Gugu Mbatha-Raw
| Gugu Mbatha-Raw | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha 30 June 1983 Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2004–present |
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (born Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha[1] in 1983) is an English actress.
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Life and career [edit]
Gugu Mbatha-Raw was born Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha on 30 June 1983,[2] in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England.[2] Her name, "Gugulethu", is a contraction of igugu lethu, means "our pride" (depending on context) in Zulu, like the township of the same name.[2][3][4] Gugu grew up in the small town of Witney in Oxfordshire, before moving to London to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in 2001. Her mother, Anne Raw, is an English nurse, and her father, Patrick Mbatha, is a South African doctor.
Mbatha-Raw played minor roles on television series such as Bad Girls (1999), 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.[5] Mbatha-Raw was nominated for best actress in the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards for her portrayal as Juliet and also played Cleopatra in the Anthony and Cleopatra at the same theatre in 2005.[6]
In September 2010, she starred in the J. J. Abrams TV series Undercovers, which was cancelled two months later.[7][8]
In June 2011, Mbatha-Raw was cast as the female lead in the Fox pilot Touch opposite Kiefer Sutherland.[9]
She had a supporting role in 2011 romantic comedy film Larry Crowne, written and directed by Tom Hanks who starred in the titular role.[10]
She will soon be seen in Amma Asante's Belle, playing the eponymous character, Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-race aristocrat in 18th century England. [11]
Filmography [edit]
Television [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Holby City | Collette Hill | |
| 2006 | Vital Signs | Eve | |
| Walk Away and I Stumble | nurse | ||
| Bad Girls | Fidelity | ||
| 2007 | Spooks | Jenny | |
| Doctor Who | Tish Jones | 4 episodes | |
| Doctor Who Confidential | Herself | Interviewee | |
| Marple | Tina Argyle | In "Ordeal by Innocence" | |
| 2008 | Lost in Austen | Piranha | |
| Bonekickers | Viv Davis | ||
| Trial & Retribution | Jenny Miller | ||
| 2009 | Fallout | Shanice Roberts | Part of Channel 4's Disarming Britain series |
| 2010 | Undercovers | Samantha Bloom | |
| 2012 | Touch | Clea Hopkins[12] |
Film [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Larry Crowne | Talia | |
| 2012 | Odd Thomas | Viola | |
| 2013 | Belle | Dido Elizabeth Belle |
Theatre [edit]
| Year | Title | Theatre | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Antony and Cleopatra | Royal Exchange in Manchester | Cleopatra | |
| Romeo and Juliet | Juliet Capulet | |||
| 2008 | Gethsemane | National Theatre | Monique | |
| 2009–2010 | Hamlet | Donmar West End and Broadway | Ophelia | Opposite Jude Law |
Radio [edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Station / 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 |
References [edit]
- ^ Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.; at ancestry.com
- ^ a b c Gugu Mbatha-Raw at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Dehn, Georgia (28 May 2009). "Hamlet with Jude Law at Wyndham's Theatre: Gugu Mbatha-Raw is mad for it". The Daily Telegraph (London).
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (13 October 2010). "J.J. Abrams finds 'Undercovers' female lead". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ Gardner, Lyn (15 September 2005). "Romeo and Juliet - Royal Exchange, Manchester". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
- ^ Dehn, Georgia (28 May 2009). "Hamlet with Jude Law at Wyndham's Theatre: Gugu Mbatha-Raw is mad for it". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
- ^ Oldenburg, Ann (4 November 2010). "NBC cancels 'Undercovers' after 13 episodes". USA Today. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ Carter, Bill (4 November 2010). "NBC Cancels ‘Undercovers’". New York Times. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (10 June 2011). "'Undercovers' Star Gugu Mbatha-Raw Set As Female Lead In Fox's Pilot 'Touch'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ^ Mbatha-Raw, Gugu Star Pulse
- ^ [1] Star Pulse
- ^ Gugu Mbatha-Raw joins Kiefer Sutherland in FOX's 'Touch'
External links [edit]
- Profile of Gugu Mbatha-Raw at the Wayback Machine (archived 13 February 2008), originally from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art website
- Gugu Mbatha-Raw at the Internet Movie Database
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