Michaela Coel Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Michaela Coel FRSL
Coel at the 2021 Peabody Awards
Born	Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson 1987 (age 37–38) London, England
Alma mater	Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Occupation	Actress, television director, producer, screenwriter
Years active	2013–present

Michaela Coel is a talented British actress, writer, and director. She was born in 1987. She is famous for creating and starring in the TV show Chewing Gum (2015–2017). For this show, she won a BAFTA Award.

Michaela also created and starred in the drama series I May Destroy You (2020). This show earned her a British Academy Television Award for Best Actress in 2021. She made history by becoming the first black woman to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special for her work on I May Destroy You. She has also appeared in other popular shows like Black Mirror and Black Earth Rising.

Early Life and School
Michaela's Career Journey
Personal Life
Major Works
Awards and Honors
See also

Early Life and School

Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson was born in 1987 in East London, England. Her parents are from Ghana. She and her sister grew up in East London with their mother. They lived mainly in areas like Hackney and Tower Hamlets.

Michaela went to Catholic schools in East London. She studied English Literature and Theology at the University of Birmingham from 2007 to 2009. In 2009, she moved to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She was the first black woman to join the school in five years. She received the Laurence Olivier Bursary Award, which helped her pay for her studies. She finished her studies at Guildhall in 2012.

Michaela's Career Journey

Starting Out in Performance

Michaela Coel began performing her poetry at open mic events in Ealing in 2006. An actor and director named Ché Walker saw her perform and encouraged her to apply to Guildhall. As a poet, Michaela performed on many stages around the world. She was known as Michaela The Poet.

In 2009, Coel joined the Talawa Theatre Company summer program. That same year, she released an album called Fixing Barbie. It showed her skills as both a poet and a musician. In 2011, she released another record called We're the Losers.

Her play Chewing Gum Dreams was her final project at Guildhall in 2012. It was a one-woman show where Michaela played a 14-year-old girl named Tracey. The play was performed at several theaters and received good reviews.

Rising to Fame

In 2013, Michaela Coel appeared in the Channel 4 drama Top Boy. She also had important roles in plays at the National Theatre.

In 2014, Channel 4 announced that Coel would write and star in a new TV show. It was a sitcom called Chewing Gum, based on her play. The show started on E4 in October 2015. Michaela won a British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2016 for her role. She also won a BAFTA for Breakthrough Talent for writing the show. Chewing Gum was very popular and received excellent reviews.

In 2015, Coel was in the BBC One drama London Spy. The next year, she played Lilyhot in the sci-fi comedy-drama The Aliens.

Chewing Gum returned for a second season in January 2017. Michaela also appeared in two episodes of Charlie Brooker's series Black Mirror. She also had a small part in the 2017 film Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

In 2018, Coel starred in Black Earth Rising, a show from BBC Two and Netflix. She played the main character, Kate. She also starred in the musical film Been So Long, which was released on Netflix in October 2018.

Major Success and Recognition

Michaela Coel created, wrote, produced, and starred in the comedy-drama series I May Destroy You. The show was inspired by her own experiences. It launched in the UK and US in June 2020 and was highly praised. She famously turned down a large offer from Netflix because they would not let her own the rights to her show.

In 2020, Coel was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People. She was also recognized as one of the breakout stars of 2020 in film. British Vogue also included her in their list of influential women. In the Powerlist of influential people of African or African-Caribbean heritage in the UK, Coel was ranked fourth for her work on I May Destroy You.

In July 2021, Coel was cast in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The movie was released on November 11, 2022. She played Aneka, a member of the Dora Milaje.

Coel's first book, Misfits: a Personal Manifesto, was published on September 7, 2021. The book is based on a speech she gave in 2018. It talks about her experiences and how being true to yourself can change your life.

In 2022, Coel became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. She is also set to star in David Lowery's film Mother Mary.

On August 19, 2024, Coel announced her first TV show in four years. She will write, star in, and produce First Day On Earth. It will be a 10-part series for the BBC and filming will start in 2025.

Personal Life

At the 2016 British Academy Television Awards, Michaela Coel wore a dress designed by her mother. It was made from Kente cloth, a traditional Ghanaian fabric.

Michaela has shared that she was inspired to create her TV drama I May Destroy You after a difficult personal experience. The show explores themes of recovery and finding your voice.

Her cousin is the rapper and author Guvna B.

Major Works

Michaela Coel has been part of many exciting projects. Here are some of her main roles and works:

Films

2017: Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Resistance Monitor
2018: Been So Long – Simone
2022: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Aneka

Television Shows

2013: Top Boy – Kayla
2015–2017: Chewing Gum – Tracey Gordon (also creator, writer, producer)
2016: The Aliens – Lilyhot
2016–2017: Black Mirror – Airline Stewardess / Shania Lowry
2018: Black Earth Rising – Kate Ashby
2020: I May Destroy You – Arabella Essiedu (also creator, writer, director, producer)
2024: Mr. & Mrs. Smith – Bev

Stage Plays

2013: Three Birds – Tiana
2013–2014: Home – Young Mum / Portugal
2013–2014: Chewing Gum Dreams – Tracey Gordon
2014: Medea – Nurse

Music Albums

Fixing Barbie (2009)
We're the Losers (2011)

Books

Misfits: a Personal Manifesto (2021)

Awards and Honors

Michaela Coel has won many awards for her amazing work.

In 2016, she won a British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for Chewing Gum. She also won a BAFTA for Breakthrough Talent for writing the show.
In 2021, she won a British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for I May Destroy You.
Also in 2021, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special for I May Destroy You. This was a historic win.
She has also won awards from the Critics' Choice Television Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and the Television Critics Association Awards for I May Destroy You.
In 2022, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
In 2023, she received the Pandora Leader of Change Award at The Fashion Awards.
In 2024, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Michaela Coel facts for kids

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