THUSO MBEDU

“The Woman King”

Becoming an actor was never part of Mbedu’s plan. She thought she could make a difference as a dermatologist. But choosing drama on a whim in the 10th grade was when her focus shifted. “I fell in love with it then and did not look back.” And the rewards were immediate after her first performance brought the crowd to tears. “That’s when I was like, ‘I can use acting as a tool for social change.’ It’s about that, bringing healing to people through storytelling.”

While Mbedu’s star is on the rise with terrific turns in “Is’thunzi” and “The Underground Railroad,” her work in her first major studio release, “The Woman King,” is show-stopping. Her character Nawi, an ambitious trainee in the Dahomey king’s all-female military unit, goes on an emotional journey while her physical acuity is put to the test — something she too experienced. “I’m constantly trying to push myself and see how far I can take myself physically within the performance. I had a fitness test during my audition. That was scary, but also exhilarating.”

Projects that challenge Mbedu are those that inspire. “I want it to be a thing that, even if a small number of people watch, they’ll be mobilized for some sort of change.” She’s also open to different genres — up next is a science-fiction story set in the 1950s. “I always want to improve on who I am as an artist. I never want to relax, because then what’s the point of doing it?”

— Courtney Howard

Reps: Agency: WME; Management: Beth Mcintosh; Legal: Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole Influences: Viola Davis, Denzel Washington, John Boyega, Jonathan Majors, Sebastian Stan, Kelvin Harrison Jr.