Gugu Mbatha-Raw on joining the Marvel Universe and breaking down cultural barriers

Whether she’s seeking out meaningful roles or dedicating her time to working closely with charities, finding a sense of purpose is what continues to drive GUGU MBATHA-RAW – both personally and professionally. Here, the British actor talks to AJESH PATALAY about her valiant new role in Marvel’s Disney+ series, Loki, and the work that sustains her spirit.

Before landing the lead role in the hugely anticipated Disney+ series, Loki, Mbatha-Raw had walked away from comparable superhero roles in the past: “There have been a few I’ve auditioned for and not got. And one or two [that] I got and turned down. Sometimes [the role] was so secretive, I was like, I’m not signing up to something where I don’t know what it is. Sometimes I wasn’t sure the character was going to have enough layers. Sometimes the tone of the piece just wasn’t my taste: how the violence is depicted, how the women are represented. Those things are important to me.”

Mbatha-Raw’s decisions to turn down those potentially career-transforming roles in the past are proof of her resolute determination: “Sometimes I’ve made choices when I think that my agent might be like, ‘Oh!’ But you’ve got to. For me, there is no price on freedom or on your spirit. I don’t want to be doing something for years that is going to break me on a spiritual level that I don’t believe in. Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith and follow your gut. And if your gut is saying, I feel trapped, you have to listen – otherwise you live with the consequences. That’s when people get cynical.”

In contrast to past opportunities Mbatha-Raw has been presented with, Loki was refreshingly different: “For a start, it was exciting that Kate Herron was directing all six episodes. Also, having been to drama school with Tom Hiddleston, there was a lovely circle of life about working on something together at this point.”

Both studied at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, though Mbatha-Raw was in the year above. But Hiddleston still made an impression: “He was blond. Sort of angelic. He seemed very… centered is probably the best word.”

Hiddleston speaks very highly of his co-star Mbatha-Raw, exclusively telling PORTER: “I watched Gugu deliver 10 pages of dialogue in a single take, with a short sequence choreography in the middle: immaculate, precise, effortless. She’s always so prepared, open and ready.”

The big clincher for Mbatha-Raw about Loki was getting to play Ravonna Renslayer, a role with a rich and turbulent history in the comics: “It was very much pitched to me as her origin story. That was exciting, to be able to take ownership of a character pre the comics. She’s an authoritative character. Morally ambiguous. She has to make some difficult choices. I loved that there is a complexity to her that I hadn’t seen in any of the [superhero] roles that had come my way before.”

Owing to the pandemic, the shoot was interrupted for five months and was one of the first productions to go back into filming: “It was emotional; the light at the end of the tunnel. There was a joy and relief to be back in this imaginary world.”

Mbatha-Raw has just finished shooting opposite David Oyelowo in The Girl Before, so she reflects on the significance of having two actors of color in lead roles – with race having no bearing on the plot: “To have a layered psychological thriller where the cast just happens to be Black and brown is really interesting to me. That’s what I’m all about. Normalizing complex, nuanced portrayals of characters that just happen to look like we do.”

Mbatha-Raw has been named as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency). She explains that her father was able to settle in the UK thanks to the UNHCR but only found this out after she started working with the agency: “So it’s what my cousin would call an ancestral call. It’s kind of special that I can be part of a legacy my father was directly involved in.”

Having resisted joining social media for so long, Mbatha-Raw now uses Instagram, partly to raise awareness of the UNHCR’s work: “It does feel like it gives those social-media platforms more of a sense of purpose.” 

For PORTER’s shoot, Gugu Mbatha-Raw was photographed by Danika Magdalena and styled by Maya Zepenic, wearing Saint Laurent, Loewe, Agolde, The Row, Lanvin and more. All items can be purchased straight from the shoot via the NET-A-PORTER app, available on Android as well as iPhone and iPad, and through net-a-porter.com.

Interview highlights:

Gugu Mbatha-Raw on walking away from superhero roles in the past: “There have been a few I’ve auditioned for and not got. And one or two that I got and turned down. Sometimes [the role] was so secretive, I was like, I’m not signing up to something where I don’t know what it is. Sometimes, I wasn’t sure the character was going to have enough layers. Sometimes, the tone of the piece just wasn’t my taste: how the violence is depicted, how the women are represented. Those things are important to me.”

Gugu Mbatha-Raw on following her gut: “Sometimes I’ve made choices when I think that my agent might be like, ‘Oh!’ But you’ve got to. For me, there is no price on freedom or on your spirit. I don’t want to be doing something for years that is going to break me on a spiritual level that I don’t believe in. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and follow your gut. And if your gut is saying, I feel trapped, you have to listen – otherwise you live with the consequences. That’s when people get cynical.”

Gugu Mbatha-Raw on why Loki appealed to her: “For a start, it was exciting that Kate Herron was directing all six episodes. Also, having been to drama school with Tom Hiddleston, there was a lovely circle of life about working on something together at this point.”

Gugu Mbatha-Raw on Tom Hiddleston: “He was blond. Sort of angelic. He seemed very… centered is probably the best word.”

Gugu Mbatha-Raw on playing Ravonna Renslayer, a role with a rich and turbulent history in the comics: “It was very much pitched to me as her origin story. That was exciting, to be able to take ownership of a character pre the comics. She’s an authoritative character. Morally ambiguous. She has to make some difficult choices. I loved that there is a complexity to her that I hadn’t seen in any of the [superhero] roles that had come my way before.”

Gugu Mbatha-Raw on returning to the Loki shoot after lockdown: “It was emotional; the light at the end of the tunnel. There was a joy and relief to be back in this imaginary world.”

Gugu Mbatha-Raw on the significance of having two actors of color in lead roles in The Girl Before, with race having no bearing on the plot: “To have a layered psychological thriller where the cast just happens to be Black and brown is really interesting to me. That’s what I’m all about. Normalizing complex, nuanced portrayals of characters that just happen to look like we do.”

Gugu Mbatha-Raw on discovering that her father settled in the UK with help from the UNHCR: “It’s what my cousin would call an ancestral call. It’s kind of special that I can be part of a legacy my father was directly involved in.”

Gugu Mbatha-Raw on using social media to raise awareness of the UNHCR’s work:“It does feel like it gives those social-media platforms more of a sense of purpose.” 

To see the full interview, read PORTER at net-a-porter.com Or download the NET-A-PORTER app for iPhone, iPad and Android.

See also: Indya Moore on the closing chapter of ‘Pose’ and amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices