Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson (born 1 October 1987),
known professionally as Michaela Coel, is a British screenwriter and actress. She is best known for creating and starring in the
E4 sitcom ''
Chewing Gum
Chewing gum is a soft, cohesive substance designed to be chewed without being swallowed. Modern chewing gum is composed of gum base, sweeteners, softeners/ plasticizers, flavors, colors, and, typically, a hard or powdered polyol coating. Its t ...
'' (2015–2017), for which she won the
BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance; and the
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
/
HBO comedy-drama series ''
I May Destroy You'' (2020) for which she won the
British Academy Television Award for Best Actress
This is a list of the British Academy Television Awards for Best Actress. The British Academy Television Awards began in 1955. The Best Actress award was initially given as an "individual honour", without credit to a particular performance, until ...
in 2021. For her work on ''I May Destroy You'', Coel was the first Black woman to win the
Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special at the
73rd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2020, until May 31, 2021, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The award ceremony was held live on September 19, 2021, ...
.
Coel is also known for her work in other
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
productions, including guest-starring in the series ''
Black Mirror
''Black Mirror'' is a British anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. Individual episodes explore a diversity of genres, but most are set in near-future dystopias with science fiction technology—a type of speculative fiction ...
'' (2016–2017), starring as Kate Ashby in the series ''
Black Earth Rising
''Black Earth Rising'' is a 2018 British television miniseries written and directed by Hugo Blick, about the prosecution of international war criminals. The series is a co-production between BBC Two and Netflix. The show aired on BBC Two in th ...
'' (2018) and as Simone in the film
''Been So Long'' (2018).
Early life
Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson
was born in
East London.
[ Her parents are ]Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
ian. She and her sister were raised by their mother in East London,[ primarily Hackney and ]Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough covering much of the traditional East End. It was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former metropolitan boroughs of Stepney, Poplar, and Bethnal Green. 'Tower Hamlets' was originally ...
, .[ She attended ]Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
schools in East London, and has said that, during primary school, she bullied other pupils, claiming it was caused by her isolation as the only black pupil in her age cohort. The isolation did not continue into her secondary education at a comprehensive school.
From 2007 to 2009, Coel attended the University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...
, studying English Literature and Theology. She took a Ché Walker masterclass after meeting Walker at open mic nights. In 2009, she transferred to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...
, where she was the first black woman enrolled in five years. She won the Laurence Olivier Bursary Award, which helped her fund her schooling. During her time at Guildhall, Coel attended the Mark Proulx workshop at Prima del Teatro and took the Kat Francois Poetry Course at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with director Joan Littlewood, whose ...
. She graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2012.
Career
Beginnings
In 2006, Coel began performing at poetry open mics in Ealing. As she continued to do open mics, she was encouraged by actor, playwright and director Ché Walker, who saw her perform at the Hackney Empire
Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as ‘the most beautiful theatre in L ...
, to apply to Guildhall. As a poet, Coel performed on many stages, including Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500-s ...
, Bush Theatre, Nuyorican Poets Cafe
Nuyorican is a portmanteau of the terms "New York" and "Puerto Rican" and refers to the members or culture of the Puerto Ricans located in or around New York City, or of their descendants (especially those raised or currently living in the N ...
and De Doelen
De Doelen is a concert venue and convention centre in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It was originally built in 1934 but then destroyed in 1940 during the German bombardment of Rotterdam in May 1940 at the outset of World War II. It was rebuilt in 19 ...
, Rotterdam. She went by the name Michaela The Poet.
Coel joined the summer school program TYPT in 2009. During her time at Talawa, Coel was in the TYPT 2009 production of ''Krunch'', directed by Amani Naphtali. That same year, Coel released an album entitled ''Fixing Barbie'', which featured her work as a poet and musician. In 2011, Coel released the record ''We're the Losers''.
Coel's play ''Chewing Gum Dreams'' was her senior graduation project at Guildhall in 2012. The play was first produced at The Yard Theatre
The Yard Theatre is a theatre and music venue in a converted warehouse in Hackney Wick in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It programmes theatre and performance, late-night music events, and manages two community centres where it runs work wi ...
in Hackney Wick. The play featured Coel in a one-woman show telling the dramatic story of a 14-year-old girl named Tracey. The play then went on to be produced by the Bush Theatre (2012), Royal Theatre Holland (2012), Royal Exchange Theatre
The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal ...
(2013) and the National Theatre (2014). It received positive reviews.
Early work and breakthrough (2013–2019)
In 2013, Coel appeared in Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
drama ''Top Boy
''Top Boy'' is a British television crime drama series, created and written by Ronan Bennett. The series is set in the fictional Summerhouse estate in the London Borough of Hackney and focuses on two drug dealers Dushane ( Ashley Walters) and ...
'' and has had leading roles at the National Theatre, including the award-nominated ''Home'' and the critically-acclaimed ''Medea
In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...
''.
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
announced that Coel would write and star in a new sitcom called ''Chewing Gum
Chewing gum is a soft, cohesive substance designed to be chewed without being swallowed. Modern chewing gum is composed of gum base, sweeteners, softeners/ plasticizers, flavors, colors, and, typically, a hard or powdered polyol coating. Its t ...
'', inspired by her play ''Chewing Gum Dreams'' in August 2014. "C4 Comedy Blaps" were released as teasers in September 2014, and the series began on E4 in October 2015. 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. ''Chewing Gum'' received overwhelmingly positive reviews.
In 2015, Coel appeared in BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
drama '' London Spy''. The following year, she played Lilyhot in the E4 sci-fi comedy-drama '' The Aliens'', which was filmed in Bulgaria.
''Chewing Gum'' returned for a second series in January 2017. She also appeared in both the " Nosedive" and "USS Callister
"USS Callister" is the first episode of the fourth series of the dystopian anthology series ''Black Mirror''. Written by series creator Charlie Brooker and William Bridges and directed by Toby Haynes, it first aired on Netflix, along with the re ...
" episodes of Charlie Brooker
Charlton Brooker (born 3 March 1971) is an English television presenter, writer, producer and satirist. He is the creator and co-showrunner of the sci-fi drama anthology series ''Black Mirror'', and has written for comedy series such as ''Bras ...
's series ''Black Mirror
''Black Mirror'' is a British anthology television series created by Charlie Brooker. Individual episodes explore a diversity of genres, but most are set in near-future dystopias with science fiction technology—a type of speculative fiction ...
''. Coel also had a small role in the 2017 film '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi''.
In 2018, Coel starred in ''Black Earth Rising
''Black Earth Rising'' is a 2018 British television miniseries written and directed by Hugo Blick, about the prosecution of international war criminals. The series is a co-production between BBC Two and Netflix. The show aired on BBC Two in th ...
'', a co-production between BBC Two and Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
, where she played Kate, the main character. She also starred as Simone in the musical-drama film '' Been So Long'', by Che Walker, based on his own stage play, which was released on Netflix to positive reviews in October 2018.
Critical acclaim (2020–present)
Coel 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
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
in the UK and HBO in the US in June 2020 to widespread acclaim. She acknowledged refusing $1 million from Netflix after the streaming service declined to offer her intellectual property ownership of her show.
In 2020, Coel was included in ''Time''s 100 Most Influential People. She was also named as one of the breakout stars of 2020 for film. Coel also appeared in British ''Vogue'''s 2020 list of influential women. Furthermore, in the 15th annual ''Powerlist
The ''Powerlist'' is a list of the 100 most influential people of African or African Caribbean heritage in the United Kingdom. The list is updated annually and has been published in book format by Powerful Media since 2007. The ''Powerlist'' is ...
'' of the most influential people of African or African-Caribbean heritage in the United Kingdom, Coel was ranked fourth for the impact of her work on '' I May Destroy You''.
In July 2021, Coel was cast in '' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever''.
Coel's first book, ''Misfits: a Personal Manifesto'', was published simultaneously in the UK and the USA on 7 September 2021 by Ebury Press. Based on her MacTaggart lecture at 2018's Edinburgh Festival
__NOTOC__
This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
, which touches on Coel's experiences with racism and misogyny, her publisher described the book as "a powerful manifesto on how speaking your truth and owning your differences can transform your life".
Personal life
At the 2016 BAFTA Awards, Coel wore a dress, designed by her mother, made of Kente cloth
Kente ( ak, kente or ''nwetoma''; ee, kete; Dagbani: Chinchini) refers to a Ghanaian textile, made of handwoven cloth, strips of silk and cotton. Historically the fabric was worn in a toga-like fashion by royalty among ethnic groups such as the ...
. She has said that, like her ''Chewing Gum'' character Tracey, she became very religious in the Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement faith and embraced celibacy. Coel stopped practising Pentecostalism after attending Guildhall. She identifies as aromantic.
Filmography
Film
Television
Stage
Discography
EP
*''22 May'' (2007)
LPs
*''Fixing Barbie'' (2009)
*''We're the Losers'' (2011)
Awards and nominations
Works and publications
*
*
References
External links
*
*
Michaela Coel
s James MacTaggart Lecture at Edinburgh TV Festival
The Edinburgh International Television Festival is an annual media event held in the United Kingdom each August which brings together delegates from the television and digital world to debate the major issues facing the industry.
The Festival ...
2018
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coel, Michaela
Living people
1987 births
20th-century LGBT people
21st-century British actresses
21st-century LGBT people
Actresses from London
Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Aromantic women
Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners
Best Female Comedy Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners
Black British women writers
Black British women comedians
Black British actresses
British film actresses
British people of Ghanaian descent
British stage actresses
British television actresses
British television writers
British women dramatists and playwrights
British women poets
Former Pentecostals
People from Aldgate
LGBT actresses
WFTV Award winners
British women television writers
21st-century British screenwriters
21st-century British women writers