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Wunmi Mosaku

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Wunmi Mosaku
Mosaku at The Old Vic, 2010
Born
Oluwunmi Mosaku

1986 (age 37–38)[1]
Zaria, Nigeria
NationalityBritish, Nigerian
EducationRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (BA)
OccupationActress
Years active2006–present

Oluwunmi Mosaku Listenⓘ (born 1986)[1] is a Nigerian-born British actress.[2][3] She is known for her roles as Joy in the BBC Two miniseries Moses Jones (2009) and Holly Lawson in the ITV series Vera (2011–2012). She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gloria Taylor in the TV film Damilola, Our Loved Boy (2016). In 2019, she starred in the fifth series of Luther.[4] In 2020, she starred as Ruby Baptiste in HBO's Lovecraft Country, and starting in 2021, starred as Hunter B-15 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) television series Loki.

She was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Actress and won the BIFA Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film for her role as Rial in the film His House (2020).[5]

Early life

Mosaku was born in Zaria, Nigeria,[6] and subsequently emigrated to Manchester, England, when she was one year old. She attended Trinity Church of England High School and Xaverian Sixth Form College. She also sang for eleven years in the Manchester Girls Choir. Her parents were both professors in Nigeria but were unable to do the same jobs in the UK. Her mother started a business and her father ended up returning to Nigeria.[4] Mosaku studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,[7] graduating in 2007, with a BA in Acting Degree (H Level).[7]

Career

Mosaku made her professional stage debut in 2007, at the Arcola Theatre in a production of Pedro Calderón de la Barca's The Great Theatre of the World.[1] In 2008, she appeared in Rough Crossings, directed by Rupert Goold and based on the book by Simon Schama, at the Lyric Hammersmith;[1] The Vertical Hour (2010),[1] by David Hare, and Truth and Reconciliation (2011),[1] both at the Royal Court Theatre.[1]

In 2008, she appeared in the first of the UNDEREXPOSED exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery, designed to raise the profile of black role models and celebrates the talent that exists among the Black British community.[1] Her photo also appeared on Commercial Way, Peckham, London, as part of the exhibition. In 2009, she starred in the BBC Two series Moses Jones, for which she won Best Actress in a Miniseries at the Rome Fiction Festival.[8]

She featured on the front cover of Screen International magazine June–July 2009, as one of the UK Stars of Tomorrow, and in 2011 was featured in Nylon Magazine's 2011 Young Hollywood issue. In 2010, Wunmi Mosaku was named one of The Seven Fresh Faces of Toronto International Film Festival, for I Am Slave,[9] in which she starred. She plays Malia, a girl who has been kidnapped from her village in Sudan, and sold into slavery.[9] For her performance Mosaku won awards such as Best Actress at the Birmingham Black Film Festival, Best Onscreen performance at the Cultural Diversity Awards and Best Female performance at the Screen Nation Awards.[9]

In 2011, Mosaku playing the role of Holly Lawson in Vera.[6] In 2015, Mosaku played the part of Quentina, a traffic warden, in the three-part BBC series Capital based on John Lanchester's novel of the same name.[10] In 2016, she appeared in Playtest, an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror.[6]

Mosaku won the 2017 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Gloria Taylor in the TV film Damilola, Our Loved Boy.[11]

Personal life

When asked to list her personal heroes, Mosaku included her grandmother Anike Adisa, whom she described as having "taught me so many lessons"; actor Albert Finney, who was her inspiration for attending the RADA; her colleague and former instructor at RADA, William Gaskill; Paul Newman, whom she admired, not just for his acting, but also for his philanthropic efforts with Newman's Own; and Oprah Winfrey, who Mosaku considers "a superwoman".[12]

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Director Notes
2006 The Women of Troy Helen of Troy Phil Hawkins
2010 Honeymooner Seema Col Spector
Womb Erica Benedek Fliegauf
I Am Slave Malia Gabriel Range
2011 Citadel Marie Ciaran Foy
2013 Philomena Young nun Stephen Frears
2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Kahina Ziri Zack Snyder
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Beryl David Yates
2018 Leading Lady Parts Herself Jessica Swale Short film
2019 Sweetness in the Belly Amina Zeresenay Berhane Mehari
2020 His House Rial Remi Weekes
2022 Call Jane Gwen Phyllis Nagy
Alice, Darling Sophie Mary Nighy
2025 Untitled Ryan Coogler film TBA Ryan Coogler Filming

Television

Year Show Role Notes
2007 Sold Firefighter Episode #1.5
2008 Never Better Server Episode: "First Week Euphoria"
Doctors Nurse Kelly Strathairn Episode: "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding?"
The Bill Sophie Oduya Episode: "Trial and Error: Part 1"
2009 Moses Jones Joy Miniseries
2010 Silent Witness Charlie Gibbs 4 episodes
One Night in Emergency Beautiful Nurse Television film
Father & Son Stacey Cox Miniseries
Law & Order: UK Tamika Vincent Episode: "Survivor"
2011 Vera DC Holly Lawson 5 episodes
32 Brinkburn Street Joy
The Body Farm Rosa Gilbert Miniseries
Stolen Sonia Carney Television film
2013 Dancing on the Edge Carla Miniseries
Jo Angélique Alassane
Truckers Danielle Episode #1.3
2014 In the Flesh Maxine Martin 6 episodes
2015 Don't Take My Baby Belinda Television film
Capital Quentina Miniseries
2016 Black Mirror Katie Episode: "Playtest"
Damilola, Our Loved Boy Gloria Taylor Miniseries
2017 Fearless DCS Olivia Greenwood
The End of the F***ing World DC Teri Darego 5 episodes
2018 Kiri DI Vanessa Mercer Miniseries
2019 Luther DS Catherine Halliday 4 episodes
Animal Babies: First Year on Earth Narrator Docuseries
Temple Mercy King Miniseries
2020 Lovecraft Country Ruby Baptiste 10 episodes
2021–2023 Loki Hunter B-15 / Dr. Verity Willis 11 episodes
2022 We Own This City Nicole Steele 6 episodes
2023 Black Mirror TV Joan's Lawyer Episode: "Joan Is Awful"
Scavengers Reign Azi (voice)
2024 Passenger Riya Ajunwa 6 episodes

Radio

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2009 Rome Fiction Festival Best Actress in a Mini-series Moses Jones Won [8]
2017 British Academy Television Awards Best Supporting Actress Damilola, Our Loved Boy Won [11]
2021 British Academy Film Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role His House Nominated [13]
British Independent Film Awards Best Performance by an Actress Won [14]
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Lovecraft Country Nominated [15]
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Nominated [16]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Wunmi Mosaku. (1986–), Stage and screen actress". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  2. ^ "TEN MINUTES WITH... WUNMI MOSAKU". Arise Live. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  3. ^ Saner, Emine (5 January 2018). "Bafta-winner Wunmi Mosaku: 'I'm glad my eyes were opened after Brexit. It was an outburst of ugliness'". The Guardian.
  4. ^ a b Wise, Louis (23 December 2018). "Wunmi Mosaku interview: Idris Elba's new Luther sidekick on how she got into acting by watching Annie". The Times. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  5. ^ Wade, Joseph (18 February 2021). "2020 British Independent Film Awards – Winners List". Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Wunmi Mosaku credits". tvguide.com. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b "RADA Student & graduate profiles - Wunmi Mosaku". rada.ac.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Big winners at the third Rome Fiction Festival 2009". variety.com. 11 June 2009.
  9. ^ a b c Peter J. Thompson. "I am Slave's Wunmi Mosaku on Being Mende Nazer". Nigeria Films. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  10. ^ "BBC One: Capital". BBC Online. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Bafta TV awards 2017: full list of winners". The Guardian. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Wunmi Mosaku: my heroes and heroines". The Telegraph. United Kingdom. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  13. ^ Ritman, Alex (9 March 2021). "BAFTA Nominations: 'Nomadland,' 'Rocks' Lead Charge in Most Diverse List in Awards' History". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Winners and Nominations". BIFA. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  15. ^ "NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 27TH ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  16. ^ "SERIES NOMINATIONS FOR THE 26TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS". Retrieved 10 March 2021.
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