Watching and learning from the great Josette Bushell-Mingo, who was playing Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra at the time, and then to return to the same stage six months later playing a lead role, was incredible - I fell in love with the poetry and the breadth of the language so much that I didn't want it to end.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

I spent a chunk of time in New Orleans doing the movie 'Free State Of Jones,' getting to work with Matthew McConaughey, and also did 'Concussion,' where I got to work with Will Smith.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

I like the collarbone, a very clean collarbone. I think there's something also very delicate and balletic about that part of a woman's body, and I'm not really a cleavage person, but I do like a back or a shoulder; I think there's something very alluring about backless dresses.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Different fragrances promote different emotions, and I find that fragrance gets me in the frame of mind for that person.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

The actors that inspire me are the comedians and the people able to shape-shift into different roles and into different media.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

For film, I think because it's more detailed, and especially with historical material, you really have to find the right projects. Speaking as a mixed-race woman, there aren't many historical stories about people like me. When people think of 'dual heritage,' they think it's a modern concept, but really it's not.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

I played Dorothy in 'The Wizard of Oz.' That was my first role on stage.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

I like to choose things that fit my body for sure; you learn to find the things that complement your shape.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Everyone says to you, 'if you play Ophelia, you'll end up crazy,' but we're all somewhere on the spectrum of mental health, and I think that if you approach it that way it's not such an intimidating issue.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

You have to be able to appreciate who you are.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

When you become a slave to a public persona and don't feel comfortable without it, it becomes a shield, and it shouldn't come at the expense of your self-worth.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

When I was nine, 'The Borrowers' was such a big series for me!

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

I think being biracial is a different experience. I think that, and coming from the U.K., I feel as much white as I do black. And so it's really important for me to address these issues of identity in my work. But also, you know, we're always stronger when we work on, you know, what we have in common. And I love exploring that in my work.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

In my own life, when I'm not working, I do wear a lot of black. I think I do feel very comfortable in black.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

In terms of 'Beyond the Lights' and 'Belle,' they're definitely stories about identity. They're female empowerment stories. So I'm exploring that through my work.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

I am an only child, so I relate to the intensity of that single-parent, mother-daughter relationship.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

I was born in the '80s, so I don't really remember it very strongly, but the music is so iconic. And so those artists - Madonna, Prince, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston - you still hear those songs all the time. And there's such a distinctive style - the clothes, the shoulder pads, the big hair, the perm.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Speaking as a mixed-race woman, there aren't many historical stories about people like me.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

I was always the one leading the way in terms of wanting to do acting, singing and dancing. I was lucky that my mother had a very well-adjusted perspective of the world and never pressured me to do anything I didn't want to do.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

If you're an artist, it's great to have a knowledge of the business and be educated about that, but you've got to keep the balance right between business and artistry; otherwise, you get cynical.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

For me, I try and be authentic in my choices and follow my instincts, and I think it's a valuable message for women in today's society to learn to love yourself.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw