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" In 2009, I was living in London and getting work I enjoyed. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Work
London
Living
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" Sometimes you can't fight change, because you're a part of it, and I feel that in the context of these films that are happening now, there is a kind of change coming in terms of how history is represented on film, and the African, and the African-American and British African experience. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Experience
Change
Fight
" I've always sung. I was really into musical theater when I was growing up. As a kid, I listened to Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone, actually, on cassette tapes. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Growing Up
Up
Kid
" It's odd doing a movie, and then a year and half later having to go to a premiere and talk about what you did, and get dressed up and have your picture taken. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Dressed
Doing
Picture
" In terms of 'Beyond the Lights' and 'Belle,' they're definitely stories about identity. They're female empowerment stories. So I'm exploring that through my work. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Work
About
Lights
" I think being biracial is a different experience. I think that, and coming from the U.K., I feel as much white as I do black. And so it's really important for me to address these issues of identity in my work. But also, you know, we're always stronger when we work on, you know, what we have in common. And I love exploring that in my work. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Work
Think
Experience
" I try not to define myself. Other people are going to do that for you anyway. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Try
Define
Going
" The actors that inspire me are the comedians and the people able to shape-shift into different roles and into different media. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Different
People
Media
" My personal style is somewhat androgynous and simple. With my lifestyle, I've become more of a minimalist. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Personal
Style
Simple
" I spent a chunk of time in New Orleans doing the movie 'Free State Of Jones,' getting to work with Matthew McConaughey, and also did 'Concussion,' where I got to work with Will Smith. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Work
Will
New
" That's the wonderful thing about acting - you play a role. It's about humanity, rather than labeling. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Play
Humanity
Acting
" I do a lot of yoga, and when I'm in L.A., I have an outdoorsy sort of lifestyle. It's sort of comfortable, West Coast, yoga chic. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
West Coast
West
Comfortable
" I played Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz.' That was my first role on stage. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Wizard
First
Role
" This is what I've always wanted to do ever since I was a little girl. Coming from dance and theater and what was accessible to me in my hometown, it was all I did after school and on the weekends. The idea of making my hobby into my job was the ultimate quest. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
School
Job
Girl
" I don't really want to just play the girlfriend or the love interest. I get so many scripts like that, and - not to moan, because I'm really fortunate - but I just look at those scripts, and my heart sinks a little bit because I think there's so much more to us than that. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Look
Think
Love
" This is going to sound really sad, but I didn't really have any heartthrobs when I was growing up. I was a bit of a geek. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Going
Sound
Sad
" I was born in the '80s, so I don't really remember it very strongly, but the music is so iconic. And so those artists - Madonna, Prince, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston - you still hear those songs all the time. And there's such a distinctive style - the clothes, the shoulder pads, the big hair, the perm. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Music
Hair
Clothes
" Speaking as a mixed-race woman, there aren't many historical stories about people like me. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Woman
Me
People
" You've got to find a way to relate to people. I just did an improvised episode for Joe Swanberg's new Netflix show, 'Easy,' and it was a huge learning curve for me and taught me so much about fear and courage. But when you're present in the moment, the audience, it's incomparable. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Moment
Fear
Learning
" I never wanted to be like anyone growing up. It's always been about the enjoyment, and I've just never wanted to imitate anyone. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Growing Up
Growing
Enjoyment
" For me, I try and be authentic in my choices and follow my instincts, and I think it's a valuable message for women in today's society to learn to love yourself. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Women
Society
Love
" In my own life, when I'm not working, I do wear a lot of black. I think I do feel very comfortable in black. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
My Own
Life
Think
" When I was nine, 'The Borrowers' was such a big series for me! "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Nine
Series
Big
" Corsets were a challenge in 'Belle;' fake nails tripped me up in 'Blackbird.' Guess I'm not a mani type of girl! "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Challenge
Fake
Girl
" I like the collarbone, a very clean collarbone. I think there's something also very delicate and balletic about that part of a woman's body, and I'm not really a cleavage person, but I do like a back or a shoulder; I think there's something very alluring about backless dresses. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Person
Woman
Clean
" You have to be able to appreciate who you are. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Able
Who
You
" I definitely grew up to Nina Simone and a lot of Ella Fitzgerald. And I loved Amy Winehouse. I loved that sort of soulful singer. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Singer
Up
Lot
" I just love performing so much, and I threw myself into every musical theater production that was going in my home town and at school. And then, I went to the National Youth Music Theatre, which was really a galvanizing experience for me when I was 17. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Music
Love
Home
" I'm a very improvisational cook. I sort of like to make things up as I go along. I'm quite creative in the kitchen. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Creative
Kitchen
Things
" One of my favourite places is Hampstead Heath. When I first moved to London, I lived in Highgate, and I would walk on the Heath at the weekends and go to the Kenwood House coffee shop. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Places
Coffee
Go
" I feel like I learn in every project. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Learn
I Feel Like
Feel