Danai Gurira is an American actress, writer, storyteller and activist of Zimbabwean descent. Dynamic in the theater world, the actress is best known for her starring roles as the fierce survivor Michonne in Katana The Walking Dead and as Okoye, the cruel, elegant and dutiful leader of the all-female bodyguards in Marvel’s Black Panther.
Danai Gurira’s bio, dude
Danai Jekesai Gurira was born on February 14, 1978 in the United States and raised in Zimbabwe. She was five years old when her parents moved her to their native Harare from Grinnell, Iowa. Her parents Roger and Josephine Gurira are Zimbabwean academics. Before moving home, her father was an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry while her mother was a librarian at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. She has three siblings, a brother Tare and two sisters Shingai and Chiwoniso Gurira.
Growing up, she was called Dede and only found her real name was actually Danai when she was 5 years old. The self-proclaimed Cimerican (Zimbabwean and American) actress actually wanted to be an activist and not an actress. Theater was just a hobby back then. She made her debut on 7th place Note as the title character, in the Zimbabwean game, My Uncle Gray Bhonzo . Gurira attended Dominican Convent High School, but Zimbabwe returned to America for college. She attended Macalester College where she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She earned an MFA in Acting from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
career
Danai Gurira is also a writer who has written four plays – a trilogy On Continuum (2005), Darkened (2009), The Convert (2012) and Family (2012). While attending New York University, she wrote her own monologues, which eventually became her first play. In the continuum. She was nominated for a 2007 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for On Continuum. The second of the trilogy – Eclipsed – is a Tony-nominated play, starring her Black Panther co-star Lupita Nyong’o, and was 2016’s first to feature an all-Black female cast and creative team on Broadway . Her dramatic writing in The Convert earned Gurira a Whiting Award.
Danai Gurira has appeared on shows such as Treme, Law & Order, Lie to Me, American Experience, and Life on Mars. She has also appeared in films such as The Visitor (for which she received the Best Supporting Actress award at Method Fest in 2008), 3 Backyards, Ghost Town, American Experience, Taking My Soul, All Eyes on Me, Troubled City, and Ma’George .
Gurira made her name as zombie slayer Michonne on the hugely popular show The Walking Dead (2012). Her role as a katana-wielding wild survivor cemented her star status and made her a household name. But her role as kick-butt general Okoye in Marvel’s hit 2018 film, Black Panther , where she displayed fearless female strength, made her iconic. Gurira will be Okoye for Avengers: Infinity War. She also has an upcoming untitled film about elephant poaching in South Africa, which will be produced by Jessica Chastain.
From making waves in the theater world to the The Black Panther star makes sure her voice is heard by speaking out about violence against women. He is an activist who manages to balance activism and action. Gurira’s career is built on women’s empowerment, paving the way for legions of women. She is at the creative forefront of the modern women’s movement.
She co-founded Almasi Arts Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to “seeing the Zimbabwean dramatists develop to their fullest,” and Love Our Girls, a non-profit organization dedicated to “helping our girls and validate women worldwide and narrow the gender gap inch by inch”. She also participates in other programs.
Wealth (income and earnings)
Danai Gurira, who speaks four languages: French, Shona, Xhosa and English, has taught drama and theater in Liberia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The veteran actress has appeared in several films, TV shows and stage performances throughout her career. Her current net worth is estimated at $500,000, which is expected to rise in the near future following her continued success in the entertainment industry. The most recent superhero film, Black Panther was a huge hit, grossing well over $727 million worldwide. Considering the film’s success, the Black Panther star is expected to land bigger Hollywood roles and increase her net worth.
Is Danai Gurira Married? husband or boyfriend
The 5 ft 6 in ( 1.70 m) tall actress is believed to be one of those stars who loves to keep herself She is just too busy with her career to work with anyone as there are no records of her past relationships. Danai Gurira may be single. However, she was rumored to have dated her co-star in 2015’s The Walking Dead Norman Reedus. This speculation was sparked after Norman Reedus locked lips on set with Gurira. But the Black Panther star has left her fans bogged down in their speculation as she has neither confirmed nor denied the rumours.
Gurira is an active athlete who maintains a fit and balanced body. She loves swimming, tennis, field hockey and running track. She lives in New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta.