Zawe Ashton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zawe Ashton FRSL
Ashton at the 74th Tony Awards in October 2021
Born	Zawedde Emma Ashton (1984-07-25) 25 July 1984 (age 40) Hackney, London, England
Occupation	Actress playwright
Years active	1995–present
Partner(s)	Tom Hiddleston (2019–present; engaged)
Children	1
Relatives	Paulo Muwanga (grandfather)

Zawedde Emma Ashton (born July 25, 1984) is a talented British actress and playwright. She is well-known for her roles in TV shows like Fresh Meat and Not Safe for Work. She also starred in the Netflix horror movie Velvet Buzzsaw and played Joyce Carol Vincent in Dreams of a Life (2011). More recently, she appeared as Dar-Benn in the Marvel movie The Marvels (2023).

Early life and Education

Zawe Ashton was born in Hackney, London, on July 25, 1984. She is the oldest of three children. Her mother, Victoria, is from Uganda, and her father, Paul Ashton, is English. Her grandfather on her mother's side, Paulo Muwanga, was a very important political figure in Uganda, serving as President and later Prime Minister.

Zawe started acting at a young age, attending the Anna Scher Theatre School when she was just six years old. She was also a member of the National Youth Theatre, which helps young people develop their acting skills. Later, she went to Manchester Metropolitan University to earn her degree in acting.

Career Highlights

Acting Roles

Zawe Ashton has performed in many plays, films, and TV shows. In theatre, she has been in famous plays like Harold Pinter's Betrayal in London and on Broadway. She also performed in Othello at the Globe Theatre and Salome, for which she won an award in 2010.

Ashton at the 2013 British Comedy Awards

On the big screen, her movies include Velvet Buzzsaw, Dreams of a Life (for which she was nominated for an award), Nocturnal Animals, and Greta. In 2023, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing the villain Dar-Benn in The Marvels.

For television, Zawe is famous for playing Vod in the comedy Fresh Meat on Channel 4. She also appeared in the BBC One series Wanderlust and as Journey Blue in Doctor Who. When she was a child, she even appeared in The Demon Headmaster.

Awards and Recognition

Zawe Ashton has received several awards for her acting. In 2012, Cosmopolitan magazine named her the "Ultimate Newcomer." She also won the Creative Diversity Network Award for her role in Fresh Meat. In 2013, she received a Screen Nation Award for her performance in Dreams of a Life.

Writing and Other Work

Besides acting, Zawe Ashton is also a talented writer. She started writing poetry and won the London Poetry Slam Championship in 2000 when she was 17. She has written several plays, including Harm's Way and Skunk. Her play For all the Women Who Thought They Were Mad was chosen for a special festival in 2009.

In 2019, Zawe published her first book called Character Breakdown. It's a fictional story based on her own experiences as an actress. In 2021, she was honored by being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Zawe has also done voice-over work, narrating episodes of the TV show 24 Hours in Police Custody and a documentary called Public Enemies: Jay-Z vs Kanye. In 2017, she hosted a show called Random Acts, which featured short films, and she even directed one of the films herself.

Personal life

Zawe Ashton is engaged to actor Tom Hiddleston. They acted together in the play Betrayal in 2018 and 2019. They have one child together.

Acting credits

Ashton in 2013

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theatre Roles

See also

In Spanish: Zawe Ashton para niños