. . . AND THE STAR THEY BELIEVE WAS SHUNNED
MICHAELA COEL shot to international fame with her portrayal of Arabella, a young woman who seeks to rebuild her life after being raped, in the BBC1 series I May Destroy You.
The 33-year-old actress not only starred in the drama, but created it, wrote the script and codirected it. She was also an executive producer.
Born to Ghanaian parents in London, she has spoken about how isolation at primary school prompted her to bully some of her peers and how she still experiences racism in the UK. After university, she enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, having won a bursary.
Before I May Destroy You, she created and starred in the E4 comedy Chewing Gum, winning a Bafta for her performance.
She was included in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020 and appeared in British Vogue’s list of influential women in the same year.
Last year she was among more than 3,500 film and TV professionals who signed an open letter demanding an end to ‘systemic racism’ in the industry.