Letitia Michelle Wright is a Guyanese-British actress who was born on October 31, 1993. She began her career with appearances on Top Boy, Coming Up, Chasing Shadows, Humans, Doctor Who, and Black Mirror. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for the latter. Her breakthrough came with her role in the 2015 film Urban Hymn, for which the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) named Wright one of the 2015 BAFTA Breakthrough Brits.
In 2018, she received international acclaim for her performance as Shuri in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Black Panther, for which she received an NAACP Image Award and a SAG Award. She played the character again in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). She received the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2019. She also appeared in Steve McQueen's 2020 anthology series Small Axe, for which she was nominated for a Satellite Award.
Childhood and education
Letitia Michelle Wright was born in Georgetown, Guyana on October 31, 1993. Ivan Bombokka is her only sibling. When she was eight years old, her family relocated to London, England, and she attended Northumberland Park Community School, while her brother relocated to Europe.
She received an Honorary Doctorate in Arts and Letters from the University of Guyana during an Extraordinary Convocation Ceremony on February 1, 2023.
Career
Wright has appeared in school plays, but she attributes her desire to become a professional actress to seeing the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She found Keke Palmer's performance to be inspiring, remarking that the role was perfect for her "resonated. It is one of the reasons I am here ". She enrolled in the Identity School of Acting when she was 16 years old.
In 2011, she had a recurring role in Top Boy and appeared in two episodes of Holby City. She played a minor role in the 2012 film My Brother the Devil, for which she was named one of Screen International's 2012 Stars of Tomorrow. Michael Caton-Jones cast Wright in her first leading role in Urban Hymn (2015), bringing her to Hollywood's attention. She appeared in the Doctor Who episode Face the Raven the same year, and the following year, she began a recurring role as Renie on Humans. During this time, she also appeared in the play Eclipsed (written by Danai Gurira) at London's Gate Theatre. Wright appeared in the Black Mirror episode "Black Museum" in 2017, for which she received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
Wright co-starred in the 2018 film Black Panther as Shuri, King T'Challa's sister and Wakandan princess. The film, which was part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also starred Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, and Danai Gurira. Wright won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture for her work in the film, and she reprised the role two months later in Avengers: Infinity War. Wright also starred as Reb in Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of Ernest Cline's 2011 science-fiction novel Ready Player One. Wright appears in Drake's music video for "Nice for What" as one of the cameos.
Wright also appeared in the play The Convert, which was performed at London's Young Vic Theatre in 2018. The play told the story of an English-speaking missionary in the nineteenth century who taught Africans to speak Victorian English and practise Christianity. This play is set in 1895, when Chilford, a Black male Catholic teacher and missionary, takes over a mission house in Rhodesian Salisbury. Wright portrays a Jekesai, a young Rhodesian girl who is forced into marriage by her uncle but is saved by Chilford.
Wright received the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2019. Wright appeared in Guava Island, a short musical film released by Amazon Studios in April 2019, alongside Donald Glover and Rihanna, before reprising her role as Shuri in Avengers: Endgame.
In November 2018, it was announced that Wright would star in a novel adaptation of Hold Back The Stars alongside John Boyega. Wright made an appearance in the 2022 film Death on the Nile. She also appeared in Steve McQueen's miniseries Small Axe, which was set in London's West Indian community between the 1960s and 1980s. Wright plays British Black Panther leader Altheia Jones-LeCointe in the first episode, Mangrove, which premieres on BBC One on 15 November 2020. Jones-LeCointe, along with eight other Black activists, was arrested and charged with inciting a riot after a peaceful protest in 1970. Wright was nominated for "Best Supporting Actress" for this role, bringing "focused energy and passion" to her portrayal of the real-life Jones-LeCointe, according to The New Yorker.
Wright accepted the role of twin sisters June and Jennifer Gibbons in the film The Silent Twins, based on Marjorie Wallace's 1986 book of the same name, in February 2020, with filming set to begin in April. The film is scheduled to be released in September 2022.
Wright reprised her role as Shuri in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which depicts Shuri becoming the new Black Panther after T'Challa's death; it was her first leading role. The film, which will be released in November 2022, was made in memory of Chadwick Boseman, who died from colon cancer in 2020. She fractured her shoulder and suffered a concussion after a motorcycle accident during the filming of a chase sequence in August 2021, forcing production to halt while she recovered.
Wright has discussed her personal struggles with depression. She told Vanity Fair in 2018 that when she first experienced depression at the age of 20, she "was in the dark going through so many bad things". Wright credits her Christian faith with helping her overcome depression, which she discovered after attending a Bible study meeting for actors in London. She declined film roles in order to focus on her recovery and faith. Later, she explained that she "needed a break from acting" and "went on a journey to discover my relationship with God, and I became a Christian."
The COVID-19 vaccination debate
In December 2020, Wright drew criticism for tweeting a 69-minute video from the YouTube channel On The Table in which Tomi Arayomi, a senior leader with the Light London church, questioned the legitimacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and accused China of spreading COVID-19, among other controversial statements; YouTube removed the video for violating its terms of service. Later, Wright clarified, "My only intention in posting the video was to raise my concerns about what the vaccine contained and what we are putting into our bodies. There is nothing else." She later removed herself from social media.
The Hollywood Reporter reported in October 2021 that Wright had parted ways with her U.S. team of representatives due to the outrage over the video and her alleged continued promotion of anti-vaccine sentiments on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in Atlanta. Wright took to social media to refute these allegations.
During an interview with Variety in November 2022, Wakanda Forever co-star Angela Bassett stated that she had never heard Wright express anti-vaccine sentiments while filming, whereas Marvel vice president Nate Moore claimed that he did know her vaccination status, that she was not sharing her views on set, and that her status did not affect production, aside from her injuries from a motorcycle accident while filming. During the interview, her publicist and representatives avoided answering Variety's questions about her updated vaccination status, instead directing them to Wright's previous statement in 2021.
Later that month, Wright chastised The Hollywood Reporter for publishing an article in which its author, Scott Feinberg, compared Wright's past comments to those of men accused of abuse and sexual misconduct. She stated that she had already apologised for her remarks two years prior and had remained silent on the subject, and she accused both the publication and Feinberg of having a "agenda" against her, which she described as "vile" and "disgusting" behaviour.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Victim | Nyla | |
| 2012 | My Brother the Devil | Aisha | |
| 2015 | Urban Hymn | Jamie Harrison | |
| 2018 | The Commuter | Jules Skateboarder | |
| Black Panther | Shuri | ||
| Ready Player One | Reb | ||
| Avengers: Infinity War | Shuri | ||
| 2019 | Guava Island | Yara Love | |
| Avengers: Endgame | Shuri | ||
| 2021 | Sing 2 | Nooshy (voice) | |
| 2022 | Death on the Nile | Rosalie Otterbourne | |
| The Silent Twins | June Gibbons | Also producer | |
| Aisha | Aisha Osagie | ||
| Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Shuri / Black Panther | ||
| 2023 | Surrounded | Moses Washington | Post-production; also producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Holby City | Ellie Maynard | Episodes: "Tunnel Vision" and "Crossing the Line" |
| Top Boy | Chantelle | Recurring cast (season 1) | |
| Random | Girl 3 | TV movie | |
| 2013 | Coming Up | Hannah | Episode: "Big Girl" |
| 2014 | Chasing Shadows | Taylor Davis | Episode: "Only Connect: Part 1 & 2" |
| Glasgow Girls | Amal | TV movie | |
| 2015 | Banana | Vivienne Scott | Recurring cast |
| Cucumber | Vivienne Scott | Recurring cast | |
| Doctor Who | Anahson | Episode: "Face the Raven" | |
| 2016 | Humans | Renie | Recurring cast (season 2) |
| 2017 | Black Mirror | Nish | Episode: "Black Museum" |
| 2020 | Small Axe | Altheia Jones | Episode: "Mangrove" |
| 2021 | I Am... | Danielle | Episode: "I Am Danielle" |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie | Black Mirror | Nominated |
| 2018 | Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Younger Actor | Black Panther | Nominated |
| 2018 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best On-Screen Team | Nominated | |
| Scene Stealer | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Sci-Fi Movie Actress | Won | |
| Choice Breakout Movie Star | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | Black Reel Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |
| Best Breakthrough Performance, Female | Won | |||
| 2019 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture | Won | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Won | |
| 2019 | British Academy Film Awards | Rising Star Award | Herself | Won |
| 2020 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actress | Small Axe | Nominated |
| 2020 | Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated | |
| 2021 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series | Nominated | |
| 2022 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture | Sing 2 | Won |
| 2023 | Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Nominated | |
| 2023 | London Film Critics Circle Awards | Award for Actress of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actress | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actress | Pending | |
| 2023 | Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Superhero Movie | Pending |
| Bio | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Letitia Michelle Wright |
| Profession | Actress |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | October 31, 1993 |
| Age (as in 2017) | 29 Years |
| Birth Place | Georgetown, Guyana |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Libra |
| Nationality | Guyanese |
| Hometown | London, United Kingdom |
| School | Not Known |
| College/University | Not Known |
| Educational Qualification | Not Known |
| Debut | Film- Victim (2011) TV- Holby City (2011) |
| Family | Not Known |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Ethnicity/Race | Afro-Guyanese |
| Address (FanMail) | Rogers & Cowan 909 3rd Avenue 9th Floor New York, NY 10022 USA |
| Boyfriends, Affairs and More | |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Boyfriends/Affairs | Not Known |
| Husband/Spouse | N/A |
| Children | None |
| Money Factor | |
| Net Worth (approx.) | $700,000 |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Letitia Wright
,-Biography,-Wiki,-Age,-Boyfriend-&-More-134.jpg "Surabhi-Samriddhi Mehra (Chinky Minky), Biography, Wiki, Age, Boyfriend & More")
