Irish actress (born 1981)
Ruth Negga
Negga in 2017
Born (1981-05-04 ) 4 May 1981 (age 42) Nationality Irish, Ethiopian Alma mater
Trinity College Dublin Occupation Actress Years active 2004–present
Ruth Negga (
NAY -gə ;
[1] born 4 May 1981)
[2]
[3] is an Irish actress known for her roles in the
AMC television series
Preacher (2016–2019) and the film
Loving (2016). For her portrayal of
Mildred Loving in the latter, Negga received a nomination for the
Academy Award for Best Actress . For her Broadway debut as
Lady Macbeth in a production of Shakespeare's
Macbeth in 2022, she earned a nomination for the
Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play .
Negga has also appeared in the films
Isolation (2005),
Breakfast on Pluto (2005),
Warcraft (2016),
Ad Astra (2019) and
Passing (2021).
[4] Other television projects include the
BBC mini-series
Criminal Justice (2008–2019),
RTÉ 's
Love/Hate (2010–2011),
E4 's
Misfits (2010), and
ABC 's
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2015).
Early life and education
Negga was born in 1981 in
Addis Ababa , Ethiopia,
[5] to an Irish mother, Nora, and an Ethiopian father.
[6]
[7] Her parents met while working at a hospital in Ethiopia; her mother was a nurse and her father was a doctor.
[8] Negga, an only child, lived in the country until she was four. Her father died in a car accident when she was seven.
[9] She grew up in
Limerick , Ireland,
[10] until moving to
London , England for secondary school.
[11]
[12]
[13]
Negga studied at the Samuel Beckett Centre at
Trinity College Dublin ,
[14] graduating with a BA in Acting Studies.
[9]
Career
Negga at the
San Diego Comic Con for the
AMC show
Preacher in 2018
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 the following year. Prior to this, she had been working mostly in theatre.
[14] After seeing Negga act, director
Neil Jordan changed the script to
Breakfast on Pluto so that she could appear in the movie.
[9] 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 .[
citation needed ]
On television Negga has appeared in
Doctors ,
Criminal Justice and the Irish series Love Is the Drug . She played the lead role of Doris "Sid" Siddiqi in the
BBC Three series
Personal Affairs , alongside
Laura Aikman ,
Annabel Scholey and
Maimie McCoy .
[15] Negga portrayed Rosie in the first two series of
RTÉ 's
Love/Hate .
[16]
Negga appeared as Dame
Shirley Bassey in the BBC production Shirley in 2011 and won the
IFTA Award for Best Actress (Television) for her performance. Her theatre work includes roles in Duck ,
Titus Andronicus and Lay Me Down Softly .
[17] As of 2007, she began working with the Irish theatrical group Pan Pan Theatre. In 2010, she played
Ophelia in the National Theatre's production of
Hamlet . She also provided voice acting in the video game
Dark Souls II , playing Shanalotte, otherwise known as "the Emerald Herald".
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.
[18]
[19] She appeared in 17 episodes of the programme.
[16] She filmed scenes for
Steve McQueen 's
Oscar -winning
12 Years a Slave , but her role was ultimately cut from the movie.
[20] In March 2015, Negga was cast in the role of Tulip O'Hare in
AMC fantasy drama series
Preacher , which debuted the following year.
[21]
In 2016, Negga portrayed
Mildred Loving in the
Jeff Nichols historical romance
Loving , which premiered at the
2016
Cannes Film Festival and later screened at the
Toronto International Film Festival .
[20]
[22] The film is based on the true story of the Lovings, a married interracial couple in the 1950s and 1960s Virginia, whose relationship led to the Supreme Court decision
Loving v. Virginia . Negga received rave reviews for the role,
[16] and garnered multiple award nominations, including for the
Academy Award for Best Actress , the
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama , and the
BAFTA Rising Star Award .
[23]
[24]
Negga played
Prince Hamlet in the
Gate Theatre 's 2018 production (directed by
Yaël Farber ) of
Hamlet
[25]
[26] (Having a woman play the role of Prince Hamlet although depicted as a man in the play is a precedent established in Dublin by
Fanny Furnival in 1741).
[27] Negga reprised the role of Hamlet to equal acclaim at
St. Ann's Warehouse in spring 2020.
[28]
[29] In February 2021, it was announced that Negga will star in and executive produce a limited drama series about legendary Jazz age performer and civil rights activist
Josephine Baker .
[30]
In 2021, Negga starred in
Rebecca Hall 's period drama
Passing opposite
Tessa Thompson . The film is adapted from
Nella Larsen 's
1929 novel of the same name . The film premiered at the
2021 Sundance Film Festival and was shown at the
New York Film Festival in the fall.
[31] Negga portrays Clare, a
light-skinned Black woman in 1920s New York, navigating the color line by
passing as a white woman.
Variety praised Negga's performance writing, "Negga, brittle and dazzling, commands attention exactly the way Clare does in every room she walks into."
[32] For her performance, Negga was nominated for the
Golden Globe Award ,
BAFTA and
Screen Actors Guild Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress.
In September 2021, it was announced that Negga would make her Broadway debut in a production of Shakespeare's
Macbeth as
Lady Macbeth , alongside
Daniel Craig as
the titular character .
[33] For her performance in the play, she received a nomination for the
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play .
In October 2022, Negga was cast to star in
Dan Levy 's directorial debut
Good Grief .
[34]
In the media
In 2020, Negga was ranked number 10 on
The Irish Times list of Ireland's greatest film actors.
[35] In 2006 she was also chosen as the Irish Shooting Star for the
Berlin Film Festival .
[36]
Personal life
In 2006, Negga was engaged to actor
Tadhg Murphy , whom she had been dating since university.
[12]
[37]
Negga was in a relationship with actor
Dominic Cooper beginning in 2010. They first met in 2009 while working together in a stage adaptation of Phèdre with
Helen Mirren . The two lived together in London's
Primrose Hill .
[16]
[38] The couple were in a relationship for six years; however, Negga has pointed out that it took the press years to learn of the break-up, which was first reported in April 2018.
[39]
[40] Negga appeared opposite Cooper in
AMC's
Preacher , in which the pair portrayed lovers, and has said that they are "best friends".
[40]
As of 2020, Negga resides in Los Angeles, California.
[6]
[11]
Theatre
Filmography
Film
Television
Video games
Awards and nominations
Negga was nominated as 2003's Most Promising Newcomer at the
Olivier Awards .
[12] She was chosen as Ireland's Shooting Star for the 2006
Berlin Film Festival .
[14] She has received many accolades for her role of Mildred Loving in the 2016 film Loving , including Academy Award, Critic's Choice, and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress. In 2022, her portrayal of Clare Bellew in 2021 film Passing garnered her critical recognition including the
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress ,
[42] and industry nominations from the
Golden Globes ,
Screen Actors Guild , and the
BAFTA .
[43]
[44]
[45]
See also
References
^
"Ruth Negga's Best Worst Jokes" . Vogue . 7 December 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2020 .
^
Negga, Ruth (4 May 2017).
Tonchi, Stefano (ed.).
"Ruth Negga Reveals She's Embarrassed By Her Birthday And Doesn't Know Why" .
W (Video interview). Interviewed by
Lynn Hirschberg .
Condé Nast (publ.).
ISSN
0162-9115 .
OCLC
1781845 . Retrieved 14 January 2024 . Lynn: 'What month were you born?' Ruth: 'May…May 4th.'
^ Lewis, Tim (29 January 2017).
Viner, Katharine (ed.).
"Ruth Negga: 'There are films that really mark you. Loving is one of those for me.' " .
The Guardian .
eISSN
1756-3224 .
ISSN
0261-3077 .
OCLC
60623878 . Retrieved 13 January 2024 . …a huge deal for a little-known, 35-year-old Ethiopian-Irish actor.
^
"Oscars 2017: Ruth Negga nominated for best actress award" . The Irish Times . Retrieved 25 March 2018 .
^
"Africa from A to Z: Fast facts on the 55 states - Ethiopia" . South Africa Gateway . 6 December 2017. Archived from
the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017 .
^
a
b Dabiri, Emma.
"Ruth Negga: 'People who say they don't consider skin colour... are you f**king blind?' " . The Irish Times . Retrieved 9 May 2021 .
^
"Ruth Negga: 'Growing up, I didn't feel that Irish people were colour blind' " .
^
" 'Always a star in the family': Ruth's Oscar bid" . Limerickleader.ie . Retrieved 30 December 2017 .
^
a
b
c Gutierrez, Jorge (2 December 2006).
"Ruth Negga, a star without a label" . Cafe Babel.com. Archived from
the original on 29 May 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2009 .
^ Alan Owens,
"Ruth's star is on the rise with BBC" , Limerick Leader , 20 August 2011.
^
a
b Rao, Mallika (1 September 2021).
" 'Imagine a Black Woman Just Wanting Something' " . Vulture . Retrieved 30 September 2021 .
^
a
b
c Phil Hoad (8 January 2006).
"Rising Star: Ruth Negga, actor" .
The Observer .
^
"Ruth Negga: 'I never fitted anywhere – in life or in Hollywood' " . the Guardian . 17 March 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2021 .
^
a
b
c
Cineuropa – Interviews – Ruth Negga, Actress . Cineuropa.org.
^
"P.A.s cast have Secs Appeal on BBC Three" . BBC Press Office. 2 June 2008.
^
a
b
c
d Notaro, Vicki (23 May 2016).
"How Oscar-tipped Ruth Negga's star has finally ascended..."
Irish Independent . Retrieved 23 May 2016 .
^
Company Members: Ruth Negga
Archived 29 May 2009 at the
Wayback Machine , National Theatre. April 2009.
^
"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
Archived 13 October 2013 at the
Wayback Machine . Marvel.com.
^
a
b
c Clarke, Donald (17 May 2016).
"Negga's 'Loving' performance already generating Oscar buzz" .
The Irish Times . Retrieved 6 February 2017 .
^
"First Casting Announcement for AMC's "Preacher"! - Bloody Disgusting" . Bloody-disgusting.com . 18 March 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2017 .
^
"Ruth Negga portrays civil rights activist Mildred Loving" . Toronto Star , 10 November 2016, pg. E1.
^
"Oscar nominations 2017: the full list" . Guardian . 24 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017 .
^ Brady, Sarah (6 February 2017).
"Ruth Negga continues her successful award season run with yet another honour" .
Irish Independent . Retrieved 25 March 2018 .
^ Michael Billington (7 October 2018).
"Hamlet/Richard III review – Ruth Negga plays the Prince with priceless precision" . The Guardian . Retrieved 4 August 2020 .
^ Jennifer O’Brien (29 September 2018).
"Theatre review: Hamlet at the Gate Theatre, Dublin" . The Times . Retrieved 4 August 2020 .
^ Crawley, Peter.
"Directing Ruth Negga as Hamlet: 'Theatre either puts you to sleep or wakes you up' " . The Irish Times . Retrieved 18 November 2020 .
^ Ben Brantley (10 February 2020).
"Review: In 'Hamlet,' Ruth Negga Rules as a Player Prince" . The New York Times . Retrieved 4 August 2020 .
^ Allison Adato (10 February 2020).
"Ruth Negga crowns herself a brooding prince in Hamlet: Review" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 4 August 2020 .
^ Nellie Andreeva (12 February 2021).
"Ruth Negga To Star In Josephine Baker Limited Series At ABC Signature From Dee Harris-Lawrence & LeBron James' SpringHill Entertainment" . Deadline . Retrieved 12 February 2021 .
^
"Passing" .
New York Film Festival . Retrieved 29 June 2022 .
^
"Passing Review" . Variety . 31 January 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2022 .
^ Evans, Greg (29 September 2021).
"Daniel Craig And Ruth Negga Heading To Broadway In 'Macbeth' " . Deadline . Retrieved 1 October 2021 .
^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (17 October 2022).
"Dan Levy Feature Directorial Debut Good Grief At Netflix Sets Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel, Luke Evans & More" .
Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 17 October 2022 .
^
"The 50 greatest Irish film actors of all time – in order" . Irish Times . Retrieved 29 May 2021 .
^
"Berlin honour for Irish actress Negga" . RTE . 10 January 2006. Retrieved 29 May 2021 .
^
"Exclusive: Ruth Negga's former fiancé 'wishes her the best' at the Oscars" . independent . Retrieved 9 November 2021 .
^ McBride, Caitlin (8 June 2016).
"Irish actress Ruth Negga and Dominic Cooper make rare public appearance at Warcraft premiere" .
Irish Independent . Retrieved 9 June 2016 .
^ Marcus, Emily (5 April 2018).
"Dominic Cooper and Ruth Negga Split After 8 Years Together" . Retrieved 5 April 2018 .
^
a
b
"Ruth Negga Talks Diversity, Hamlet And Her Split From Dominic Cooper" . Marie Claire . 8 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018 .
^ Andreeva, Nellie (5 January 2023).
"Ruth Negga Joins Jake Gyllenhaal In 'Presumed Innocent' Apple TV+ Series From David E. Kelley & J.J. Abrams" . Deadline . Retrieved 9 January 2023 .
^
" 'Drive My Car' Wins Best Picture From National Society of Film Critics (Full List)" . Variety . 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022 .
^
"2022 Golden Globe Awards: Here are the big winners" . MSN . Retrieved 9 January 2022 .
^
"SAG Awards 2022 Nominations: The Complete List" . Yahoo . Retrieved 12 January 2022 .
^
"2022 EE British Academy Film Awards: Nominations" .
BAFTA . 11 January 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022 .
^
"RTS PROGRAMME AWARDS 2012" . Royal Television Society . 5 September 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2021 .
^
"IFTA | Irish Film & Television Academy | Irish Film & Television Awards" .
Ifta.ie .
^ Anderson, Erik (15 December 2021).
"Chicago Film Critics winners: 'The Power of the Dog' tops with seven" . AwardsWatch .
^
"Power of the Dog, Dune lead Chicago Indie Critics noms" . | Reel Chicago - At the intersection of Chicago Advertising, Entertainment, Media and Production . 3 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022 .
^
"The 2021 Columbus Film Critics Association (COFCA) Nominations" . Next Best Picture . Retrieved 21 January 2022 .
^ Anderson, Erik (31 December 2021).
"Greater Western New York Critics go for 'Pig,' 'The Power of the Dog' and 'Judas and the Black Messiah' " .
^ Neglia, Matt.
"The 2021 New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) Winners" . NextBestPicture . Retrieved 12 December 2021 .
^ Anderson, Erik (12 December 2021).
"2021 Philadelphia Film Critics winners: 'The Power of the Dog,' 'Passing,' Kristen Stewart takes Best Actress" .
^ Anderson, Erik (14 December 2021).
"2021 Women Film Critics Circle winners: 'Passing,' Jane Campion, Kristen Stewart" .
^
"2021 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association – Official site of the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association" . Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ Anderson, Erik (22 December 2021).
"Florida Film Critics winners: 'The Power of the Dog,' Adam Driver wins Best Actor for 'Annette' " .
^ Sharf, Zack (21 October 2021).
"Gotham Awards 2021 Nominations: 'Pig,' 'Green Knight,' 'Passing' Compete for Best Feature" .
IndieWire . Retrieved 21 October 2021 .
^ Anderson, Erik (13 December 2021).
" 'Belfast' tops Las Vegas Film Critics winners, Nicolas Cage takes Best Actor, Jessica Chastain is Best Actress" .
^ Anderson, Erik (5 January 2022).
"North Carolina Film Critics go for 'The Power of the Dog,' 'Dune' " .
^ Anderson, Erik (17 December 2021).
"Portland Critics Association winners: 'The Green Knight' is Best Pic, 'Dune' wins seven" .
^
"San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle lauds 'The Power of the Dog' " . San Francisco Examiner . Retrieved 10 January 2022 .
^ Anderson, Erik (19 December 2021).
"St. Louis Film Critics winners: 'Licorice Pizza' is Best Film but 'Mass' wins three, including Supporting Actress for Ann Dowd" . AwardsWatch. Retrieved 20 December 2021 .
^ Anderson, Erik (1 December 2021).
" 'Belfast,' 'The Power of the Dog' lead 26th Satellite Awards nominations" . AwardsWatch. Retrieved 1 December 2021 .
^ Tangcay, Jazz; Lang, Brent (14 December 2021).
"Indie Spirit Awards 2022: Full List of Nominations" . Variety . Retrieved 14 December 2021 .
^ Anderson, Erik (6 February 2022).
" 'Happening,' 'Drive My Car,' and 'Benediction' top 19th International Cinephile Society (ICS) winners" . AwardsWatch .
^ Alex, Ritman (16 December 2021).
"London Critics' Circle Film Awards: 'Power of the Dog' Leads Pack of Nominees" .
The Hollywood Reporter .
^ Ramachandran, Naman (6 February 2022).
" 'The Power of the Dog' Dominates London Critics' Circle Film Awards" .
Variety .
^ White, Abbey (8 January 2022).
" 'Drive My Car' Named Best Picture by National Society of Film Critics" .
The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 9 January 2022 .
^ Murray, Rebecca (7 January 2022).
"San Diego Film Critics Society 2021 Nominees: Belfast Tops the List with 12 Nominations" . ShowbizJunkies . Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ Neglia, Matt (25 January 2022).
"The 2021 Alliance Of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) EDA Award Winners" . Retrieved 25 January 2022 .
^ Neglia, Matt (4 January 2022).
"The 2021 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Nominations" . Next Big Picture . Retrieved 4 January 2022 .
^
" "Harder" Makes It Look Easy with 20 Black Reel Award Nominations" .
Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film . Retrieved 16 December 2021 .
^
"2022 EE British Academy Film Awards: Nominations" .
BAFTA . 11 January 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022 .
^ Anderson, Erik (4 January 2022).
" 'Titane,' 'Spencer,' 'Mass' top 3rd DiscussingFilm Critics Association awards" . AwardsWatch .
^
"2021 Awards" .
Georgia Film Critics Association . Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^
"2022 Golden Globe Awards: Here are the big winners" . MSN . Retrieved 9 January 2022 .
^
"The 5th Annual HCA Awards" . Awardsdaily . 2 December 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ Anderson, Erik (17 January 2022).
"North Dakota Film Critics winners: 'The Power of the Dog,' 'Flee' take top prizes" . AwardsWatch .
^
"The Online Film Critics Society Announces the Winners for Its 25th Annual Film Awards" . OFCS.org . Retrieved 24 January 2022 .
^
" "The Power of the Dog" Leads the 2021 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations" . Seattle Film Critics . 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022 .
^
"SAG Awards 2022 Nominations: The Complete List" . Yahoo . Retrieved 12 January 2022 .
^ Neglia, Matt (16 January 2022).
"The 2021 Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Winners" . Next Big Picture . Retrieved 16 January 2022 .
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Ruth Negga .
Awards for Ruth Negga
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