She is a South African actress who was born and raised in Kwa-Zulu Natel and today she finds herself in Hollywood working toe to toe with Hollywood royalty such as Viola Davis and Idris Alba. Her name is Thuso Nokwanda Mbedu and thirty three years later, she is one the world’s most sought-after screen darlings having established herself as a force to recon with in the cut throat world of Hollywood.

Mbedu was raised by her grandmother after the passing of her parents whilst she was still young. She studied Physical Theatre and Arts Management at the University of Witwatersrand as well as the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City, after graduating, a slew of television roles would follow. Mbedu stared in South African soapies Isibaya, Scandal!, MTV’s Shuga and Is’Thunzi. Her captivating performance as Winnie in Is’Thunzi garnered her an International Emmy Award nomination for Best Actress. In 2021 she stared as Cora in the miniseries The Underground Railroad (an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel. She is reportedly the first South African actress to lead an American television series.

Her first feature film was as Nawi in the film ‘The Woman King’. In the movie she plays a strong headed new recruit to the Agojie, an all-female army tasked with protecting the kingdom of Dahomey (modern day Benin). In her feature film outing she found herself working with Oscar-winner Viola Davis and directed by visionary director Gina Prince-Bythewood.

She has gone on to lend her voice to the character Junia in the 2024 film ‘Mufasa: The Lion King.’ Currently she is was hired as the lead actress in ‘Children of Blood and Bone’, based on the young adult novel about African myth penned by Tomi Adeyemi. The movie is currently in filming stage and is highly anticipated as by audiences in Africa and across the world. Mbedu has be named the spokesperson for L’Oreal Paris and also became the first person from sub-Sahara Africa to be named an ambassador. Mbedu’s star continues to rise and shine even brighter and gives hope to the many young artist in Africa.