16 Facts About Zawe Ashton

Zawedde Emma Ashton is a British actress and playwright.

Zawe Ashton is best known for her roles in the comedy dramas Fresh Meat and Not Safe for Work, the Netflix horror thriller film Velvet Buzzsaw, and for her portrayal of Joyce Carol Vincent in Dreams of a Life.

Zawe Ashton is the eldest of three children born to a Ugandan mother, Victoria, and an English father, Paul Ashton.

Zawe Ashton attended the Anna Scher Theatre School from the age of 6, and was a member of the National Youth Theatre.

Zawe Ashton gained her degree in acting at Manchester Metropolitan University.

In June 2010 Zawe Ashton was awarded 2nd prize at the Ian Charleson Awards for her classical performance in Salome.

In May 2010, Zawe Ashton was named one of the "55 Faces of the Future" by Nylon magazine's Young Hollywood Issue.

Zawe Ashton began entering poetry slams at age of 17, and won the London Poetry Slam Championship in 2000.

Zawe Ashton's other plays include Skunk, performed by the National Youth Theatre and Soho Theatre; and She from the Sea, performed in 2010 at the London International Festival of Theatre.

Zawe Ashton contributed to the writing of The Children's Monologues, adapted from over 300 original stories by Tswana, Zulu and Sesotho children in South Africa and presented by Dramatic Need in 2010.

Zawe Ashton has worked with the Bush Theatre and the Clean Break theatre company.

In 2019, Zawe Ashton published her first book, Character Breakdown, a fictionalized memoir based on her experiences as an actress.

Zawe Ashton was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in July 2021.

Zawe Ashton has narrated episodes of 24 Hours in Police Custody, shown on Channel 4.

Zawe Ashton narrated a documentary, Public Enemies: Jay-Z vs Kanye, for the same channel in 2017.

In 2017, Zawe Ashton presented the third series of Random Acts, Channel 4's short-film showcase in association with Arts Council England.