Born in Oxford, England on June 30, 1983, Gugu Mbatha-Raw trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Her first professional role was as Celia in an open air production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Gugu subsequently landed roles at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre where she performed the title roles of Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, the latter opposite Andrew “Spider-Man” Garfield.
Her other stage credits include the critically-acclaimed Big White Fog at the Almeida Theatre and David Hare’s Gethsemane, a production at the National Theatre that later toured the UK. Gugu made her West End debut as Ophelia in Hamlet opposite Jude Law, which was brought across the pond to Broadway in 2009 where it became a big hit at the Broadhurst Theatre.
Her television credits include “MI-5,” “Dr. Who,” “Spooks,” “Marple: Ordeal by Innocence,” “Bonekickers” and “Fallout.” In 2008, she was selected as a ‘Star of Tomorrow’ by the showbiz industry magazine Screen International. A couple of years later, Gugu starred as Samantha Bloom in the NBC-TV series, “Undercovers,” for which she was nominated for an NAACP award for in the Best Actress in a Television Series category.
On the big screen, she found her first major feature film work in Larry Crowne, directed by Tom Hanks and co-starring Julia Roberts, followed by Odd Thomas alongside Willem Dafoe. She also recently finished filming Jupiter Ascending with Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis.
Here, Gugu, who divides her time between L.A. and London, talks about playing the title character in Belle, a biopic about Dido Elizabeth Belle (1761-1804), the orphaned offspring of an African slave and a British ship captain who was raised in England by her father’s rich relations.
Kam Williams: Hi Gugu, thanks for the interview. I’m honored to have this
opportunity.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw: Thank you, Kam.
KW: I loved the film. Have you read my review yet?
GMR: No, I haven’t seen it. I always get a little bit scared reading
reviews, but I’m sure I’ll read it at some point. [Laughs]
KW: What interested you in the film and how did you
feel about the idea of playing Dido Belle?
GMR: There were so many wonderful things that drew me to this project. First
and foremost, the historical elements, the fact that this character really
existed and that the script was inspired by a
real painting. That was
fascinating to me because, as a biracial girl growing up in England, I’d
never really seen any historical characters who looked like me depicted on
film before that weren’t being brutalized or playing slaves. It was
refreshing to know that there had been a biracial girl in the aristocracy. I
felt that that was a perspective on history that had been so much
overlooked, and a story that needed to be told. I was also drawn in by the
romance, the beautiful love story at the core of the drama, having grown up
with Jane Austen’s classics like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and
Sensibility. I just thought that would be a fascinating period to explore.
And besides being a period drama, we have so many contemporary themes in
this film, such as race and class and gender and identity which, as is shown
in the news nowadays, are still issues we’re struggling with daily. So, I
felt that Belle had a wonderful number of layers that made it a fascinating
project.
KW: Is the prejudice we see in Belle at all relatable in today’s more enlightened times?
GMR: Yeah, I think Belle is incredibly relatable, not only insofar as the
issue of race, which is probably, on the surface, the most obvious one, but
also in terms of the ambiguity and nuances of racism. After all, Belle’s
position was ambiguous. She was the daughter of a slave, but her father was
in the aristocracy. I think that affords us the opportunity to explore those
gray areas, the little slip-ups and subtle comments that are made in
society. To me, that’s very contemporary, as is the issue of identity. I
think, irrespective of your race, everybody has moments in life where they
don’t fit in, or where they try to puzzle through who they really are or to
find the courage of their convictions. I think this story really is about
finding the courage to be your true self. And I think that is an eternal,
universal theme, and a very inspiring one. So, yes, Grace, there’s a lot of
contemporary stuff in the film, despite its being set in the 18th Century.
KW: What research did you do in preparation for this
role? Did you study 18th Century history to become more familiar with the
culture of the period in which Belle is set, or did the screenplay supply
sufficient background information?
GMR: For me, the script was definitely the starting point, because, although
it was inspired by a true story and historical fact, the way I often connect
with a character is on a human emotional level, and this script had those
subtleties and nuances to it. Because I had grown up with Jane Austen novels
and period dramas, I was very familiar with that period and that world
already. On a personal level, I took some piano lessons and I listened to
music of the period, like Handel, which helped me appreciate the elegance
and sumptuousness of that style. And the cast also took some etiquette
classes with Amma [director Amma Asante] to help us understand the bows, the
curtseys and the manners of the time, which was really fascinating. I also
spoke with Amma about Dido’s trajectory, her growing from this naïve, quiet
and quite accepting girl into a strong woman with political and romantic
awakenings. For me, working with Amma was very rewarding, because she had
done a tremendous amount of research. There were a lot of documents which
she had sourced which provided context for the story. So, like I said, the
script was the starting point, and we leapt off from there into the
characters’ relationships.
KW: What message do you think people will take away from Belle?
GMR: I really hope people will be inspired by the history of it, and the
fact that it’s a true story. The message, for me, at its core, really, is
“Be who you are!” Don’t worry about society’s conditioning and the labels
that are put on you by external forces. Hold onto your true self. The
journey that Dido goes on is about learning to be comfortable in her own
skin. I think that’s an inspiring message that we always need to be reminded
of in today’s image-obsessed world.
KW: Given your being biracial, was this an
especially emotionally-demanding role?
GMR: Well, it’s an emotional story and I try to put myself into whatever
character I play. Obviously, this film is about race and identity, and I am
biracial everyday. [Laughs] Yes, Harriet, it was fun to explore those
themes, especially the identity theme which is very contemporary. And yeah,
it was an emotional experience, because it’s essentially an emotional
journey that Dido goes on, from her moments of self-harming, despair and
frustration. And that starting point really gave us somewhere to go in terms
of her becoming comfortable in her own skin and developing the confidence to
stand up for herself. So, yes, it was a very, very emotional experience. But
that’s what I respond to in any role, the human condition and the human
connection.
KW: Did you feel any pressure to do
justice to Belle?
GMR: Absolutely! Because I had never played a real person before and since
this was an incredibly refreshing tale to me. Even though there wasn’t much
evidence about Dido, factually, I felt this was a terrific opportunity to
shed light on a period of history that has somewhat been overlooked and
certainly has never been seen from this perspective before. A woman of
color… in the lead… of a period drama… [Laughs] And she’s not a slave… she’s
not being brutalized… She’s being brought up as an heiress in a genteel
society, at least one that’s seemingly genteel on the surface. To me, that
that was just such an inspiring new perspective. And because it was based on
historical fact, I did feel a responsibility to make Dido as much of a
living, breathing human being as possible, first and foremost.
KW: Do you see Belle as part of an emerging trend of
historical films revisiting the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade from a fresh
perspective?
GMR: I hope so. I think that what makes Belle unique and different from
recent films about the slave experience in the United States is that this
one is about the British perspective. And not just the British perspective,
but also a female perspective. I think there are so many more stories to be
told surrounding this period of history and the legacy of the slave trade.
It feels wonderful to be a part of a canon of films exploring this issue. I
only hope that it opens the doorway for more stories to be told like this,
so that we can celebrate our heritage and history.
KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: Do you recall your initial reaction
years ago when you first saw the postcard of the painting which inspired the
script?
GMR: Yes! When I saw the postcard, I was intrigued by Dido, because she had
such a light in her eyes, and such a mischievous, almost vivacious gaze. My
reaction was, “Wow! This girl really looks like she’s got a personality,”
unlike other persons of color in period portraits who were usually depicted
in those days as an ornament or to signify the status of their white
counterpart. They’d be positioned almost like a pet in the painting. By
contrast, Dido seemed to have so much life about her. That was what
attracted me to her as a person to play. But it was only after shooting the
film that myself and Sarah Gadon, who plays [Dido’s cousin] Elizabeth [the
other subject of the portrait] got to see the real painting in the flesh
which was a magical experience after having spent all that time staring at
the postcard and inhabiting the character. So, to see the actual painting
was very special.
KW: Bernadette also asks: How do you define yourself as a performer, given
that you’ve done stage, TV, film, and even radio?
GMR: Well, I try not to limit myself. The actors that inspire me are the
comedians and the people able to shape-shift into different roles and into
different media. That ensures your longevity as an artist and prevents you
from getting bored with yourself and, hopefully, prevents people from
getting bored with you. [LOL] So, for me, it’s about variety and working
with inspiring, creative people. I try not to define myself. Other people
are going to do that for you anyway. [Laughs some more] I like being free to
take on any project that inspires me and to trust that the work will speak
for itself.
KW: Lastly, Bernadette would like to know whether you ever worked with a
female director before Amma Asante.
GMR:
Amma Asante is a unique person in several regards, independent of being
male or female. I think I might have worked with a couple of female
directors in television, but never before with one on film. Amma is
incredibly talented, incredibly articulate, and had such a crystal clear
vision from the outset of this world we were creating. She was very
inspiring! She has a lot of heart, and was very detailed in her directions
and notes. I loved working with her and, being a woman, she obviously put a
lot of herself into this interpretation. And Belle not only had a female
director, but a female scriptwriter and even a female composer. I believe
having a female point-of-view was wonderful for such a female-centric story
being told in a voice that hadn’t been heard before. So, I am hopeful that
this will open the door for more female-driven films.
KW: Larry Greenberg asks: What kind of direction did Amma Asante give you
about Dido Belle's relationship with Lady Elizabeth Murray?
GMR: This is something that Amma was very passionate about. Even though they
were only cousins biologically, they were nevertheless very much a
sisterhood. I know that Amma herself has a sister she’s very close to, and
the intensity of sisterhood was something she very much wanted to explore in
the film, not only because the starting point was the painting where they
are depicted in such an intimate way with a feeling of affection, but also
because of a desire to create a Jane Austen “Sense and Sensibility” dynamic
in exploring the depth of that bond. Consider the scene where they have a
fierce argument and are saying the most horrible things to each other. I
think you can only really explore in that fashion with intimate family. So,
yes, Amma was constantly nurturing us to create a sisterhood bond, and Sarah
Gadon is such a fun and lovely actress to work with that it was pretty easy
to achieve. And we’re the best of friends now.
KW: Sweet! I’m glad I mentioned Jane Austen in my review. I must have picked
up on what Amma was going for.
GMR: Absolutely! That world of Jane Austen was definitely an inspiration to
Amma and to myself as well.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Gugu, and best of luck with Belle.
GMR: Thank you very much, Kam. Bye!
AALBC.com's comments powered by Disqus
Gugu Mbatha-Raw was interviewed about her role in the 2014 film Beyond the Lights