Chipo Chung facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chipo Chung
Chung in 2008
Born	Chipo Tariro Chung (1977-08-17) 17 August 1977 (age 47) Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Nationality	Zimbabwean
Education	Yale University (BA) Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (BA)
Years active	2003–present
Parents	Rugare Gumbo (father) Fay Chung (mother)

Chipo Tariro Chung (born August 17, 1977) is a talented actress from Zimbabwe. She is also known for her work as an activist, helping people and causes she believes in. She currently lives in London, England.

Early Life and Journey

Chipo Chung was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Her parents were refugees who had fled from war. Her first name, Chipo, means "gift" in the Shona language. For the first two years of her life, she lived in refugee camps in Mozambique. These camps were full of young people escaping the war in their home country, which was then called Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

After the war, Chipo grew up in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. She went to the Dominican Convent High School. It was here that she started to love acting. She joined a theater group called Over the Edge, which included actors of different races.

When she was 18, Chipo moved to the United States. Her mother, Fay Chung, was a famous educator who had been the minister of education in Zimbabwe. At the time, her mother was working for the United Nations.

Chipo studied at two of the world's best schools. First, she studied directing at Yale University in the U.S. Then, she moved to London to train as an actress at the famous Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). She graduated in 2003.

Acting Career

Chipo has had a successful career on stage, in movies, and on television.

On the Stage

Chipo's first major role in a play was as Ophelia in Hamlet. She has performed in many famous theaters and in classic plays. One of her biggest roles was in the play Phedre, where she acted alongside the famous actress Helen Mirren. This play was the first to be broadcast live from the Royal National Theatre to cinemas around the world.

In 2017, she played the main character in Dido, Queen of Carthage for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Critics loved her performance, with one writer saying she played the queen with a mix of emotions that was powerful to watch.

On Television and in Movies

Many people know Chipo from the popular science-fiction show Doctor Who. She appeared in two different episodes. In "Utopia", she played Chantho, an assistant to the Master. In "Turn Left", she played a character called the Fortune Teller.

Her other TV appearances include a role as a reporter in the detective series Sherlock and a part in the drama The Last Enemy.

Some of her other major TV roles include:

• Vivian in Camelot, a show about the legend of King Arthur.
• Mary Magdalene in A.D. The Bible Continues, a series about the Bible that was praised for having actors from all over the world.
• The Master in Into the Badlands, a martial arts show set in the future.
• Xaphania in His Dark Materials, playing a powerful angel.
• Eleanor Bennett in Black Cake, a series based on a best-selling book and produced by Oprah Winfrey's company.

She has also appeared in shows on Apple TV+ like Foundation and Silo. In movies, she was the voice of the spaceship's computer, Icarus II, in the science-fiction film Sunshine.

Awards and Recognition

Chipo's talent has been recognized with several honors. In 2014, the BBC named her one of its 100 Women, a list of inspiring women from around the world. In 2017, she received a Special Recognition Award at the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards for her work in acting and media.

Work as an Activist

Besides acting, Chipo Chung works hard to make the world a better place. An activist is someone who works to bring about political or social change.

She helped start a charity called SAFE-Kenya. This group uses theater to teach people in Kenya about important health issues, like HIV, and to help end harmful practices affecting girls. She also helped create Envision Zimbabwe, a group that helps women work for peace in Zimbabwe.

Chipo is also involved in groups that support actors. She is on the council for her old drama school, RADA, and is part of a committee that works to protect the freedom of artists around the world.

Filmography

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Film

Television

Video games

See also

In Spanish: Chipo Chung para niños