I spent a chunk of time in New Orleans doing the movie ‘Free State Of Jones,’ getting to work with Matthew McConaughey, and also did ‘Concussion,’ where I got to work with Will Smith. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
One of my favourite places is Hampstead Heath. When I first moved to London, I lived in Highgate, and I would walk on the Heath at the weekends and go to the Kenwood House coffee shop. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
That’s the wonderful thing about acting – you play a role. It’s about humanity, rather than labeling. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I do a lot of yoga, and when I’m in L.A., I have an outdoorsy sort of lifestyle. It’s sort of comfortable, West Coast, yoga chic. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
This is going to sound really sad, but I didn’t really have any heartthrobs when I was growing up. I was a bit of a geek. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Because of my job, my hair gets played with a lot on set, so I try to give it little bit of breathing space when I’m not working. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I enjoy classics, but classics are classics for a reason. I prefer to focus on the future. There are a lot of new stories to be heard. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
The actors that inspire me are the comedians and the people able to shape-shift into different roles and into different media. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
From the age of four, I loved ballet and tap. I was in the school band, the choir, and all my school plays. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Everyone says to you, ‘if you play Ophelia, you’ll end up crazy,’ but we’re all somewhere on the spectrum of mental health, and I think that if you approach it that way it’s not such an intimidating issue. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I like being free to take on any project that inspires me and to trust that the work will speak for itself. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I didn’t really grow up on hip-hop. Ella Fitzgerald and the old school jazz divas are more my comfort zone. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I’ve always sung. I was really into musical theater when I was growing up. As a kid, I listened to Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone, actually, on cassette tapes. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
It’s odd doing a movie, and then a year and half later having to go to a premiere and talk about what you did, and get dressed up and have your picture taken. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I was always the one leading the way in terms of wanting to do acting, singing and dancing. I was lucky that my mother had a very well-adjusted perspective of the world and never pressured me to do anything I didn’t want to do. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Speaking as a mixed-race woman, there aren’t many historical stories about people like me. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Corsets were a challenge in ‘Belle;’ fake nails tripped me up in ‘Blackbird.’ Guess I’m not a mani type of girl! – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I like to choose things that fit my body for sure; you learn to find the things that complement your shape. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I was born in the ’80s, so I don’t really remember it very strongly, but the music is so iconic. And so those artists – Madonna, Prince, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston – you still hear those songs all the time. And there’s such a distinctive style – the clothes, the shoulder pads, the big hair, the perm. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I see L.A. as a workplace rather than somewhere to live. If I don’t get out, I go crazy. If you have a little success, people treat you differently, so it’s good to keep a healthy perspective. It’s acting, not rocket science. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I’m a very improvisational cook. I sort of like to make things up as I go along. I’m quite creative in the kitchen. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I don’t really want to just play the girlfriend or the love interest. I get so many scripts like that, and – not to moan, because I’m really fortunate – but I just look at those scripts, and my heart sinks a little bit because I think there’s so much more to us than that. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
For film, I think because it’s more detailed, and especially with historical material, you really have to find the right projects. Speaking as a mixed-race woman, there aren’t many historical stories about people like me. When people think of ‘dual heritage,’ they think it’s a modern concept, but really it’s not. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
I never wanted to be like anyone growing up. It’s always been about the enjoyment, and I’ve just never wanted to imitate anyone. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
At home I wear my own clothes, no makeup and don’t do anything exciting with my hair. I get to borrow pretty dresses for the red carpet and have experts do my hair and makeup. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
In terms of ‘Beyond the Lights’ and ‘Belle,’ they’re definitely stories about identity. They’re female empowerment stories. So I’m exploring that through my work. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Sometimes you can’t fight change, because you’re a part of it, and I feel that in the context of these films that are happening now, there is a kind of change coming in terms of how history is represented on film, and the African, and the African-American and British African experience. – Gugu Mbatha-Raw
