Gugu Mbatha-Raw was born in Oxford, England. She was involved with the National Youth Theater and was interested in acting, dancing and musical theater. Thereafter, she moved to The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London for further training and also played minor roles on various television series. Gugu was nominated for best actress by the Manchester Evening News Theater Awards in 2010 for her portrayal of Juliet. She is best known for her roles in movies like Belle (2013), Beyond the Lights (2014), Jupiter Ascending (2015), Concussion (2016) and Free State of Jones (2016). She will next appear in the forthcoming film Beauty and the Beast, which is slated for a March, 2017 release.