World Premiere of Disney's 'A Wrinkle In Time'
To see more photos of Gugu visit my Facebook page dedicated to her https://www.facebook.com/gugumbatharawgroup/
Gugu was born in Oxford, England, she appeared in TV series Bad Girls, Bonekickers and Doctor Who. In 2013 She starred in Amma Asante's film Belle.Followed by starring in Gina Prince-Bythewood's film Beyond The Lights. Also starred in Jupiter Ascending, Concussion, Free State of Jones, Miss Sloane and Beauty and the Beast.
Tuesday, 27 February 2018
Sunday, 25 February 2018
How Gugu Mbatha-Raw Is Shattering Hollywood’s Glass Ceilings
In Hollywood, black female actresses have been typecast since the beginning. There’s the sassy sidekick, the around-the-way girl, and of course, the mammie, usually found in a period drama set during slavery or the Civil Rights era. It’s a dynamic that’s only recently started to change, thanks to a renaissance in black television (Shondaland shows, Insecure, Atlanta) and social media movements like #OscarsSoWhite calling out a lack of diversity in film.
But somehow, during a period when the entertainment industry failed to support both people of colour and women, Gugu Mbatha-Raw has quietly been breaking barriers for years. She’s a black woman who managed to escape the expected archetypes, a chameleon who has played everyone from the lead officer on a space mission to a bisexual beachtown party girl to an animated feather duster. A veteran of British television and theatre, Mbatha-Raw broke into Hollywood in 2013 as the shy, mixed-race 18th century hero of the movie Belle, and became known for her poised and powerful performances.Since then, she's starred in nearly a dozen major movies. But it’s 2018 that is finally the year of Gugu: Before the end of March, she will have starred in four films — including Disney’s big-budget, Ava Duvernay-directed adaptation of A Wrinkle In Time.
“I guess you could call this my ‘moment,’ but that doesn’t seem fair, because I’ve worked really hard my entire career!” Mbatha-Raw says slowly. She has a habit of taking a few beats to thoughtfully consider her responses before answering. “As an actor, you have power over your performance, but no power over the distribution or timetable. So it just so happens this is all coming out at the same time. But I guess I should embrace the ride!”
PHOTOGRAPHED BY RENELL MEDRANO.
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Because she is known for serious roles, I’m surprised to see the British actress radiating bright, almost mischievous energy on the set of her Refinery29 photoshoot at New York’s historic River Club. She’s smiley and chipper with a habit of fluffing up her natural curls; she apologises for squealing and “nerding out” when she learns that Audrey Hepburn and Frank Sinatra used to hang out here. Her mood lifts even higher when a crew member switches the soundtrack from uptempo disco to Beyoncé’s “Ego,” her laugh reverberating from the depths of her belly — surprisingly loud — as she dances on the couch. I have a feeling this kind of thing doesn’t happen around here that often.
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But Mbatha-Raw certainly has a lot to dance about right now. First, she is helping to save the planet in Netflix’s Cloverfield Paradox, the third instalment of the J.J. Abrams-produced sci-fi franchise. Then she portrays a dying woman struggling to say goodbye to her fiancé in the charming romantic dramedy Irreplaceable You, also available on Netflix. Next month, following her turn as Meg Murry’s mother in A Wrinkle In Time, she’ll play a woman hiding her superpowers in the thriller Fast Color, which premieres at SXSW in Austin.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY RENELL MEDRANO.
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Of those four projects, three are directed or written by women — something that has been important to Mbatha-Raw throughout her career: Belle was directed by British screenwriter and director Amma Asante, and for her second major leading role, Mbatha-Raw played a Rihanna-like pop-star dealing with the downsides of fame in Beyond The Lights, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood.
“I make it a point to play strong women, and women have given me the most dynamic and interesting roles of my career thus far,” says Mbatha-Raw. “The fact that we have to consciously find opportunities for women and support the ones who are already out there is nothing new. What is new is that the awareness has changed. Now, we are all aware of where we actually are as an industry, versus where we thought we were.”
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Mbatha-Raw credits the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements for the sea change, but is adamant that we also acknowledge the wider systems of discrimination and harassment.
“Change should never be just about actresses. This movement is about everybody,” she says. “If it takes people that have their faces in magazines or on movie screens to raise awareness, so be it. But hopefully this time also brings a voice to women who are a million miles away from Hollywood, and not just the privileged few.”
The daughter of an English mother and a South African father (“Gugu” is short for "Gugulethu,” a version of the Xhosa word for “our pride”), Mbatha-Raw grew up in Oxford, England, and has been taking acting and dancing classes for as long as she can remember. After training as a teen at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she landed small parts in British television shows like Doctor Who. Her first big theatre break was as the Juliet to Andrew Garfield’s Romeo in 2005 at the Royal Exchange Theatre. Over the next decade, she made her way into American projects, first opposite Kiefer Sutherland in the brief Fox TV series Touch, then in Tom Hanks’ romantic comedy Larry Crowne, before Asante casted her in Belle.
Mbatha-Raw says that landing in one of Disney’s most diverse projects yet feels like a culmination of all of her work. A Wrinkle In Time makes DuVernay the first black woman to helm a $100 million film. In the movie, Mbatha-Raw’s husband (Chris Pine) is white, therefore her daughter Meg (newcomer Storm Reid) is biracial; Meg’s three wise, guiding witches are portrayed by Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah Winfrey — an example of what can happen when filmmakers successfully employ colourblind casting techniques.
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PHOTOGRAPHED BY RENELL MEDRANO.
Mbatha-Raw’s perspective on the effect race has had on her career options, however, might differ slightly from an American actress.
“There is certainly a complexity in being both black and white,” she says. “But I’m also from the U.K., where it’s not quite as big of a topic. So you might look at me and say ‘she’s black,’ or ‘she’s biracial,’ but people don’t realise there is a very different cultural legacy in the United States than the U.K. Here, there’s a specific sense of identity and community that comes with being African-American — that’s a culture all its own. So coming from the U.K., I had to explore my own identity in order to feel centred within all of the conversations around history and race politics that are very unique to America.”
There is the argument that casting a black woman in a role that was originally written for a non-brown actress might be slightly easier with someone like Mbatha-Raw, who is light skin and appears ethnically ambiguous. There’s also the argument that when the entertainment industry focuses on simply slotting minorities into existing roles, it gets a pass on creating stories for and about people of colour. At the same time, Mbatha-Raw points out, the road to more diversity in entertainment means we need storylines where colour is simply not a factor. She believes that movies like Irreplaceable You, where the fact that her protagonist just so happens to be in an interracial relationship is never discussed, are important for normalisation. And no matter what her role is, one of her signatures is rocking her natural curls.
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“It’s empowering to play a woman and not have race be the focus,” she says. “But I will always bring who I am to the story and make sure my ethnicity is celebrated on screen. I’m not afraid to have those tough conversations with directors about how I represent myself. Hair, for instance, sounds like a superficial conversation. But images remain in our subconscious. So when it comes to representing on screen, I can use my hair to send the important message to girls everywhere that they can be who they are.”
PHOTOGRAPHED BY RENELL MEDRANO.
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While Mbatha-Raw is happy to be a role model in public, after over two decades in the acting business, she has managed to keep her private life surprisingly...private. Google her, and you won’t find much beyond her IMDb and Wikipedia pages, and there’s no trace of the typical gossip stories about on-set feuds or relationship rumours. She’s not on Instagram or Twitter, and during our conversation, she doesn’t bite when I hint about any romantic partners; most of her interviews past and present, in fact, are strictly about her projects.
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“I like to focus on the work,” she says. “I think it can be hard to believe in somebody’s role if you know too much about them personally. I hope to have a long career and play many more different types of roles, so I’m trying to give myself the chance to be as believable as possible, rather than burden the viewer with my personal stuff. You go to the movies to go on a journey and believe the story.”
What she will share is that she lives a “nomadic lifestyle” that has taken her everywhere from Toronto to New Zealand for filming. Los Angeles is her base, though she says she feels most at home with her parents back in Oxfordshire. Her greatest accomplishment of her past year, she adds, was the two months she was able to spend with them during a brief window of time off. That included a casual trip to London to be honoured by Queen Elizabeth II with an MBE, or Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, an award she gives out every year before her birthday. Mbatha-Raw’s distinction was for her service to the dramatic arts.
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“It’s an old school, very English honour from the royal family, but such a big deal!” she says. “We got to go as a family to Buckingham Palace, and it was very surreal.” When asked if she has any opinions on Meghan Markle, another biracial woman who’s recently captured the public’s attention as Prince Harry’s fiancée, she keeps her answer very British and diplomatic. “I can’t speak for all of the U.K., but I’m very excited for them both! Who doesn’t love a royal wedding?”
Two months off was more than enough for Mbatha-Raw. She’s already returned to filming, this time in New York for Motherless Brooklyn, a ’50s detective mystery directed by Ed Norton, a project that, somehow, manages to be very different from anything she’s previously done. And the actress has no plans of slowing down any time soon. In fact, her next steps might be outside the acting realm — inspired by DuVernay.
“On Wrinkle, I always remember Ava saying ‘It’s not about knocking on doors; you have to build your own house,’” she says. “In this industry, we all feel like you need somebody to give you a job, or write you a script, or cast you in something. But why not direct your own films, or write your own scripts, or start your own company? I want to tell stories, and I shouldn’t have to wait for someone else to do it. So I believe it might be time for me to build my own house.”
One thing is for sure: That house will look like nothing that has come before it — and it will have a pretty damn strong foundation.
Special thanks to The River Club.
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Sunday, 18 February 2018
Thursday, 15 February 2018
Photos: Gugu Mbatha-Raw at "Black Panther" screening on February 13, 2018 in New York City.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw attends the screening of Marvel Studios' "Black Panther" hosted by The Cinema Society on February 13, 2018 in New York City.
BGN Interviews Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Netflix changed the game and stunned everyone with its surprise release of the sci-fi horror adventure flick The Cloverfield Paradox—one of a string of films under the Cloverfield franchise. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Zhang Ziyi, Chris O’Dowd, Daniel Brühl, Elizabeth Debicki and is directed by Julius Onah. Produced by JJ Abrams, the film is set in the near future, among a group of international astronauts on a space station. They are working to solve a massive energy crisis on Earth, and the experimental technology aboard the station has an unexpected result, leaving the team isolated and fighting for their survival.
Gugu chatted briefly with BGN about the film, how she prepped for the role of Ava Hamilton, and she discussed candidly her thoughts on the #MeToo and the #TimesUp movement happening in Hollywood. She also shared what she geeks out over the most.
Jamie: First of all, thank you so much for taking the time out of your super busy schedule because I know that you’re killing it girl. You are killing it.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Awww. That’s okay. That’s okay. It’s nice to be able to talk to you. Thank you.
Jamie: Absolutely. So yeah. I’m just going to go ahead and start. Thank you for talking to Black Girl Nerds. We’re huge fans of yours. We really wanted to see you in Star Wars, by the way, just saying that.
So Cloverfield Paradox. I watched the film right after the Superbowl and I kind of regret it and I’ll tell you why.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Right.
Jamie: The movie had some really scary moments for me and it was difficult to go to bed that night.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Oh no. Did you have nightmares?
Jamie: I did. I did. I was like, “This movie’s terrifying.” But I wanted to ask for you going through these scenes, was it just as terrifying for you dealing with these experiences as Ava as it was for us watching her?
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Well for me, what really grounded the story for me was knowing Ava Hamilton’s backstory and what she is wrestling with from her past. And that was really, really helpful because I think you know having her history with her family on earth, understanding what she was escaping emotionally speaking. When all these kinds of really surreal events start happening, it was interesting. I talked about Julius, the director, and the script definitely evolved a lot as we were in the process of making the film.
But there was definitely a sense that this is also a woman not just hanging on by a thread emotionally, she is also still grief-stricken. But also then when these bizarre things start occurring, she’s also slightly questioning her own sanity. You know especially when it comes to the next level in terms of dimensions and whether she’s really losing it herself. So that was kind of an interesting thing to play with.
So yeah, beyond it being sort of…I mean those things are actually — although time-consuming — they’re actually quite fun to shoot. They’re not scary to shoot as such. But I think they’re much more scary to watch than they are to shoot. But for me, the challenge was always grounding the response to everything in what she’s personally going through underneath the surface.
Jamie: Well that’s comforting knowing that what was terrifying for us was entertaining for you. At least you weren’t scared going through those scenes.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Exactly.
Jamie: But it was really good. I really enjoyed the film. And I was curious to know how you prepped for this movie. Because a lot of the scenes look like they were very physically demanding. So what was the biggest challenge about taking on this role?
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: There were a lot of challenges. I think for me, this is a genre I haven’t really done before, you know, the space movie genre. And for me, it was quite a big challenge. Most of the movie was filmed on a sound stage at Paramount Studios in L.A. was quite a challenge in itself, because I think when you are mostly in a very sterile sound stage environment. I mean I guess it’s not unlike a space station in a weird way but it’s quite an intense way to shoot I think. You know, you’re not necessarily out and about on the street shooting in the real world as it were. And I think sometimes that can be challenging. You know, especially when you’ve got things like green screen and a lot of special effects. You’re having to use your imagination a lot. You’re responding to things that on the day maybe aren’t necessarily there, or haven’t been decided upon yet. And that can definitely be an acting challenge because you don’t necessarily know 100% what is going to be put into the movie in the post-production process. So that’s a challenge.
We also had some wire work, some physical work wearing a space suit. I mean it was actually challenging for me because of our amazing costume designer Colleen Atwood who’s award-winning and incredible. But these space suits, they’re not necessarily designed for comfort. They looked great. Being several hours with the helmets on and things like that, I would get claustrophobic. So I’d be like, “Can we just wait until the camera is actually rolling before I put my helmet on?” Because then as soon they yell, “Cut,” I’m pulling the helmet off.
Jamie: Take it off! Take it off!
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: It wasn’t the most comfortable costume I have to say. But you know, it all added to the drama and as I say, what we were going through.
Jamie: Well it looked really good. So even though it wasn’t comfortable, it looked great on screen.
You know what I really loved about this movie, there was this beautiful dichotomy between this being a sci-fi horror film and all of these terrifying elements to being a family drama which is centered around your character Ava. How important is it to work on a film where you’re given so many options in the screenplay?
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: So many options? You mean in terms of the character’s backstory?
Jamie: Exactly.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Yeah I mean for me, that’s what drew me to the original script, you know, God Particle, which was very much centered around this woman Ava Hamilton. I really responded to the fact that she was a three-dimensional woman. She’s a mother. She has this tragic past that she was dealing with. She was still getting on with her life. And it didn’t mean that she…I think sometimes often in sci-fi movies, you see these female astronauts that are very cold and are basically trying to actually like men in that world to be able to survive. And I think that the interesting thing about Hamilton is she is a woman, she’s vulnerable. She has a lot going on that she’s dealing with. And I think I just love the fact that you see her struggle emotionally but still continue and persevere. And that to me is always an interesting conflict when a character is wrestling with things internally, that that gives you a lot of juicy stuff to play with emotionally.
Jamie: Yeah. It was great to see how that unfolded on the screen.
Now, this is a bit of a heavy question. A lot of folks in the entertainment industry is talking about the #MeToo movement. And when it comes to changing who has the power to create and tell stories to challenge sexual violence. You know, there’s this broad movement for change currently happening in the entertainment industry. When designed and led by women of color, what looks different about this movement for change?
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: About #MeToo? Or #TimesUp? Or …
Jamie: Yeah about the whole movement surrounding the discussion on sexual violence and harassment. So yeah, #MeToo, #TimesUp.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Right well I think what’s exciting is that it’s a movement change for women, meaning all women. And then not just actresses, not just…say women of all ethnicities. And I think that that’s really exciting because I think it’s inclusive and it empowers everyone, whatever industry you’re in. I think even though actors are perhaps more visible, I think what happens is this empowering message trickles into every industry from farm workers to domestic workers to women across the globe, I hope, will feel inspired to not accept this kind of treatment anymore.
And also, I think it’s really interesting that there is a kind of sense of community really being fostered with women in the industry that I haven’t really seen before. From the #TimesUp email chain to meetings, the groups that we’re all chitchatted together, you know there’s a conversation happening. And that, I think, is something that so often, speaking for myself and as an actor, you may be the only woman, you may be two women on the set in terms of an acting department and actually to be able to be united to be with other actors. Like not just two, three but a whole community of women who are having and sharing these experiences and conversations. I think it’s just so empowering. And I think as I say, everyone is feeling included, which is a step in the right direction.
Jamie: Right exactly, the way it should be, you know?
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jamie: And something a little more light-hearted. You know we here at Black Girl Nerds, we talk about nerdy and geeky things. So what are some nerdy fandoms that you’re into? Whether it’s gaming, comics, anime, sci-fi, what’s your geeky secret?
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: My geeky secret? Oh, my God. I don’t know. I mean I’m not really into any of those things that you just used as an example. I love to research in terms of my roles and everything. I’m such a nerd when it comes to the research.
I’m just about to start a movie set in the 50s and for me being able to immerse myself in that era and the music, in the novels at the time, the imagery, reading around each role. If I get a chance to visit somewhere, like for example, with a Wrinkle in Time, I got to visit JPL, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and talk to literally rocket scientists and people who are doing astrophysics. And for me, that’s my not so secret nerdy passion—which is being able to really meet people who do the job that your character does. I mean for the Cloverfield Paradox, I got to meet a couple of astronauts, talked one on the phone, one of the first female astronauts who was the consultant on the movie. That to me is really fascinating when you get the chance to delve into another world. So yeah, the research is the nerdy stuff for me.
Jamie: Nice. Love that. I can spend hours and hours just researching stuff on some of the most random things. I love researching bacteria and viruses. I know that sounds really weird.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Oh my God. You’re a complete germaphobe. You’re like, “Oh no. She reaches for the hand sanitizer.”
I mean for me…and also I love history at school. So again, anything that is either a period of time or be it something set in the 80s or the 50s or the 1800s. That’s a chance for me to get back into my history student zone. And I just find it so interesting because there’s so much we can learn from the past. And I think essentially human beings and human nature don’t change that much. But I think it’s really fascinating how we express ourselves and how culture evolves. I’m really intrigued by that.
Jamie: Amazing. One last question. I know you’re super busy.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Oh that’s okay.
Jamie: You’ve got Wrinkle in Time. You’ve got Irreplaceable You. You’ve got Fast Color. And you’re about to be filming Motherless Brooklyn. Aside from those projects-
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Yeah. You’ve got them all on the list.
Jamie: Anything else that’s next for you?
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: I mean literally I am about to start filming Motherless Brooklyn next week. So that’s definitely the next thing that’s taking my focus. I’m in 1957, I’m listening to a lot of jazz because my character was born in a Harlem jazz club. So we’re around Brooklyn and Harlem and a lot of New York filming that. So that’s really exciting.
In terms of after that, I don’t know, maybe a holiday.
Jamie: Maybe some sleep?
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Yeah maybe some sleep would be really nice.
Jamie: Well awesome. It was fantastic talking to you. Are you going to be at South By Southwest?
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Yes. I just got my flight. I’m so excited. I’ve never been to Texas.
Jamie: Oh my God.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: So I think my flight’s through Dallas-Fort Worth airport maybe for an hour or something. But yeah, I’m very excited to go to Austin. I hear it’s really fun.
Jamie: Yes.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: And I’m really, really excited for Fast Color to have its world premiere there. So I’m going to see the movie actually for the first time next week. So yeah, it was an amazing experience shooting that film with Julia Hart in Albuquerque. I can’t wait to see it. And as I say, my first time at South By.
Jamie: Well it’s all about the tacos at South By and the queso. And our team will be there as well. So I hope we get to meet you in person and talk to you about Fast Color because I read the story behind it.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Oh that would be so fun.
Jamie: Yeah the story is right up our alley. Supernatural, black women with abilities, like hello.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Yeah exactly. And you know it’s starring Saniyya Sidney and Lorraine Toussaint as well. As I say, I’m sure you’d love to talk to both of them too. They’re amazing.
Jamie: Thank you Gugu. It was great talking to you.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Thank you. Thank you. Have a great day.
This interview was edited for clarity
Cloverfield Paradox is currently streaming on Netflix. Irreplaceable You will launch on Netflix Feb 16th. Fast Color will make its world premiere at the South By Southwest Festival (SXSW) which runs March 9-18 in Austin, TX. A Wrinkle In Time premieres March 9 in theaters nationwide. Motherless Brooklyn directed by Edward Norton is currently in production.
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