Michaela Coel
| Michaela Coel | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson 1 October 1987 Aldgate, Tower Hamlets, London, U.K |
| Residence | East London, London, U.K |
| Occupation | Actress, writer, singer-songwriter, poet |
| Years active | 2013–Present |
| Known for | Chewing Gum |
| Religion | Christianity |
Michaela Coel (born 1 October 1987) is a British poet, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and an award-winning actress and playwright.[1]
Early life
Born Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson (she later changed her surname for professional reasons, as she was told it would never catch on) in Tower Hamlets, London[2] to Ghanaian parents, Coel grew up with her mother and older sister in east London, where she attended school. She has stated that while at primary School, she was the only black female pupil within her year, and dealt with her isolation through 'hitting others', so she could deal with her anguish.[3] She subsequently read English at university.[3]
Career
Coel joined the Talawa Theatre Company summer school TYPT in 2009 before going on to apply to Guildhall School of Music and Drama.[4] Coel graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2012. While training she won the largest Laurence Olivier Bursary Award.
Her first play, Chewing Gum Dreams, was first seen at The Yard Theatre (2012). It shortly after won the Alfred Fagon Award for Best Playwright of African or Caribbean Descent in 2012. The play then went on to be produced by the Bush Theatre (2012), Royal Theatre Holland (2012), Royal Exchange Theatre (2013), and the National Theatre (2014).
Coel appeared in the Channel 4 drama Top Boy and had leading roles at the National Theatre, including the award-nominated Home and the critically acclaimed Medea at the Olivier Theatre.
It was announced by Channel 4 in August 2014 that Coel was to star in and write a new sitcom called Chewing Gum, inspired by her play Chewing Gum Dreams. "C4 Comedy Blaps" were released as teasers in September 2014, and the series began on E4 in October 2015.[3] Her performance earned her the British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2016; she also won a BAFTA for Breakthrough Talent for writing the show.
In 2015 Coel also guest-starred in the BBC One drama London Spy.[5] In 2016 she stars in the E4 sci-fi comedy-drama The Aliens.
As a poet and musician Coel released an album entitled Fixing Barbie in 2009. Since then she has performed on stages including Wembley Arena, Bush Theatre, Nuyorican, and Rotterdam De Doelen Concert Hall.[6]
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Monsters: Dark Continent | Kelly | Tom Green | 42 |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Three Birds | Tiana | Bush Theatre |
| 2013 | Home | Portugal/Young Mum | Royal National Theatre |
| 2013 | Chewing Gum Dreams | Tracey Gordon | Royal Exchange Theatre |
| 2014 | Blurred Lines | Royal National Theatre | |
| 2014 | Home (Revival) | Young Mum/Portugal | Royal National Theatre |
| 2014 | Chewing Gum Dreams | Tracey Gordon | Royal National Theatre |
| 2014 | Medea | Nurse | Royal National Theatre |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Top Boy | Kayla | Channel 4 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Law & Order: UK | Maid | ITV Episode: "Paternal" |
| 2015 | London Spy | Journalist | BBC2 TV Mini-Series |
| 2015 | Chewing Gum | Tracey | E4 6 episodes British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance |
| 2016 | The Aliens | Lilyhot | E4 6 episodes |
| 2016 | Black Mirror | Airline Stewardess | Netflix Episode: "Nosedive" |
References
- ↑ Kev Geoghegan (25 March 2014). "Michaela Coel: A rising star at the National Theatre". BBC News, Entertainment & Arts.
- ↑ http://search.findmypast.co.uk/results/world-records/england-and-wales-births-1837-2006?firstname=michaela%20e&lastname=collinson&eventyear=1988&eventyear_offset=2
- 1 2 3 Simon Hattenstone, "Filthy, funny and Christian: the many sides of Chewing Gum's Michaela Coel", The Guardian, 4 October 2015.
- ↑ http://www.talawa.com/get-involved/participation/typt/
- ↑ "Bursting with flavour, E4 announces tasty new comedy series for 2015", Channel 4, 21 August 2014.
- ↑ Annika Allen, "Michaela: The Birth of a Poet – ‘Fixing Barbie’ album", Flavourmag, 7 December 2009.
