Michaela Coel (BA Acting)

Biography

As part of her senior graduation project at Guildhall, Michaela wrote the play, Chewing Gum Dreams, which she took to the Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick after graduating. The play then went on to be produced by the Bush Theatre, Royal Theatre Holland, Royal Exchange Theatre and the National Theatre 2014.

In 2013, Michaela 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.

Channel 4 announced that Michaela would write and star in a new sitcom called Chewing Gum in 2014, inspired by her play Chewing Gum Dreams. The series began in 2015 and her performance earned her the BAFTA for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2016. She also won a BAFTA for Breakthrough Talent for writing the show.

Michaela appeared in BBC One drama London Spy in 2015, The Aliens in 2016, and in two episodes of Black Mirror in 2016. She also had a small role in the 2017 film Star Wars: The Last Jedi. In 2018, Michaela starred in Black Earth Rising, and Been So Long. 

In 2020, Michaela created, wrote, produced, co-directed and starred in the comedy-drama series I May Destroy You, inspired by her own experience of sexual assault. The show launched on BBC One in the UK and HBO in the US. The drama won three trophies at the RTS Awards; best female actor, best drama writer and best miniseries, as well as two Independent Spirit Awards and a Gotham Independent Film Award.

The drama also picked up five wins from its eight nominations at the 2021 BAFTA Awards, including Leading Actress for Michaela’s role as Arabella, as well as Best Mini-Series. Michaela also picked up awards in the Director: Fiction category (alongside Sam Miller) and in the Writer: Drama category, with the series also winning the award for Editing: Fiction. In 2021, the drama received four Primetime Emmy Awards, with winners being announced in September 2021. The drama also received two nominations at the Critics' Choice Television Awards, and nominations at the Producers Guild of America Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Michaela was included in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020, and was named as one of the breakout stars of 2020 for film. Michaela also appeared in British Vogue's 2020 list of influential women, and in the 15th annual Powerlist of the most influential people of African or African Caribbean heritage in the United Kingdom, Michaela was ranked fourth for the impact of her work on I May Destroy You. 

In 2021, Michalea was cast in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It was also announced that Michaela is writing her first book, titled Misfits: A Personal Manifesto.