Michaela Coel

Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson, known professionally as Michaela Coel, is a Ghanaian-British actress, filmmaker, singer, and composer. Born on October 1, 1987, in East London, Coel gained recognition for creating and starring in the E4 sitcom Chewing Gum from 2015 to 2017. She received critical acclaim and won the BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for her role. Coel further showcased her talent in the BBC One/HBO comedy-drama series I May Destroy You in 2020, earning her a British Academy Television Award for Best Actress in 2021. She made history as the first black woman to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards for her work on I May Destroy You. Coel has also made notable appearances in Netflix productions, including the series Black Mirror and Black Earth Rising, as well as the film Been So Long.