Naomi Ackie
Naomi Ackie (born 2 November 1992)[1] is a British actress. In 2015 she made her television debut as Jen in the Doctor Who episode "Face the Raven". For her role as Bonnie on the television dark comedy-drama series The End of the F***ing World she received the 2020 British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress. She is also known for her role as Jannah in the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
Naomi Ackie | |
---|---|
Born | Walthamstow, London, England | 2 November 1992
Education | Walthamstow School for Girls |
Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 2015–present |
Early life
Naomi Ackie was born and raised in Walthamstow, London,[2] the daughter of second-generation immigrants from Grenada.[3] Her father was a Transport for London employee and her mother worked for the National Health Service.[2] She is one of three children and has an older brother and sister.[2] She went to Walthamstow School for Girls.
Her first role was at the age of 11, playing the angel Gabriel in a school nativity play.[3] She studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and graduated in 2012.[2][4]
Career
Ackie's breakthrough film role was in Lady Macbeth (2016),[5] for which she won the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer in 2017.[6] She subsequently appeared in the films Yardie (2018) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).[7][8] She also portrayed a main role in the second season of comedy series The End of the F***ing World.[9] She played a school inspector in Education, a drama film that is part of the anthology film series Small Axe.[10] Ackie will star in the biographical film I Wanna Dance with Somebody, portraying American singer Whitney Houston.[11]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | I Used to Be Famous | Amber | Short Film |
2016 | Lady Macbeth | Anna | |
2018 | Yardie | Mona | |
2019 | The Corrupted | Grace | |
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Jannah | ||
2020 | Education | Hazel | |
TBA | The Score | Gloria | Post-production |
TBA | I Wanna Dance With Somebody | Whitney Houston | Announced |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2015 | Doctor Who | Jen | 1 episode ("Face the Raven") |
2016 | The Five | Gemma Morgan | Miniseries (2 episodes) |
Damilola, Our Loved Boy | Council Worker | Television film | |
2018 | Vera | Louise Everitt | 1 episode ("Black Ice") |
The Bisexual | Ruby | 5 episodes | |
2019 | Cleaning Up | Beth | 2 episodes |
The End of the F***ing World | Bonnie | Main role (season 2) | |
2021 | Master of None | TBA | Supporting role (season 3) |
Stage
Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Success | Lucy | National Theatre, London | with Islington Youth Theatre |
2012 | The Day the Waters Came | Esther | UK Tour | with Theatre Centre |
2013 | The Snow Queen | Gowrie | Greenwich Theatre, London | |
Life Mould | Rita | Canada Water Library, London | as part of "Write Lines Conference" by Theatre Centre | |
Missing | Kevin Godsen | Engineer Theatre, Edinburgh | as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe | |
Billy the Girl | Amber | Soho Theatre, London | ||
2015 | The Nutcracker and the Mouse King | Mama | Unicorn Theatre, London | |
Walking the Tightrope | Mercedes | Theatre Delicatessen | ||
Solace of the Road | Grace Gibson | Derby Theatre, Derby | ||
Plunder | Her | Young Vic, London |
Awards and nominations
Year | Work | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Lady Macbeth | British Independent Film Award | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated |
Most Promising Newcomer | Won | |||
Evening Standard British Film Award | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | ||
N/A | Screen International Star of Tomorrow | 2017 Actors | Won | |
2020 | The End of the F***ing World | BAFTA TV Award | Best Supporting Actress | Won |
References
- "Naomi Ackie: 7 facts to know about the Star Wars actor". Global. PopBuzz. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- Famurewa, Jimi (12 December 2019). "Meet Naomi Ackie: the breakthrough Star Wars newcomer". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- Hicklin, Aaron (5 December 2019). "'Star Wars' actress Naomi Ackie on her meteoric rise to fame". New York Post. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- "Stars of Tomorrow 2017: Naomi Ackie (actor)". Screen. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- Jones, Ellen (26 April 2017). "Actor Naomi Ackie: "I love London's creative vibe"". Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- "Naomi Ackie Wins British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer | Roman Candle Productions". romancandleproductions.com. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
- Ruby, Jennifer (14 August 2017). "Naomi Ackie admits she tried not to 'freak out' when she auditioned for Idris Elba's directorial debut". Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- Brown, Tracy (30 October 2019). "'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker': Meet Naomi Ackie, the new face of a more inclusive galaxy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- Liebman, Lisa (15 November 2019). "Naomi Ackie on The End of the F***ing World, Eating Lipstick, and Joining Star Wars". Vulture. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- Robey, Tim (13 December 2020). "Small Axe: Education, review: Steve McQueen ends his tremendous anthology by going back to school". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- Galuppo, Mia (15 December 2020). "Whitney Houston Biopic Finds Its Star in Naomi Ackie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 December 2020.