Danai Gurira facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Danai Gurira
Gurira at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Danai Jekesai Gurira (1978-02-14) February 14, 1978 (age 47) Grinnell, Iowa, U.S.
Citizenship	United States and Zimbabwe
Education	Macalester College (BA) New York University (MFA)
Occupation	Actress playwright screenwriter
Years active	2004–present

Danai Jekesai Gurira (born February 14, 1978) is a talented actress, playwright, and activist. She is famous for playing Michonne in the TV show The Walking Dead. She also played Okoye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Her films have earned a lot of money, making her one of the highest-grossing actresses ever.

As a writer, she won an Obie Award for her plays. She wrote the Broadway play Eclipsed, which was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. In 2023, she received the TIME100 Impact Award for her work.

Early Life and Learning

Danai Gurira was born on February 14, 1978, in Grinnell, Iowa, in the U.S. Her mother was a college librarian, and her father was a chemistry professor. Her parents moved from Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to the United States in 1964. Danai is the youngest of four children.

When she was five, in December 1983, her family moved back to Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. She went to high school there. At 18, she returned to the U.S. to study at Macalester College. She earned a degree in psychology. Later, she got a master's degree in acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Her Career Journey

Starting Out

Gurira taught playwriting and acting in countries like Liberia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. One of her first big performances was in 2001. She was a senior at Macalester College and acted in a play. Her director, Dale Ricardo Shields, said she was very smart and focused.

Theater and Playwriting

Danai Gurira started writing plays because she wanted to tell stories about strong women. She felt there weren't enough stories about African women. She wanted to show their experiences and strengths.

"Born into this world as an African girl, I never understood the absence of voices and people who were similar to me, it never made sense to me that I couldn't see that representation. The very massive magnitude of content you get in television and film, and yet there was this almost absolute absence of the stories of women from the continent and of the continent. [...] I didn't accept any ideas as to why it wasn't there. It just needed to be there. It just has to happen, and I guess I'll have to do it."

She has been asked to write plays for famous theaters like Yale Repertory Theatre.

Gurira co-wrote and starred in a play called In the Continuum. This play won her an Obie Award. In 2011, this play was performed in Harare, Zimbabwe. It told the story of two women dealing with HIV.

In 2009, Gurira made her Broadway acting debut. She was in August Wilson's play Joe Turner's Come and Gone.

Her 2012 play The Convert was first shown in Chicago and New Jersey. Gurira won the Whiting Award for new playwrights for this work.

In 2015, her play Familiar opened. It's about family and cultural identity. Gurira said her own family and friends inspired this play.

In May 2023, Gurira played Richard III in a Shakespeare in the Park show. She was nominated for an award for her performance.

Eclipsed Play

In 2015, the famous actress Lupita Nyong'o starred in Gurira's play, Eclipsed. This play moved to Broadway in 2016. It was special because it was the first Broadway play with an all-female and all-Black cast and creative team.

The play is set in war-torn Liberia. It shows how three women, who are living in a difficult situation with a rebel commander, cope. It also features one of his former wives and a relief worker. The play starred Nyong'o and was directed by Liesl Tommy.

Gurira was inspired to write Eclipsed by a photo of a female freedom fighter from Liberia. She also traveled to Liberia in 2007. There, she interviewed many women who had experienced violence during the civil wars. She also spoke with women who helped end the fighting. The names of the characters in Eclipsed come from the people Gurira met.

For Eclipsed and Familiar, Danai Gurira received the 2016 Sam Norkin Award. The award praised her deep understanding and fresh voice in American theater. Eclipsed was nominated for six Tony Awards, including Tony Award for Best Play.

Movies and TV Shows

Gurira starred in the movie The Visitor in 2007. She won an award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. She also appeared in films like Ghost Town (2008) and My Soul to Take (2010). She was in TV shows such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Treme.

In 2013, Gurira played the main role in Mother of George. She played a Nigerian woman trying to live in the United States. Critics praised her performance.

In 2017, Gurira played Tupac Shakur's mother, Afeni Shakur, in the movie All Eyez on Me. This film was about the rap star's life. She was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for her role.

In 2020, she signed a deal with ABC Studios to create new projects.

The Walking Dead Series

Gurira at the 2015 The Walking Dead Panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

In March 2012, AMC announced that Gurira would join the TV series The Walking Dead. This show was very popular. Gurira played Michonne, a strong woman who uses a katana (a type of sword). Michonne has a mysterious past and a determined spirit. She joins a group of survivors in a zombie apocalypse world. Over time, she shows her caring and smart qualities. Gurira learned to ride horses for the show, which she enjoyed.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Michonne as the best character in The Walking Dead. They called Gurira's acting "extraordinary." In March 2025, Ranker listed Michonne as one of the top 10 greatest female TV characters ever.

In February 2019, it was reported that Gurira would leave the show after filming her last episodes in the tenth season. Her final episode aired in March 2020. She appeared in 96 episodes of the series.

In July 2022, it was announced that a new mini-series would be made. It would focus on Michonne and Rick Grimes. Danai Gurira and Andrew Lincoln would play their roles again. The series, called The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, started in February 2024. It had six episodes. Gurira helped create and produce the show. She also wrote one of the episodes. Critics and audiences liked the series. They said Danai Gurira and Andrew Lincoln's acting was "phenomenal."

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Danai Gurira was cast in Marvel's movie Black Panther, which came out in February 2018. She played General Okoye. Okoye is the loyal leader of the Dora Milaje. This is an elite all-female special forces unit that protects Wakanda and its king, the Black Panther.

Gurira received great reviews for her performance. She won a SAG Award for being part of the best movie cast. She also won a People's Choice Awards for Action Movie Star of 2018.

Gurira played Okoye again in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).

Helping Others and Activism

Danai Gurira is a strong supporter of women's rights. She also works to end poverty and raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

In 2011, Gurira helped start Almasi Arts. This group helps with arts education in Zimbabwe. Gurira is currently its Executive Artistic Director.

In 2015, Gurira signed an open letter from the ONE Campaign. This letter asked leaders to focus on women's issues. The next year, Gurira started Love Our Girls. This non-profit group highlights problems that affect women around the world. In 2016, she also worked with Johnson & Johnson to fight HIV/AIDS.

On December 2, 2018, Gurira became a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. She was announced at the Global Citizen Festival in South Africa. As an ambassador, Gurira helps bring attention to gender equality and women's rights. She also makes sure that women's voices are heard.

Danai has been a Global Citizen ambassador since 2016. She has worked with them on many campaigns and festivals. She even hosted an event in Ghana in 2022.

Personal Life

Gurira is a Christian. She lives in Los Angeles but also spends time in New York City.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Theater Plays

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Danai Gurira para niños