Gugu Mbatha Raw is an award-winning actor of the stage and screen. Her stage performances include HAMLET (2009) alongside Jude Law in the West End, ELSINORE in Denmark and Broadway, and NELL GWYNN (2015), for which she was nominated for ‘Best Actress’ at the 2015 Evening Standard Theatre awards.

In film, Gugu has starred in LARRY CROWNE (2011) alongside Tom Hanks, and period drama BELLE (2013), for which Gugu won Best Actress at the 2014 BIFA Awards. She has also starred in CONCUSSION (2015) alongside Will Smith, THE WHOLE TRUTH (2016) starring Keanu Reeves and Renée Zellweger, MISS SLOANE (2016) with Jessica Chastain FREE STATE OF JONES with Matthew McConaughey and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (2017) where she played the playful character of Plumette.

In 2018, Gugu starred in Disney’s ground-breaking blockbuster fantasy A WRINKLE IN TIME opposite Oprah Winfrey and Reece Witherspoon, whilst also appearing in romantic tragicomedy CLOVERFIELD PARADOX. She can also be seen in Stephanie Laing’s IRREPLACEABLE YOU (2018) on Netflix, where Gugu starred as the lead character, Abbie. FARMING (2018) is a story of the writer/director’s Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje childhood. The film tells the story of a young Nigerian boy, ‘farmed out’ by his parents to a white British family in the hope of a better future. Instead, he becomes the feared leader of a skinhead gang.

In March 2019 Gugu starred as superhero ‘Ruth’ in supernatural thriller, FAST COLOR. The film follows Ruth as she is forced to go on the run when her superhuman abilities are discovered. In November 2019, Gugu starred in MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN alongside Ed Norton, Bruce Willis and Willem Dafoe, which tells the story of a lonely private detective afflicted with Tourette’s Syndrome, as he ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend, Frank Minna.

Gugu appeared alongside Angelina Jolie and Michael Cain in COME AWAY (2020), the prequel to Peter Pan and Alice In Wonderland. In the same year, Gugu starred in the pageant comedy drama MISBEHAVIOUR alongside Kiera Knightly and Jessie Buckley. The screenplay comes from Rebecca Frayn, with revisions by Gaby Chiappe, and is based on the true story of the first black woman to win the Miss World competition. SUMMERLAND (2020) was directed by Jessica Swale and saw Gugu starring alongside Gemma Arterton in the film which is set during the Second World War where a woman opens her heart to an evacuee after initially resolving to be rid of him.

With regards to television, in 2016 Gugu starred in SAN JUNIPERO, the only episode of Netflix anthology series BLACK MIRROR ever to offer a happy ending. It has been widely celebrated by both critics and the viewing public since its release as a socially important and otherwise enrapturing piece of art. Starring Gugu – Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis, the episode had higher critical ratings than the show’s other episodes, and some critics considered it one of the best television episodes of 2016. In addition to several other accolades, “San Junipero” won two Primetime Emmy Awards, one for ‘Outstanding TV Movie’ and the other for creator, Charlie Brooker, for ‘Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special’.

Gugu also starred in Apple TV’s award-winning drama series MORNING SHOW (2019). Starring Billy Crudup, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell, the series explores the unique challenges faced by the women and men and who carry out morning TV. In the summer of 2021, Gugu featured in Marvel’s LOKI on Disney+ opposite Tom Hiddleston and will star in the second season, releasing 6^th October.

Most recently, Gugu has starred as the lead role in HBO/BBC’s adaptation of JP Delaney’s best-selling psychological thriller THE GIRL BEFORE, which aired to great acclaim in the UK in December 2021 and on HBO Max in the US in February 2022. Announcement here.

Gugu, leads and co-produces Apple TV’s SURFACE, an eight-part psychological drama series written by Veronica West and co-produced alongside Hello Sunshine. The series was in production for it’s second season when the SAG AFTRA strike began.

Gugu will next be seen as the female lead opposite Kevin Hart in the Netflix action thriller LIFT. Rounding out the cast are Vincent D’Onofrio, Billy Magnussen, Úrsula Corberó, Yun Jee Kim, Viveik Kalra and Paul Anderson. F. Gary Gray will direct the pic, with Dan Kunka penning the script.

Gugu was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to drama.