31 Facts About Michaela Coel

Michaela Coel is known for her work in other Netflix productions, including guest-starring in the series Black Mirror, and starring in the series Black Earth Rising and film Been So Long.

Michaela Coel Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson was born in 1987 in East London.

Michaela Coel attended Catholic 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.

From 2007 to 2009, Michaela Coel attended the University of Birmingham, studying English Literature and Theology.

Michaela Coel took a Che Walker masterclass after meeting Walker at open mic nights.

Michaela Coel won the Laurence Olivier Bursary Award, which helped her fund her schooling.

Michaela Coel graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2012.

In 2006, Michaela Coel began performing at poetry open mics in Ealing.

Michaela Coel joined the Talawa Theatre Company summer school program TYPT in 2009.

That same year, Michaela Coel released an album entitled Fixing Barbie, which featured her work as a poet and musician.

Michaela Coel's play Chewing Gum Dreams was her senior graduation project at Guildhall in 2012.

In 2013, Michaela Coel appeared in Channel 4 drama Top Boy and has had leading roles at the National Theatre, including the award-nominated Home and the critically acclaimed Medea.

Channel 4 announced that Michaela Coel would write and star in a new sitcom called Chewing Gum, inspired by her play Chewing Gum Dreams in August 2014.

Michaela Coel's performance earned her the British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2016.

Michaela Coel won a BAFTA for Breakthrough Talent for writing the show.

In 2015, Michaela Coel appeared in BBC One drama London Spy.

Michaela Coel appeared in both the "Nosedive" and "USS Callister" episodes of Charlie Brooker's series Black Mirror.

Michaela Coel had a small role in the 2017 film Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

In 2018, Michaela Coel starred in Black Earth Rising, a co-production between BBC Two and Netflix, where she played Kate, the main character.

Michaela Coel 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.

Michaela Coel acknowledged refusing $1 million from Netflix after the streaming service declined to offer her intellectual property ownership of her show.

In 2020, Michaela Coel was included in Times 100 Most Influential People.

Michaela Coel was named as one of the breakout stars of 2020 for film.

Michaela Coel appeared in British Vogue's 2020 list of influential women.

In July 2021, Michaela Coel was cast in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever which was released on November 11,2022.

Michaela Coel plays the role of Aneka, a member of the Dora Milaje.

Michaela Coel was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2022.

On 19 August 2024 Michaela Coel announced her first TV show in four years.

The upcoming TV show will see Michaela Coel write, star in and executive produce First Day On Earth, a 10-part series for the BBC, which will begin filming in 2025.

At the 2016 British Academy Television Awards, Michaela Coel wore a gown designed by her mother, made of Kente cloth.

Michaela Coel has said that, like her Chewing Gum character Tracey, she became very religious as a Pentecostal Christian and embraced celibacy.