'You can't put me in a box!': Gugu Mbatha-Raw on her excitement at playing a scantily-clad pop star after her breakthrough role as a corseted aristocrat
She caught the attention of the critics following her turn as Dido Elizabeth Belle, the mixed-race daughter of a naval admiral who grew up in aristocratic circles in the 18th Century.
And actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw proved she can't be pigeon-holed thanks to her role as a raunchy pop songstress in Beyond the Lights.
Gracing the cover of Town & Country magazine's March issues, she talks to the publication about landing such diverse parts: 'I would love to say that I’m some sort of evil mastermind who strategised it. But when I got both roles I did think, "This is great - you can’t put me in a box!"'
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Cover girl: Gugu Mbatha-Raw goes high fashion for the March issue of Town & Country magazine
And she seems intent on continuing to keep fans guessing. Gugu currently appears in sci-fi fantasy Jupiter Ascending and has been cast opposite Matthew McConaughey in Civil War drama Free State of Jones.
The 31-year-old may seem to be one of the breakout stars of the last 12 months, but she has been working away since graduating from Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Roles in Hamlet on Broadway alongside Jude Law followed in 2009, and Gugu admits that unlike most of her contemporaries at drama school, she didn't fit into the world of most period dramas - until Belle came along.
She adds: 'Growing up and going to RADA [Royal Academy of Dramatic Art], so many of my peers go on to do period dramas, which is what we’re known for in the UK.
Purple reign: The 31-year-old reveals that she is relishing avoiding being stereotyped after landing a string of diverse roles
Breakthrough: The actress received huge acclaim for her role in Belle, about the daughter of an admiral and a slave who grew up in aristocratic circles in 18th Century England
'And I had all this classical training but, in some ways, nowhere to put it. It was fascinating to be able to do a movie like Belle - something period, with that Jane Austen feel, in which I wouldn’t be playing a slave or someone in a brutalized role.'
The star certainly looks every inch the Hollywood starlet in her cover shoot for the magazine.
Donning dresses by Altuzarra, Jason Wu and Lanvin, the star looks stunning as she poses seductively against a wall for a black and white shot.
Talking about her own personal style, the actress reveals she likes to keep it simple.
'In my daily life it’s about being comfortable. I wear a lot of black.
'But now, to promote these films, I’ve been working with a stylist.
'I’ve had some fun Cinderella moments in red carpet land.
'I love the Audrey Hepburns of this world, and I think Cate Blanchett is stunning and always nails it.
'It’s important to know that it’s okay to be your natural self.
'It’s also okay to dress up and wear makeup and hair extensions if you want, so long as you don’t feel like you need that or will be worthless without it. The point is, it should be a choice.
Read the full story at Town & Country.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2948025/Gugu-Mbatha-Raw-talks-diverse-film-roles.html#ixzz3ROPutCcC
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