Ruth Negga
| Ruth Negga | |
|---|---|
|
Negga at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con International. | |
| Born |
1982 (age 33–34) Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Nationality | Irish/Ethiopian |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2004–present |
Ruth Negga (born 1982) is an Ethiopian-Irish actress known for her appearances in films such as Capital Letters (2004) (also released as Trafficked in some countries), Isolation (2005) and Breakfast on Pluto (2005), in the BBC mini-series Criminal Justice, RTÉ's Love/Hate, E4's Misfits, and ABC's Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Early life and education
Negga was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1982 to an Irish mother and an Ethiopian father, and lived in the country until she was four. She is an only child, but has a large family on her mother's side. Her father died in a car accident when she was seven.[1] Raised in Limerick, she has lived in London since 2006.[2][3][4]
Negga trained at the Samuel Beckett Centre at Trinity College, Dublin,[5] graduating with a BA in Acting Studies.[1]
Career
Negga made her screen debut in the Irish film Capital Letters (2004), playing the lead role of Taiwo. She went on to play the lead role of Mary in Isolation (2005). Prior to this she had been working mostly in theatre.[5]
After seeing Negga act, director Neil Jordan changed the script to Breakfast on Pluto so that she could appear in the movie.[1] She has also starred in Colour Me Kubrick (2005), with John Malkovich, and the short films The Four Horsemen, 3-Minute 4-Play and Stars.
On television Negga has appeared in Doctors, Criminal Justice and the Irish series Love Is the Drug. She also played the lead role of Doris "Sid" Siddiqi in the BBC Three series Personal Affairs, alongside Laura Aikman, Annabel Scholey and Maimie McCoy.[6] Negga also appeared as Dame Shirley Bassey in the BBC production Shirley in 2011, and won the IFTA Award for Best Actress (Television) for her performance.
Negga's theatre work includes roles in Duck, Titus Andronicus and Lay Me Down Softly.[7] As of 2007 she began working with the Irish theatrical group Pan Pan Theatre.[8] In 2010, she played Ophelia in the National Theatre's production of Hamlet.
Negga has also provided voice acting in the video game Dark Souls II, playing Shanalotte, otherwise known as "the Emerald Herald". Shanalotte is a key character in the game, providing guidance to the player as well as permitting the player to develop their character in exchange for collected souls.
In 2013, it was announced that Negga had been booked for a recurring role as Raina on the American TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..[9][10] In 2013, she appeared in Steve McQueen's Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave.[11] In March 2015, Negga was cast in the role of Tulip O'Hare in AMC fantasy drama series Preacher[12] and will portray Lady Taria in Warcraft.[13]
Theatre
- Phèdre – National Theatre London (2009)
- Hamlet – National Theatre London (2010/11)
- Playboy of the Western World – Old Vic Theatre London (2011)
Awards
Negga was nominated as 2003's Most Promising Newcomer at the Olivier Awards.[2] She was chosen as Ireland's Shooting Star for the 2006 Berlin Film Festival.[5]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Capital Letters | Taiwo | |
| 2005 | Stars | Sophie | Short film |
| 2005 | 3-Minute 4-Play | Woman | Short film |
| 2005 | Breakfast on Pluto | Charlie | |
| 2005 | Isolation | Mary | |
| 2005 | Colour Me Kubrick | Lolita | |
| 2006 | The Four Horsemen | Woman Priest | Short film |
| 2009 | Corduroy | Tess | Short film |
| 2010 | Jacob | ||
| 2010 | Bleach | Anne | Short film |
| 2011 | Hello Carter | Doctor | Short film |
| 2012 | Fury | Iris | Also known as The Samaritan |
| 2013 | World War Z | WHO doctor | |
| 2013 | 12 Years a Slave | Celeste | Uncredited |
| 2013 | Jimi: All Is by My Side | Ida | |
| 2013 | Things He Never Said | Rachel | Short film |
| 2014 | Noble | Joan | |
| 2014 | Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind | Jessica | |
| 2016 | Warcraft | Lady Taria | |
| 2016 | Loving | Mildred Loving | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Doctors | Wanda Harrison | Episode: "The Replacement" |
| 2004 | Love is the Drug | Lisa Sheerin | 4 episodes |
| 2008 | Criminal Justice | Melanie Lloyd | 5 episodes |
| 2009 | Personal Affairs | Doris "Sid" Siddiqi | 5 episodes |
| 2010 | Five Daughters | Rochelle | 3 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | Love/Hate | Rosie | 8 episodes |
| 2010 | Misfits | Nikki | 6 episodes |
| 2010 | The Nativity | Leah | 4 episodes |
| 2011 | Shirley | Shirley Bassey | TV film |
| 2012 | Secret State | Agnes Evans | 4 episodes |
| 2013–2015 | Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Raina | Season 1-2 (recurring; 17 episodes) |
| 2016 | Preacher | Tulip O'Hare |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Dark Souls II | Shanalotte | Voice role |
References
- 1 2 3 Gutierrez, Jorge (2 December 2006). "Ruth Negga, a star without a label". Cafe Babel.com. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
- 1 2 Phil Hoad (8 January 2006). "Rising Star: Ruth Negga, actor". The Observer.
- ↑ Alan Owens, "Ruth's star is on the rise with BBC", Limerick Leader, 20 August 2011.
- ↑ http://www.irishtatler.com/tag/ruth-negga/
- 1 2 3 Cineuropa – Interviews – Ruth Negga, Actress. Cineuropa.org.
- ↑ "P.A.s cast have Secs Appeal on BBC Three". BBC Press Office. 2 June 2008.
- ↑ Company Members: Ruth Negga, National Theatre. April 2009.
- ↑ Pan Pan Theatre official website
- ↑ "Jere Burns Upped On 'Justified', Michael Rispoli, Ruth Negga, Danielle Nicolet In Arcs". Deadline.com.
- ↑ Declassifying Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 105: Girl in the Flower Dress. Marvel.com.
- ↑ "12 Years a Slave (2013) - Full Cast & Crew", IMDb.
- ↑ First Casting Announcement for AMC’s “Preacher”!
- ↑ John Squires, Ruth Negga Lands Female Lead in AMC’s Preacher Series, Dread Central, 19 March 2015.
External links
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