Michaela Coel

Michaela Boakye-Collinson, born on October 1st, 1987, was raised in Tower Hamlets by her mother, a devout member of the Pentecostal church, who instilled her faith into Michaela and her sister. This upbringing would later influence her play, "Chewing Gum Dreams". As a young poet and performance artist, Michaela released the album "Fixing Barbie" in 2009. She then pursued higher education, earning a 2.1 in English at university before enrolling at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she was awarded the prestigious Laurence Olivier bursary. After graduating in 2012, Michaela made her stage debut at the Bush Theatre, where she would later perform "Chewing Gum Dreams" in 2013, subsequently transferring to the National Theatre. She returned to the National Theatre in 2014 to star alongside Helen McCrory in "Medea". In 2015, a sitcom based on "Chewing Gum Dreams", titled "Chewing Gum", premiered on Channel 4 television, and in 2016, Michaela appeared in another comedy-drama, "The Aliens", on the same channel.