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Danai Gurira

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Danai Gurira
Danai Gurira is an American actress and playwright of Zimbabwean origin who is best known for her roles as Michonne on the AMC horror drama series 'The Walking Dead' and as Okoye in the Marvel superhero movies 'Black Panther' and 'Avengers: Infinity War'. Among her other notable movies is 'Mother of George', in which she played the lead role of a Nigerian woman. She has also made guest appearances on several television shows including 'Life on Mars', 'Law & Order', and 'American Experience'. She began her career on stage and has written critically acclaimed plays such as 'In the Continuum’, 'Eclipsed', 'The Convert' and 'Familiar', the last of which was commissioned by Yale Repertory Theatre. According to her, being “brought up by a scientist and a librarian”, she is “an academic at heart”, which helps her do the exhaustive research she needs to write her plays. Gurira, who feels that stories of African women are told very rarely, considers her three plays ¬– ‘In the Continuum’, ‘Eclipsed’ and ‘The Convert’ – as “parts of a trilogy on Zimbabwe’s coming of age from a feminine perspective”.
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Born
February 14, 1978
Birth Place
Grinnell, Iowa
Nationality
American, Zimbabwean
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Also Known As
Danai Jekesai Gurira
Famous As
Actress
Height
5'7" (170 cm)
Education
New York University, Tisch School of the Arts
Father
Roger Gurira
Mother
Josephine Gurira
Siblings
Choni, Shingai, Tare
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SFGate

Danai Gurira on Starring in Robert O’Hara’s ‘Richard III’: ‘It Should Be a Historical Play, But It’s Actually a Political Thriller’

Robert O’Hara, the Tony Award-nominated director and acclaimed playwright, sat beneath a tree near the side of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. On the opening night of “Richard III,” a searing adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy mounted by O’Hara and The Public Theater in Central Park this summer, the director shied away from the photographers and the spotlight.
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Picture for Danai Gurira on Starring in Robert O’Hara’s ‘Richard III’: ‘It Should Be a Historical Play, But It’s Actually a Political Thriller’
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Danai Gurira in Richard III Free Shakespeare in the Park production

Danai Gurira is a force to be reconned with no matter what role she portrays. Whether it be the katana-wielding Michonne on The Walking Dead or the General of the Dora Milaje, Okoye, of the MCU, watch out! Next, fans who live in the New York City area will have a chance to see her in a much different role. Gurira will be featured at The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Richard III in a role that might be quite a surprise.
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Picture for Danai Gurira in Richard III Free Shakespeare in the Park production
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Vogue Magazine

Danai Gurira on Her High-Stakes Turn as Richard III

When Danai Gurira was 12, growing up in Harare, Zimbabwe, she auditioned before her seventh-​grade class for the lead role in a play titled My Uncle Grey Bhonzo. She recited her lines and then, before taking his turn and without explanation, the boy she was up against forfeited. The experience, if not the substance of the play itself, has stayed with her: “All I remember about the play was wearing my father’s suit,” says Gurira, 44. We’re speaking one morning in early March, and she’s sitting in her sun-​splashed New York apartment—so bright I had assumed she was in L.A. from my Zoom-​distanced vantage—an extensive library behind her. “My father was not a big man, so somehow I guess I fit into it.”
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Cinema Blend

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s Danai Gurira On 'Heart Wrenching’ Story And Honoring Chadwick Boseman

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a powerful force in the entertainment industry, a few franchises stand out as fan favorites. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther is definitely in that category, as it became a sensation and made history with its Oscar nominations. The highly anticipated sequel is coming down the line, and Wakanda Forever’s Danai Gurira recently spoke about the heart wrenching story, and honoring the late Chadwick Boseman.
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Danai Gurira Confirms Black Panther 2 Has Beautiful Chadwick Boseman Tribute

Danai Gurira confirmed that Black Panther Wakanda Forever has a beautiful Chadwick Boseman tribute in the film. On the red carpet for the Met Gala, the Marvel star told Variety about what fans can expect from the highly-anticipated sequel. Clearly emotional at the prospect of talking about this, the actress explained how Ryan Coogler has been instrumental in honoring the legacy of the beloved actor. When Boseman passed away, a lot of fans wondered what would happen to the work on Wakanda Forever. The cast and crew promised to forge on in spite of the massive absence he leaves in the production. It sounds like everyone involved is trying to put their best foot forward for him.
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Refinery29

Danai Gurira Reveals Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Is “Heart Wrenching” At Met Gala

Aside from its now-confirmed November 2022 release date, details about the highly-anticipated sequel to Marvel’s Black Panther have been kept largely under wraps. But thanks to star Danai Gurira, we now know a little more about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While walking the red carpet at the 2022 Met Gala, Gurira made rare comments about the sequel, which wrapped filming in March. “We poured everything we had into it,” The Walking Dead star said after taking an emotional beat.
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The Walking Dead Announced Danai Gurira as Michonne 10 Years Ago Today

On this flashback Friday, return to 2012 when The Walking Dead announced Danai Gurira in the role of Michonne. Executive producer Robert Kirkman, who co-created the sword-swinging heroine with artist Charlie Adlard, revealed Gurira's casting live on AMC post-show Talking Dead following the March 18 airing of the Season 2 finale. A stand-in portrayed the fan-favorite comic book character featured in "Beside the Dying Fire," aired on March 18, 2012, as the mysterious hooded figure who saves Andrea (Laurie Holden) from walkers. Gurira would make her first appearance as Michonne in "Seed," the Season 3 premiere of The Walking Dead.
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