery series The Residence, lends her voice to the upcoming documentary Caregiving, which is executive produced by Bradley Cooper and set to premier on PBS on June 24.
Aduba, 44, says her firsthand experience as a caregiver and her desire to advocate for reforms in the caregiving space that affects millions inspired her to be part of the project.
“The doc is a step in pursuing policy changes that greatly affect and impact the lives of many Americans in terms of the support, financially and professionally, with caregiving leave,” Aduba told People.
“I just wonder and imagine what sort of ease that might’ve had in my own life personally and professionally, as someone who has served as a caregiver, if there had been some infrastructure frameworks in place.”
Looking back on her time as a caregiver, the former Orange is the New Black star recalled, “I, along with my sisters and brothers, were caregivers to my parents before they passed away.”
Aduba devoted nearly two years to caring for her mom, Nonyem, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2020, while her brother took on the responsibility of caring for their father.
“That’s no small job,” she admitted. “I spent almost two years doing that for her, and I experienced an incredible load of stress. It’s a job unto itself, frankly.”
Although Aduba had seen others take on caregiving roles, she said nothing truly prepares you for the emotional and physical toll until you’re in it yourself.
“I couldn’t ever really understand it concretely, particularly from the elder space, until it was my turn,” she shared.
She described the experience as overwhelming, like being thrown into a role with no guidebook.“It feels like your whole world has turned upside down in some way and the world is still spinning while you’re still trying to figure out how to navigate all the parts of this role that you just really maybe never expected to have,” she continued.
“You just realize what a huge chasm exists in the knowledge of what that role really means. And we should have more information.”
With this documentary, Aduba hopes to tell the stories of others and shed light on the struggles and triumphs that come with looking after loved ones in need.
“I think you see the common thread that exists in the caregiving space, I certainly felt that way when I was listening to stories,” she told People.
“Though there were nuances that could help me to distinguish their experience from my own, what is consistent in every story was just how much work it is and how much love you have for that person.”
“Caregivers have these really challenging experiences — and because it’s just not something we talk about, it feels like you’re going through it alone and in silence. I think that can make it really emotional,” she added.
For those who haven’t experienced caregiving firsthand, Aduba hopes the documentary fosters a deeper understanding of the challenges caregivers face and the support they deserve.
“Maybe consider checking in … and just ask them how they’re doing today,” she said. “I always make a point of saying, ‘You’re doing great,’ because there’s no one way to do it, and there’s no one way to get it right.
“At the end of the day, everyone is just doing the best they can with what they know—and that’s enough.”
