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" 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
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" When you become a slave to a public persona and don't feel comfortable without it, it becomes a shield, and it shouldn't come at the expense of your self-worth. "
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You
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" Watching and learning from the great Josette Bushell-Mingo, who was playing Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra at the time, and then to return to the same stage six months later playing a lead role, was incredible - I fell in love with the poetry and the breadth of the language so much that I didn't want it to end. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Time
Poetry
Love
" 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
" 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 was always the one leading the way in terms of wanting to do acting, singing and dancing. I was lucky that my mother had a very well-adjusted perspective of the world and never pressured me to do anything I didn't want to do. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
World
Mother
Perspective
" I see L.A. as a workplace rather than somewhere to live. If I don't get out, I go crazy. If you have a little success, people treat you differently, so it's good to keep a healthy perspective. It's acting, not rocket science. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
You
Perspective
Good
" 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
" In 2009, I was living in London and getting work I enjoyed. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Work
London
Living
" When I'm not working, I'm really, really low key. I don't wear makeup unless I have to; I don't get my hair done unless I really need to. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Hair
Done
Working
" I feel like my work has been incredibly diverse. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I Feel Like
Feel
Work
" I was so thrilled to be in 'Doctor Who.' It's such a wonderful experience, and the fan base that that show has never fails to surprise me. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Experience
Doctor
Surprise
" 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 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 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 like to choose things that fit my body for sure; you learn to find the things that complement your shape. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Body
Like
You
" I think there are parts of myself in every character I play. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Character
I Think
Myself
" I didn't really grow up on hip-hop. Ella Fitzgerald and the old school jazz divas are more my comfort zone. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Comfort Zone
Grow
Old
" If you're an artist, it's great to have a knowledge of the business and be educated about that, but you've got to keep the balance right between business and artistry; otherwise, you get cynical. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Great
You
Balance
" 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 enjoy classics, but classics are classics for a reason. I prefer to focus on the future. There are a lot of new stories to be heard. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Future
Enjoy
Reason
" 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
" 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
" 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'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
" 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 like being free to take on any project that inspires me and to trust that the work will speak for itself. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Trust
Free
Me
" I try not to define myself. Other people are going to do that for you anyway. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Try
Define
Going
" 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
" The 'Pride and Prejudice' with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle was something I watched on a weekly basis with my mum at home in Oxfordshire. "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Home
Basis
Prejudice
" When I was nine, 'The Borrowers' was such a big series for me! "
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Nine
Series
Big