IN CONVERSATION WITH GUGU MBATHA-RAW
interview by JANA LETONJA
Award-winning actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw was most recently seen alongside Kevin Hart in Netflix’s action thriller ‘Lift’, and returning for the second season of Apple TV+’s series ‘Surface’, which premiered in February. Next up, Gugu has many projects lined up: a heist thriller ‘Fuze’ opposite Theo James, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Sam Worthington, feature film ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’, leading role in a Doctor Who series ‘The War Between the Land and the Sea’, and Sky TV limited series ‘Inheritance’, which she’ll also produce.
dress GAURAV GUPTA
rings VAN CLEEF, GRAFF
shoes AQUAZZURA
You’ve taken on such a diverse range of roles, from period dramas like ‘Belle’ to sci-fi thrillers like ‘Black Mirror: San Junipero’ and action-packed projects like ‘Lift’. What draws you to a script when deciding on a role?
For me, it's usually obvious if it's a good script in the first 10 pages or so. If you're drawn in to the story and want to continue reading, it hooks you. In terms of the role, I think I'm always wanting to stretch myself. Looking at roles like Belle or Kelly in ‘Black Mirror’, or Abby in ‘Lift’, these are such different roles from period pieces to action heist. I think that's the exciting thing. There are so many genres to tackle and such different energies and performers and collaborators that can bring out different sides of you. So I think it's the script, who you're going to be working with, obviously including the director, and what the role has to say. And not every role or project has a message, but I think it's also exciting when you get the opportunity to work on material that also has an interesting conversation around it. It is not just the plot, but what the message or theme of the piece is, and how it relates to or pushes our culture forward.
dress RAHUL MISHRA
gloves C’EST JEANNE
boots MANOLO BLAHNIK
‘San Junipero’ remains one of the most beloved episodes of ‘Black Mirror’. Looking back, how do you feel about its lasting cultural impact?
‘San Junipero’ was an incredible job to work on and an incredible script to read. I remember reading the whole thing on my iPhone on a bus. I thought I'd just take a peek at it and then I just finished it because it was just so gripping and so vibrant. I love the 80s world, I love the love story, I love the music, and I especially love my character’s vivacious personality. Kelly was such a bright and fun energy to play, and that is a big side of who I am that I don't always get to show in every role. So that was really fun, that playful energy that she has.
The fact that it really stayed with and moved people, I can't take too much credit for. It was a collision of wonderful things, from Charlie Brooker's amazing script, this beautiful love story that just felt so universal and everybody's work. I had an amazing time filming that. We filmed all the interiors in the UK and all the exteriors in Cape Town, South Africa and that was also meaningful to me because being half South African that was the first time I'd been there for work. To be able to go and work in South Africa on such a cool project was just an extra personal exciting layer, and I'm thrilled that people still love that and still hold it very dear.
full look RAHUL MISHRA
In ‘Surface’, which just returned with its second season, you not only star as Sophie but also serve as an executive producer. How has stepping into a producing role changed your perspective on storytelling?
I think the gift of being able to be a part of the producing team on ‘Surface’ is that I got to see the perspective of the whole project, not just my role. As an actor, you’re honing in on this one character, this one individual journey, and trying to get inside their head and their body to represent that one person. Whereas with producing, you’re thinking about everybody’s roles and all the creative collaborators you're going to be working with, in terms of who’s going to direct, who’s going to compose, who’s going to be the costume designer. There’s all of these layers and the people that you choose and for which qualities, and you bring these creatives together.
It's a much more holistic viewpoint of the whole project and even to the end, you know how it's marketed and the post production process. And it’s obviously a much bigger commitment of time. As an actor, you're only brought in for the filming part and then you wait until it comes out and you’re brought in for the publicity. But as a producer, you're across every department, which has been so fascinating, to fully understand all the work that goes into it and to have an influence on setting the tone for that as well, so it's been an incredible learning curve.
top GAURAV GUPTA
ring VAN CLEEF
How did you juggle this multiple role on ‘Surface’ and what did you find the most challenging about it?
I'm very fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing female team of producers at Hello Sunshine and our showrunner Veronica West. It is very much a team effort. I am definitely an actor first. Certainly on set, I still protect my creative space as an actor, and fortunately when you have a team of producers, you can obviously delegate that. When I'm in a scene as Sophie, I'm Gugu the actor. Obviously, I have an awareness of certain other things going on behind the scenes, but it's having faith in your other collaborators and the other producers that allows it not to be overwhelming.
I will say that it was challenging in the time that we were filming the second season of ‘Surface’ because we had to deal with dual strikes, both the writers’ and the actors’ strikes. We did have a hiatus in filming for five months and that was a challenge, the uncertainty and also trying to show leadership with the crew and the cast. There was a lot of uncertainty and we were really grateful to be able to come back. Picking up the momentum and galvanising everyone to finish the show was probably the hardest challenge as an actor and producer after such a long break. I'm so happy that the crew returned and everybody had such a nice time and that we were able to get back to work and finish ‘Surface’.
You’re set to star in ‘Fuze’ alongside Theo James and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. What can you share about your role and what excites you most about this project?
Well, I am very excited to be doing ‘Fuze’. I have huge respect for the director, David McKenzie. I really loved his film ‘Hell or High Water’ a few years ago, which was a Western heist thriller set in New Mexico. It was so grounded. And I love the performances that he brought out of the actors, Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges.
When I read ‘Fuze’ and I knew that he was directing it, I was really excited. It's a very high stakes thriller set in London, about a World War II bomb that is discovered in London, but there's a lot more that goes on underneath it all. For me, what I loved coming from ‘Surface’ Season 2 into ‘Fuze’ was going into a much more gritty world. It was lots to get my teeth into. That was my experience, but I’m excited to see the whole thing together because working with David McKenzie was a really fast-paced ride and I loved the world.
headpiece BALENCIAGA
Another one of your upcoming projects, ‘Inheritance’, is shrouded in mystery. Can you tease anything about what audiences might expect?
I'm currently filming ‘Inheritance’ here in Jamaica. It's been a whirlwind getting here, but it's very exciting. The show is best described as a tropical noir thriller, set between Bristol and Jamaica. It's a really fascinating mystery where my character, as a solicitor, is investigating an inheritance dispute with her client, played by Johnny Lee Miller.
I am so excited to be here in Jamaica and getting to work with amazing actors. My friend Bel Powley, who I worked with on ‘The Morning Show’, has a wonderful role in this production, Sheldon Shepherd, who is a brilliant Jamaican actor, and we have a Jamaican director, Storm Salter, who has made some amazing independent films.
This feels really like a very special limited series with a lot of genre elements, a lot of mystery. And obviously the opportunity to work in Jamaica, with a Jamaican cast and crew is such an incredible adventure. I'm still in the midst of filming at the moment, but I'm really excited for everyone to see this. It's a thrilling and entertaining mystery, but it also deals with the legacy of slavery and colonialism and the conversation of reparations as well, but I think it’s a conversation that I haven't seen dealt with in a drama in quite this way before, so that's really exciting.
left
dress ELIE SAAB
earrings ANABELA CHAN
rings VAN CLEEF, GRAFF
shoes CAROLIN HOLZHUBER
right
skirt and bodysuit ZHAOYI YU
brooch ANABELA CHAN
shoes SOPHIA WEBSTER
How do you feel about the ongoing conversations around diversity and representation in Hollywood, and have you seen a shift in opportunities for women of colour?
It’s a difficult question to answer, but I suppose my role in these productions, in terms of being an executive producer and leading these shows, is proof of a shift in opportunities. I'm trying to be the change that I want to see in the industry and by taking on leadership roles, such as getting behind the scenes and executive producing with ‘Surface’, that gives me influence in building the crew and the representation behind the scenes, which I've definitely seen vast improvements on. Certainly in ‘Surface’ and ‘Inheritance’, these are by far the most diverse crews I've ever worked on in my career. Not just people of colour behind the camera, but also women in roles that typically I hadn't seen them in before in the crew, so that's exciting.
For me, it's about just keeping moving forward, doing the work that excites me and I feel really fortunate and grateful to be in the position I am with these roles as an artist at a time when it's still challenging for everybody to have the same opportunities. I hope to be an example and I hope to keep pushing towards what we all want, which is to be able to have the same opportunities both in front and behind the camera.
As an MBE honouree for services to drama, how has that recognition shaped your outlook on your career and platform?
Receiving the MBE was a wonderful honour as a Brit and certainly very meaningful for my parents. It means different things to different people. I would say that it hasn't really changed my approach to my career. It's a wonderful honour and accolade, but in terms of the industry itself I have kept working in the same way.
brooch ANABELA CHAN
You’ve balanced your career across film, TV, and theatre. How do you choose projects that align with your personal and artistic goals?
I think this goes back to the first question in a way, so it might be a bit repetitive, but I use my instincts to choose projects. You can always tell when something doesn't align with your goals. But also, you have to be a bit patient sometimes. Not all of these projects come on the time scale that you would like, but for me, it's been an interesting transition since being executive producer on ‘Surface’ to be able to start developing my own projects. It's no longer just choosing what's coming in and figuring out “Is this aligning with me and what I want to put out in the world?”, but actually proactively finding those projects, be it a book or an article, and being able to develop things yourself.
That is where the true evolution and power lies for finding things that align with you. It’s actually creating them yourself. Every now and again, you might find the stars align and somebody else is on the same page as you, which is wonderful, but I think you can't just wait for those things to come to you, you have to be a bit more proactive. So that's really been an exciting development in the last year or two for me to be able to start developing other projects.
left
dress GAURAV GUPTA
rings VAN CLEEF, GRAFF
shoes AQUAZZURA
right
dress JUANA MARTINFW24, LK60
earrings ANABELA CHAN
gloves C’EST JEANNE
Beyond acting, you have an interest in humanitarian efforts and storytelling that inspires. What causes are close to your heart right now?
My humanitarian work as a goodwill ambassador for UNHCR and the UN Refugee Agency has been a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness for refugees and use my platform. It's also given me a new perspective. It's so eye opening to be able to travel with the UNHCR to Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am constantly following the news, the current events of those countries, which are ever changing, but the needs are really substantial. It's been an interesting and important layer to the work that I do with the UNHCR, to raise awareness and humanise some of the stories of what refugees actually go through. I think it can be overwhelming when you see the news and you get figures and statistics, and it all feels very far away. When you actually have had the opportunity to meet people on the ground and talk to them, you realise nobody chooses to be a refugee. This is a last resort and people have the same goals all over the world. People want to bring up their children, they have ambitions for their careers, they want to fall in love. Everyone has these human wants. So it's been really humbling and a rewarding experience. I feel very proud to be able to shine a light on some of those difficult human journeys.
TEAM CREDITS:
talent GUGU MBATHA-RAW
photography KOSMAS PAVLOS
1st assistant LUKE JOHNSON
2nd assistant PAOLA DE LUCA
post production ALEXANDRA HEINDL
styling BRIAN CONWAY
styling assistance KEISHA ADAMS and AHMAD ALEK
makeup KENNETH SOH at THE WALL GROUP using BIOEFFECT
hair BJORN KRISCHKER at THE WALL GROUP
nails YUCA MURAKAMI
editor TIMI LETONJA
editorial direction and interview JANA LETONJA
cover design ARTHUR ROELOFFZEN
