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Naomi Ackie

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Naomi Ackie
Born (1992-11-02) 2 November 1992 (age 32)
Walthamstow, London, England
EducationRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama (BA)
OccupationActress
Years active2009–present

Naomi Sarah Ackie (born 2 November 1992) is an English actress. She is known for her television roles in The End of the F***ing World (2019) and Master of None (2021) and in the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019). In 2022, she portrayed American singer Whitney Houston in the biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody.

Early life

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Naomi Ackie was born on 2 November 1992[1] in Walthamstow, London,[2] the daughter of second-generation immigrants from Grenada.[3] Her father was a Transport for London employee and her mother worked for the National Health Service.[2] She is one of three children and has an older brother and sister.[2] She went to Walthamstow School for Girls.

Her first role was at the age of 11, playing the angel Gabriel in a school nativity play.[3] She studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and graduated in 2012.[2][4]

Career

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Ackie's breakthrough film role was in Lady Macbeth (2016),[5] for which she won the British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer in 2017.[6] She subsequently appeared in Idris Elba's directorial debut Yardie (2018) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).[7][8] She also portrayed Bonnie in the second season of Netflix's black comedy series The End of the F***ing World,[9] and a school inspector in Education, an hour-long drama part of Steve McQueen's anthology film series Small Axe.[10] Ackie starred in Zoë Kravitz's directorial debut Blink Twice (2024).[11]

Ackie portrayed American singer Whitney Houston in the biographical film I Wanna Dance with Somebody.[12] The film opened to mixed reviews but widespread praise for Ackie's performance, with Variety calling her "a veritable artist of lip-syncing."[13] The Hollywood Reporter noted that Ackie herself is "a capable singer" and can be heard briefly in a few early scenes.[14]

Ackie starred in Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17, based on Edward Ashton's science-fiction novel, alongside Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette and Mark Ruffalo.[15]

Filmography

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Film

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Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
2015 I Used to Be Famous Amber Short film
2016 Lady Macbeth Anna
2018 Yardie Mona
2019 The Corrupted Grace
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Jannah
2021 The Score Gloria
2022 I Wanna Dance with Somebody Whitney Houston
2024 Blink Twice Frida
2073 † Post-production
2025 Mickey 17 † Nasha Adjaya Post-production
The Thursday Murder Club † Donna De Freitas Post-production
TBA I Love Boosters † TBA Filming

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2015 Doctor Who Jen Episode: "Face the Raven"
2016 The Five Gemma Morgan Miniseries (2 episodes)
Damilola, Our Loved Boy Council Worker Television film
2018 Vera Louise Everitt Episode: "Black Ice"
The Bisexual Ruby 5 episodes
2019 Cleaning Up Beth 2 episodes
The End of the F***ing World Bonnie Main role (season 2)
2020 Small Axe Hazel Episode: "Education"
2021 Master of None Alicia Main role (season 3)
2024 Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy Jedi Jannah (voice) Miniseries (1 episode)

Stage

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Year Title Role Venue Notes
2009 Success Lucy National Theatre, London with Islington Youth Theatre
2012 The Day the Waters Came Esther UK Tour with Theatre Centre
2013 The Snow Queen Gowrie Greenwich Theatre, London
Life Mould Rita Canada Water Library, London as part of "Write Lines Conference" by Theatre Centre
Missing Kevin Godsen Engineer Theatre, Edinburgh as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Billy the Girl Amber Soho Theatre, London
2015 The Nutcracker and the Mouse King Mama Unicorn Theatre, London
Walking the Tightrope Mercedes Theatre Delicatessen
Solace of the Road Grace Gibson Derby Theatre, Derby

Video game

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Year Title Role
2022 Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Jannah

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
2017 British Independent Film Award Best Supporting Actress Lady Macbeth Nominated
Most Promising Newcomer Won
Evening Standard British Film Award Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Screen International Star of Tomorrow 2017 Actors — Won
2020 British Academy Television Award Best Supporting Actress The End of the F***ing World Won
2021 Black Reel Award for Television Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Master of None Nominated
2023 British Academy Film Awards EE Rising Star Award — Nominated
Trophée Chopard Female Revelation of the Year — Won

References

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  1. ^ "Naomi Ackie - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Famurewa, Jimi (12 December 2019). "Meet Naomi Ackie: the breakthrough Star Wars newcomer". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  3. ^ a b Hicklin, Aaron (5 December 2019). "'Star Wars' actress Naomi Ackie on her meteoric rise to fame". New York Post. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  4. ^ "Stars of Tomorrow 2017: Naomi Ackie (actor)". Screen. Archived from the original on 14 May 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  5. ^ Jones, Ellen (26 April 2017). "Actor Naomi Ackie: "I love London's creative vibe"". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  6. ^ "Naomi Ackie Wins British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer | Roman Candle Productions". romancandleproductions.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  7. ^ Ruby, Jennifer (14 August 2017). "Naomi Ackie admits she tried not to 'freak out' when she auditioned for Idris Elba's directorial debut". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  8. ^ Brown, Tracy (30 October 2019). "'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker': Meet Naomi Ackie, the new face of a more inclusive galaxy". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  9. ^ Liebman, Lisa (15 November 2019). "Naomi Ackie on The End of the F***ing World, Eating Lipstick, and Joining Star Wars". Vulture. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  10. ^ Robey, Tim (13 December 2020). "Small Axe: Education, review: Steve McQueen ends his tremendous anthology by going back to school". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  11. ^ Jackson, Angelique (25 June 2021). "Zoë Kravitz's 'Pussy Island' Movie Lands at MGM, Naomi Ackie to Star". Variety. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  12. ^ Galuppo, Mia (15 December 2020). "Whitney Houston Biopic Finds Its Star in Naomi Ackie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  13. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (21 December 2022). "'Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody' Review: A Lavish, All-Stops-Out Biopic That Channels Her Glory and Gets Her Story Right". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  14. ^ Rooney, David (21 December 2022). "'Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody' Review: Naomi Ackie Shines in Kasi Lemmons' Lovingly Made Biopic". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  15. ^ Kroll, Justin (20 May 2022). "Naomi Ackie, Toni Collette And Mark Ruffalo Join Robert Pattinson In Bong Joon Ho's Next Film At Warner Bros". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
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