Hollywood Profile
By Robert Waldman
Exotic beauty and a tender smile go a long way to explain the success of Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Don’t let the long name fool you. Compassion and a knack for discovery helped hone this young woman’s acting talents.
Call this lovely lass a triple threat. Diverse performances come easy for her now as she can sing, act or dance up a storm. Being able to play the saxophone also is part of Gugu’s natural talents. Not bad for a 5’4″ lass who hails from merry old England.
Born of mixed ancestry clearly gives rise to Gugu’s undeniable beauty. The result of a union between a Black South African and an English white nurse our subject came Intothe world in 1983. Despite a separation Gugu was raised in Witney Oxfordshire and took an interest in The arts at an early age. So good was she in Performing, first in annual school pantomimes, that she won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. From their it was merely child’s play to learn her craft. And the results speak for themselves.
A mainstay in theatre Gugu performed in a number of Shakespeare plays captivating audiences as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Octavia in Anthony & Cleopatra and Celia in As You Like It, No doubt audiences appreciated this woman’s abilities as a series of television appearances quickly followed. Count series such as MI-5, Bad Girls and Doctor Who as a Few popular programs to benefit from Ms. Mbatha -Raw’s appearance.
Actors can stay on stage or appear On television or try their look on the big screen. Smart producers were right to cast Gugu in films like Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks. Get set for even more accolades s this fresh face shines and breathe’s life as the troubled fatherless child in Belle, a wonderful tale of slavery and snobbery set in not so merry old England.
Expect even bigger things to come from Gugu Mbatha-Raw, a natural beauty with explosive expressive talent.
