Words matter. These are the best Gugu Mbatha-Raw Quotes, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.
I try not to define myself. Other people are going to do that for you anyway.
For film, I think because it’s more detailed, and especially with historical material, you really have to find the right projects. Speaking as a mixed-race woman, there aren’t many historical stories about people like me. When people think of ‘dual heritage,’ they think it’s a modern concept, but really it’s not.
I enjoy classics, but classics are classics for a reason. I prefer to focus on the future. There are a lot of new stories to be heard.
I see L.A. as a workplace rather than somewhere to live. If I don’t get out, I go crazy. If you have a little success, people treat you differently, so it’s good to keep a healthy perspective. It’s acting, not rocket science.
This is what I’ve always wanted to do ever since I was a little girl. Coming from dance and theater and what was accessible to me in my hometown, it was all I did after school and on the weekends. The idea of making my hobby into my job was the ultimate quest.
You’ve got to find a way to relate to people. I just did an improvised episode for Joe Swanberg’s new Netflix show, ‘Easy,’ and it was a huge learning curve for me and taught me so much about fear and courage. But when you’re present in the moment, the audience, it’s incomparable.
I feel like I learn in every project.
If you’re an artist, it’s great to have a knowledge of the business and be educated about that, but you’ve got to keep the balance right between business and artistry; otherwise, you get cynical.
I feel like my work has been incredibly diverse.
I definitely grew up to Nina Simone and a lot of Ella Fitzgerald. And I loved Amy Winehouse. I loved that sort of soulful singer.
Because of my job, my hair gets played with a lot on set, so I try to give it little bit of breathing space when I’m not working.
The actors that inspire me are the comedians and the people able to shape-shift into different roles and into different media.
I love to go hiking. There’s a lot of concrete in L.A., and I come from the Shires, so it’s important for me to get back in touch with nature.
I like being free to take on any project that inspires me and to trust that the work will speak for itself.
In 2009, I was living in London and getting work I enjoyed.
This is going to sound really sad, but I didn’t really have any heartthrobs when I was growing up. I was a bit of a geek.
I’m a very improvisational cook. I sort of like to make things up as I go along. I’m quite creative in the kitchen.
Speaking as a mixed-race woman, there aren’t many historical stories about people like me.
I didn’t really grow up on hip-hop. Ella Fitzgerald and the old school jazz divas are more my comfort zone.
It’s odd doing a movie, and then a year and half later having to go to a premiere and talk about what you did, and get dressed up and have your picture taken.
I spent a chunk of time in New Orleans doing the movie ‘Free State Of Jones,’ getting to work with Matthew McConaughey, and also did ‘Concussion,’ where I got to work with Will Smith.
Corsets were a challenge in ‘Belle;’ fake nails tripped me up in ‘Blackbird.’ Guess I’m not a mani type of girl!
I was so thrilled to be in ‘Doctor Who.’ It’s such a wonderful experience, and the fan base that that show has never fails to surprise me.
My personal style is somewhat androgynous and simple. With my lifestyle, I’ve become more of a minimalist.
You have to be able to appreciate who you are.
Different fragrances promote different emotions, and I find that fragrance gets me in the frame of mind for that person.
In terms of ‘Beyond the Lights’ and ‘Belle,’ they’re definitely stories about identity. They’re female empowerment stories. So I’m exploring that through my work.
I just love performing so much, and I threw myself into every musical theater production that was going in my home town and at school. And then, I went to the National Youth Music Theatre, which was really a galvanizing experience for me when I was 17.
I like the collarbone, a very clean collarbone. I think there’s something also very delicate and balletic about that part of a woman’s body, and I’m not really a cleavage person, but I do like a back or a shoulder; I think there’s something very alluring about backless dresses.
When you become a slave to a public persona and don’t feel comfortable without it, it becomes a shield, and it shouldn’t come at the expense of your self-worth.
