Wunmi Mosaku

Wunmi Mosaku (born 1986) is a Nigerian-born British actress and singer.[2] She is known for her roles as Joy in the BBC Two miniseries Moses Jones (2009) and Holly Lawson in the ITV series Vera (2011–12). She won the 2017 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gloria Taylor in the TV film Damilola, Our Loved Boy (2016). In 2019, she starred in the fifth series of Luther.[3] In 2020, she starred as Ruby Baptiste in HBO's Lovecraft Country.

Wunmi Mosaku
Mosaku at The Old Vic, 2010
Born
Oluwunmi Mosaku

1986 (age 34–35)[1]
Nigeria
Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (2007)
Occupation
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active2006–present

Early life

Mosaku was born in Nigeria, and subsequently emigrated to Manchester, England, when she was one year old. She attended Trinity Church of England High School and Xaverian Sixth Form College. She also sang for eleven years in the Manchester Girls Choir. Her parents were both professors in Nigeria but were unable to do the same jobs in the UK. Her mother started a business and her father ended up returning to Nigeria.[3]

Career

Mosaku graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2007 and made her stage debut at the Arcola Theatre in a production of Pedro Calderón de la Barca's The Great Theatre of the World. Since then she has also appeared in Rough Crossings, directed by Rupert Goold and based on the book by Simon Schama, at the Lyric Hammersmith; The Vertical Hour by David Hare and Truth and Reconciliation, both at the Royal Court Theatre; and Mules at the Young Vic. In 2009, she appeared in Katrina, a verbatim play which told six people's stories of their struggles of survival when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans August 2005. Mosaku was originally cast as Sophie in the UK premiere of Ruined by Lynn Nottage at the Almeida Theatre but had to pull out due to an injury.

In 2008, she appeared in the first of the UNDEREXPOSED exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery, designed to raise the profile of black role models and celebrates the talent that exists among the Black British community. Her photo also appeared on Commercial Way, Peckham, London, as part of the exhibition. In 2009, she starred in the BBC Two series Moses Jones, for which she won Best Actress in a Miniseries at the Roma Fiction Festival.

She featured on the front cover of Screen International magazine June–July 2009 as one of the UK Stars of Tomorrow, and in 2011 was featured in Nylon Magazine's 2011 Young Hollywood issue.

In 2010, Wunmi Mosaku was named one of The Seven Fresh Faces of Toronto International Film Festival, for I Am Slave,[4] in which she starred. She plays Malia, a girl who has been kidnapped from her village in Sudan, and sold into slavery. For her performance Mosaku won awards such as Best Actress at the Birmingham Black Film Festival, Best Onscreen performance at the Cultural Diversity Awards and Best Female performance at the Screen Nation Awards. In 2011, Mosaku joined the cast of Vera, playing the role of Holly Lawson, but left the show after just one year.

In 2015, Mosaku played the part of Quentina, a traffic warden, in the three-part BBC series Capital based on John Lanchester's novel of the same name.[5] In 2016, she appeared in Playtest, an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror.

Mosaku won the 2017 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Gloria Taylor in the TV film Damilola, Our Loved Boy.

Personal life

When asked to list her personal heroes, Mosaku included her grandmother Anike Adisa, whom she described as having "taught me so many lessons"; actor Albert Finney who was her inspiration for attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; her colleague and former instructor at RADA, William Gaskill; Paul Newman, who she admired, not just for his acting, but also for his philanthropic efforts with Newman's Own; and Oprah Winfrey, who Mosaku considers "a superwoman."[6]

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Director
2006 The Women of Troy Helen of Troy Phil Hawkins
2010 Honeymooner Seema Col Spector
Womb Erica Benedek Fliegauf
I Am Slave Malia Gabriel Range
2011 Stolen Sonia Carney Justin Chadwick
Citadel Marie Ciaran Foy
2013PhilomenaYoung nunStephen Frears
2016Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeKahina ZiriZack Snyder
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find ThemBerylDavid Yates
2018Leading Lady PartsHerselfJessica Swale
2019Sweetness in the BellyAminaZeresenay Berhane Mehari
2020His HouseRialRemi Weekes

Television
Year Show Role Notes
2007 Sold Firefighter Episode #1.5
2008 Never Better Server Episode: "First Week Euphoria"
Doctors Nurse Kelly Strathairn Episode: "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding?"
The Bill Sophie Oduya Episode "Trial and Error: Part 1"
2009 Moses Jones Joy
2010 Silent Witness Charlie Gibbs
One Night in Emergency Beautiful Nurse
Father & Son Stacey Cox
Law & Order: UK Tamika Vincent
2011 Vera Holly Lawson
32 Brinkburn Street Joy
The Body Farm Rosa Gilbert
Jo Angélique Alassane
2013 Dancing on the Edge Carla
Truckers
2014 In the Flesh Maxine Martin
2015 Don't Take My Baby Belinda
Capital Quentina
2016 Black Mirror Katie Episode: "Playtest"
Damilola, Our Loved Boy Gloria Taylor BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress
2017 Fearless DCS Olivia Greenwood
The End of the F***ing World DC Teri Darego
2018 Kiri DI Vanessa Mercer
2019 Luther DS Catherine Halliday
Animal Babies: First Year on Earth Narrator 3 part wildlife series
Temple Mercy King
2020 Lovecraft Country Ruby Baptiste Main role
Nominated—Critics' Choice Super Awards for Best Actress in a Horror Series
Pending—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Pending—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2021 Loki Post-production

Radio

References
  1. "Wunmi Mosaku. (1986-), Stage and screen actress". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  2. "TEN MINUTES WITH... WUNMI MOSAKU". Arise Live. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  3. Wise, Louis (23 December 2018). "Wunmi Mosaku interview: Idris Elba's new Luther sidekick on how she got into acting by watching Annie". The Times. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  4. Peter J. Thompson. "I AM SLAVE'S WUNMI MOSAKU ON BEING MENDE NAZER". Nigeria Films. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  5. "BBC One: Capital". BBC Online. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  6. "Wunmi Mosaku: my heroes and heroines". The Telegraph. United Kingdom. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
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