Gugu Mbatha-Raw

'Gugu Mbatha-Raw' (qv) was born Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha in the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England. Her father, Patrick Mbatha, is a Black South African doctor, and her mother, Anne Raw, is a Caucasian English nurse. Her parents separated when she was a year old, and she was brought up by her mother in the town of Witney, Oxfordshire (she is still close to her father). She joined the local acting group Dramascope and, from the age of eleven, appeared in the pantomime at Oxford Playhouse every year. A talented singer and dancer as well as playing the saxophone, she joined the Oxford Youth Music Theatre in her teens.In 2001, she won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. Since graduation in 2004, she has appeared in all media, including as an acclaimed Juliet Capulet in "Romeo and Juliet" at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre in 2005, opposite 'Andrew Garfield' (qv) as Romeo Montague. Mbatha-Raw was nominated for Best Actress in the Manchester Evening 'News' (qv) Theatre 'Awards' (qv) for her portrayal of Juliet Capulet. She also appeared as Octavia in "Antony and Cleopatra" at the same theatre in 2005. In 2009, she was cast as Ophelia in "Hamlet" on London's West End and Broadway, opposite 'Jude Law' (qv) as the title role.Mbatha-Raw appeared on such varied television series as _Bad Girls (1999)_ (qv), _Doctor Who (2005)_ (qv), _Marple (2004)_ (qv) and _Touch (2012)_ (qv). She had a supporting role in the romantic comedy _Larry Crowne (2011)_ (qv), written and directed by 'Tom Hanks' (qv), who also played the title role. She was acclaimed for her performance of Dido Elizabeth Belle in 'Amma Asante' (qv)'s _Belle (2013)_ (qv), which earned her a British Independent Film Award for Best Actress, and a nomination as Most Promising Newcomer. She was also nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actress.She starred in the romantic drama _Beyond the Lights (2014)_ (qv) and was nominated for a Gotham Award for Best Actress for her performance. In 2015, she was nominated for a BAFTA Rising Star Award. That same year, she had a supporting role in _Jupiter Ascending (2015)_ (qv), played Prema Mutiso, the wife of Dr. Bennet Omalu (played by 'Will Smith' (qv)) in the biopic _Concussion (2015)_ (qv), and the title role in Jessica Swale's play "Nell Gwynn", playing the actress who became the mistress of King Charles II of England. She was nominated for an Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance in the play.She played Rachel in Newton Knight's biopic _Free State of Jones (2016)_ (qv), directed by 'Gary Ross' (qv), playing Knight's common-law wife, a freedwoman he had a family with after the Civil War. She also played Esme Manucharian in _Miss Sloane (2016)_ (qv), Sophie on Netflix's series _Easy (2016)_ (qv), and played Kelly, one of the leads in "San Junipero", the fourth episode of Season 3 of _Black Mirror (2011)_ (qv). Her other films are the live-action remake _Beauty and the Beast (2017)_ (qv), playing Plumette, _A Wrinkle in Time (2018)_ (qv), directed by 'Ava DuVernay' (qv), and _The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)_ (qv).'Gugu Mbatha-Raw' (qv) was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2017 Birthday Honours for her services to drama.::Kad