Gugu Mbatha-Raw was born Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha on April 21, 1983, in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. Her father, Patrick Mbatha, is a South African doctor, and her mother, Anne Raw, is an English nurse. She shortened her name to Gugu Mbatha-Raw for professional purposes.
Mbatha-Raw attended the Henry Box School in Witney, Oxfordshire, where she participated in school productions. She joined the National Youth Theatre at age 17. In 2001, she received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating in 2004.
Following her graduation from RADA, Mbatha-Raw embarked on a career in theatre and television. Her early stage credits include roles in Shakespearean productions such as Romeo and Juliet and Antony and Cleopatra. She also performed in productions at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.
Mbatha-Raw’s early television work included appearances in British series such as Holby City, Bad Girls, Doctor Who, and Spooks (also known as MI-5). She gained further recognition for her role as Viv Davis in the short-lived American drama series Undercovers (2010).
Mbatha-Raw achieved wider recognition for her leading role in the period drama Belle (2013), where she portrayed Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-race woman raised in British aristocracy. Her performance garnered critical acclaim and earned her several award nominations.
Following Belle, Mbatha-Raw continued to secure prominent roles in film. Her notable film credits include:
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