BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
| Gugu Mbatha-Raw | |
|---|---|
Mbatha-Raw at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival
| |
| Born | Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha June 30, 1983 Oxford, Oxfordshire, England |
| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2004–present |
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (pronounced /ˈɡuːɡuː əmˈbɑːtə rɔː/;[1] born Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha; 30 June,[2] 1983)[3][4] is an English stage and film actress.
Working in British television and stage productions, she first gained prominence in a recurring role in Doctor Who, playing companionMartha Jones's sister. She garnered attention in American productions, beginning with a supporting role in the Tom Hanks comedyLarry Crowne, and starring roles in the short-lived television series Undercovers and Touch. She earned critical acclaim for her performances in the period drama Belle and the romantic drama Beyond the Lights, receiving numerous accolade nominations from critics worldwide.
Early life
Mbatha-Raw was born in Oxford, England in 1983 and grew up in the small town of Witney in Oxfordshire. Her surnames are those of her father and mother, and her forename is the shortened version of "Gugulethu", a contraction of igugu lethu that means ‘Our Pride’ in Zulu.[5][6]
Her mother, Anne Raw, is an English nurse, and her father, Patrick Mbatha, is a doctor originally from South Africa.[7] Mbatha-Raw attended The Henry Box School and was involved with the National Youth Theatre, having been interested in acting, dance, and musical theatre from a young age.[8] She moved to London to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2001.
Career
Early career
Mbatha-Raw played minor roles on television series such as Bad Girls (2006), Doctor Who (2007) and Marple (2007). One of her earliest breakthroughs in drama was in Romeo and Juliet at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in 2005 playing Juliet opposite Andrew Garfield as Romeo.[9] Mbatha-Raw was nominated for best actress in theManchester Evening News Theatre Awards for her portrayal of Juliet and also played Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra at the same theatre in 2005.[10]
In September 2010, she was cast in the J. J. Abrams TV series Undercovers, after he spotted her in Hamlet. The show was cancelled two months later.[12][13]
In June 2011, Mbatha-Raw was cast as the female lead in the Fox pilot Touch opposite Kiefer Sutherland.[14] She had a supporting role in 2011 romantic comedy film Larry Crowne, written and directed by Tom Hanks, who starred in the title role.[15]
2013–present
She starred in Amma Asante's 2013 film Belle, playing the eponymous historical character, Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-race aristocrat in 18th century Britain.[16][17]
The film debuted at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival where it was acquired by Fox Searchlight. It was eventually given a release in 2014. Mbatha-Raw was nominated for numerous awards for her work on the film including two British Independent Film Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film which she won andMost Promising Newcomer. She was also nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actress.
In 2014, Mbatha-Raw also starred in Beyond the Lights. The film debuted at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. For her work in Beyond the Lights Mbatha-Raw was nominated for Best Actress at the 2014 Gotham Awards.[18]
In recognition of her body of work, she was nominated for a BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2015. That year, she had a supporting role in the film Jupiter Ascending.[19]
On July 3rd, 2015 it was announced that Mbatha-Raw would originate the title role in Jessica Swale's Nell Gwynn playing Nell Gwyn the mistress of King Charles II of Englandpremiering at Shakespeare's Globe from 19 September to 17 October 2015.[20]
Future projects
Mbatha-Raw will take on a role in Courtney Hunt's first film since her award winning Frozen River, The Whole Truth. She is set to star in the upcoming biopic Concussion as Prema Mutiso, starring Will Smith, the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist who first discovered extensive brain damage in NFL players and tried to put a stop to it.[21]
In early 2015, she announced she would be starring opposite Mathew McConaughey in a biopic on Newton Knight, The Free State of Jones directed by Gary Ross playing Knight's common-law wife, Rachel.[22] That year she was also cast in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast as Plumette.[23]
Filmograpy
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Holby City | Collette Hill | |
| 2006 | Vital Signs | Eve | |
| 2006 | Walk Away and I Stumble | nurse | |
| 2006 | Bad Girls | Fidelity | |
| 2007 | Spooks | Jenny | |
| 2007 | Doctor Who | Tish Jones | 4 episodes |
| 2007 | Doctor Who Confidential | Herself | Interviewee |
| 2007 | Marple | Tina Argyle | In Ordeal by Innocence |
| 2008 | Lost in Austen | Piranha | |
| 2008 | Bonekickers | Viv Davis | |
| 2008 | Trial & Retribution | Jenny Miller | |
| 2009 | Fallout | Shanice Roberts | Part of Channel 4's Disarming Britain series |
| 2010 | Undercovers | Samantha Bloom | |
| 2012 | Touch | Clea Hopkins[24] | |
| 2014 | Beyond the Light |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Larry Crowne | Talia | |
| 2012 | Odd Thomas | Viola | |
| 2013 | Belle | Dido Elizabeth Belle | |
| 2014 | Beyond the Lights | Noni Jean | |
| 2015 | Jupiter Ascending | Famulus | |
| 2015 | The Whole Truth | Janelle | |
| 2015 | Concussion | Prema Mutiso | In post-production |
| 2016 | The Free State of Jones | Rachel | Filming |
| 2017 | Beauty and the Beast | Plumette | Filming |
Other works
Theatre
| Year | Title | Theater | Notes | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Into The Woods | National Youth Music Theatre | Cinderella's Mother (u/s Rapunzel) | ||
| 2005 | Antony and Cleopatra | Royal Exchange in Manchester | Cleopatra | ||
| 2005 | Romeo and Juliet | Royal Exchange in Manchester | Juliet Capulet | ||
| 2008 | Gethsemane | National Theatre | Monique | ||
| 2009–10 | Hamlet | Donmar West End and Broadway | Ophelia | Opposite Jude Law | |
| 2015 | Nell Gwynn | Shakespeare's Globe | Nell Gwynn |
Radio
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Living with the Enemy | Sophie/Various | BBC Radio 4, broadcast 14 November – 19 December 2006 |
| 2009 | Choice of Straws | Michelle | BBC Radio 4, Saturday Play, broadcast on 19 September 2009 |
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