Michaela Coel: age, husband, gender, Emmy speech, awards, profiles, worth
Michaela Coel is an award-winning British actress best known for her role as Tracey Gordon on Channel 4's Chewing Gum (2015 to 2017). In 2020, she wrote and starred in I May Destroy You as Arabella. The HBO/BBC One series won her the first history-making Emmy Award and other awards. How did a black woman emerge at the peak of the British entertainment scene?
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Michaela has never shied away from sharing her personal experiences through creative arts. Her authentic storytelling has enabled her to create critically acclaimed shows whose storylines resonate with many viewers across the globe.
Michaela Coel’s profile summary
- Birth name: Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson
- Date of birth: 1st October 1987
- Michaela Coel’s age: 33 years in 2021
- Birth sign: Libra
- Place of birth: London, United Kingdom
- Current residence: London
- Nationality: British
- Ethnicity: Black (Ghanaian)
- Height: 5 feet 5 inches (1.65m)
- Michaela Coel's gender: Female
- Relationship status: Not known
- Siblings: Sister Jasmine Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson
- Michaela Coel's alma mater: The University of Birmingham (dropped out), Guildhall School of Music and Drama
- Profession: Actress, singer, screenwriter, director, producer
- Michaela Coel’s Instagram: @michaelacoelweb
- Twitter: @MichaelaCoel
- Michaela Coel’s book: Misfits: A Personal Manifesto
- Net worth: Approximately $2 million
Early life
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Where is Michaela Coel from? The British actress was born on 1st October 1987 in East London, England, to Ghanaian immigrants. She was raised by a single mother in Tower Hamlet alongside her sister Jasmine. Their mom was a devout Christian and made them attend Pentecostal church while growing up. Her Christian upbringing influenced the creation of her play, Chewing Gum Dream, but she later exited the religion and embraced aromantic while in drama school.
Education
The screenwriter went to Catholic schools around East London and later enrolled at the University of Birmingham to study English Literature and Theology but dropped out. She then went to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she won the Laurence Olivier bursary and graduated in 2012.
Michaela Coel’s husband
Since gaining fame in 2015 on Chewing Gum, many people have been curious to know details about her spouse. In a 2018 interview with the Guardian, the actress confirmed that she has a boyfriend but did not provide further information. She rarely posts her personal life on social media. It is not clear whether the star is single, married or in a relationship in 2021.
Career
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Michaela was a poet and performer from the 2000s and released her first LP titled Fixing Barbie in 2009 and her second, We’re the Losers, in 2011. She made her stage debut in 2013 at the Bush Theatre.
In her final year at drama school, the star wrote a play called Chewing Gum Dreams inspired by the Bible and her religious upbringing. Channel 4 later turned the play into a sitcom. She starred as Tracey Gordon in the critically acclaimed TV series from 2015 to 2017 and won several awards for the role, including BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance. In 2020, the actress wrote, directed and starred in I May Destroy You, an HBO and BBC One comedy-drama. The series won her several awards in 2021.
Other Michaela Coel's movies and TV shows include;
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
- Black Earth Rising (2018) as Kate Ashby
- Been So Long (2018) as Simone
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) as Resistance Monitor
- The Aliens (2016) as Lilyhot
- Monsters: Dark Continent (2014) as Kelly
Michaela Coel’s Emmy speech
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On 19th September 2021, Michaela Coel became the first Black woman to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for I May Destroy. The actress wrote, directed and also starred in the 12-episode HBO drama. The series talks about her life as a survivor of sexual assault in 2018.
During her acceptance speech, the star encouraged writers to venture into uncomfortable topics. At the end of the powerful delivery, she dedicated her award to all survivors of sexual assault.
Michaela Coel’s awards
Michaela Coel is a talented performer, creator and actress. Here are some of her most outstanding awards.
- Television Critics Association Awards for Individual Achievement in Drama (2021) for I May Destroy You
- NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series (2021) for I May Destroy You
- Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special (2021) for I May Destroy You
- Two Independent Spirit Awards (2021) for I May Destroy You
- Four British Academy Television Awards (2021) for I May Destroy You
- Two RTA Programme Awards (2016) for Chewing Gum
- Two British Academy Television Awards (2016) for Chewing Gum
- British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance (2016) for Chewing Gum
Michaela Coel’s net worth
The award-winning star has an estimated net worth of $2 million in 2021. She earns from her creative art and as an actress. In 2017 she was featured on Forbes 30 Under 30.
Michaela Coel uses her influence in the entertainment industry to give voices to the otherwise voiceless victims of sexual assault and racism. She is not afraid to go into the darker places of her life to ensure people are inspired by her story. She has only been around for about ten years but has touched people from across generations and she continues to rewrite black history.
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Source: Briefly News
