Actress Shonka Dukureh was found dead Thursday by one of her young children in the bedroom of her apartment, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said.
Dukureh was just 44 years old at the time of her death, according to the statement released by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. The actress shared her home with her two young kids, one of which “found her unresponsive and ran to a neighbor’s apartment” for help, the police said. The neighbor called 911 at 9:27 a.m., according to the statement released by police.
‘Elvis’ actress Shonka Dukureh has died. #RIP https://t.co/qe1dFLdIdd
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 22, 2022
Dukureh had just recently made her Hollywood debut by appearing in “Elvis,” which was released June 24 in the U.S. by Warner Bros. Pictures, according to Newsweek. Dukureh played the role of Big Mama Thornton in the movie and spoke excitedly about the part during a July 14 interview with ABC24 Memphis.
During that interview, Dukureh described her connection to music from a very young age and belted out a little rendition of the song “Hound Dog,” which she also sang in the “Elvis” movie. She described her experience on the set of the film as being “magical,” according to ABC 24 Memphis. (RELATED: Famous Grammy-Winning Singer William Hart Dies At Age 77)
Dukureh had also played the part of Big Mama Thornton in Doja Cat’s “Vegas” music video, according to her IMDb page.
There is no foul play suspected in connection with Dukureh’s death at this time, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Her cause of death has yet not been established, and an autopsy is pending, according to the police.