Danai Gurira is an American actress and playwright of Zimbabwean descent who is best known for her portrayals as Michonne on ‘The Walking Dead’ and as Okoye in ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. Her other notable films include ‘Mother of George,’ in which she portrayed a Nigerian woman. She has also appeared on numerous television programs, including ‘Life on Mars,’ ‘Law & Order,’ and ‘American Experience. She began her career on the stage and has written critically acclaimed plays including ‘In the Continuum,’ ‘Eclipsed,’ ‘The Convert,’ and ‘Familiar,’ which was commissioned by Yale Repertory Theatre. Being “raised by a scientist and a librarian,” she is “an academic at heart,” which enables her to conduct the extensive research required to write her plays. Gurira considers her three plays – ‘In the Continuum,’ ‘Eclipsed,’ and ‘The Convert’ – as “parts of a trilogy on Zimbabwe’s coming of age from a female perspective” because she believes that stories of African women are rarely recounted.
Youth and Early Life
Danai Jekesai Gurira was born in Grinnell, Iowa on February 14, 1978 to Roger and Josephine Gurira. Her father was a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Grinnell College, and her mother was a librarian there. Both of them eventually joined the University of Wisconsin–Platteville faculty. Danai is the smallest sibling of four. She has two sisters named Shingai and Choni, and a chiropractor sibling named Tare.
In December 1983, when she was only five years old, her parents, who had moved from Southern Rhodesia to the United States in 1964, returned to Harare, Zimbabwe, following the country’s independence. Later, she returned to the United States to pursue psychology at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She studied acting at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree after graduating.
Danai’s Developing Profession
Danai Gurira began playwriting alongside her stage acting career after completing her acting training because she believed it would enable her to better utilize her acting skills. She received commissions from Yale Repertory Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Playwrights Horizons, and the Royal Court shortly after establishing her reputation as a playwright.
In 2005, she co-wrote and performed “In the Continuum” with Nikkole Salter, portraying the perspective of a Zimbabwean woman whose spouse had infected her with HIV. The play premiered at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and was subsequently performed off-Broadway, earning her the Obie Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Helen Hayes Award for Best Lead Actress.
In 2009, she made her Broadway acting début at the Belasco Theatre as Martha Pentecost in August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.” In the same year, she published the play ‘Eclipsed,’ which tells the tale of five sex slaves captured by commandos in Liberia during the Charles Taylor regime shortly before the conclusion of the civil war.
In 2011, she portrayed Isabella momentarily in “Measure for Measure” for Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater, and in 2012, she staged her third play, “The Convert,” at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Gurira received the ‘Whiting Award’ for an emerging playwright for her play depicting the conflict within Jekesai, a girl who escapes a forced marriage arrangement.
The Yale Repertory Theatre commissioned her to compose the play ‘Familiar,’ directed by Rebecca Taichman, about the experiences of a first-generation American. The play debuted at Yale Repertory Theatre in January 2015 and at Playwright’s Horizons the following month, earning her the Sam Norkin Award.
TV & Film Profession
Danai Gurira’s acting career began with the 2007 film The Visitor, for which she won the Method Fest Independent Film Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Zainab. She had a few minor roles in films such as ‘Ghost Town,’ ‘3 Backyards,’ ‘My Soul to Take,’ and ‘Restless City’ in the years that followed.
During this period, she also appeared in guest roles in a number of television shows including ‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent’, ‘Life on Mars’, ‘Law & Order’, ‘American Experience’, and ‘Lie to Me’. She landed a recurring role on the HBO drama series ‘Treme’ in 2010.
In March 2012, it was announced that she will join the ensemble of the third season of AMC’s horror-drama series ‘The Walking Dead as Michonne, a ruthless, katana-wielding character. Since then, she has been one of the main characters on the show, but fans are concerned about her future due to her recent success in high-budget films.
In the 2013 independent drama film ‘Mother of George’, directed by Andrew Dosunmu, she played the lead role of a Nigerian woman who struggles to survive in the United States. Her performance in the film earned her the ‘Jean-Claude Gahd Dam Award’ at the 2013 ‘Guys Choice Awards’ in June.
In the 2015 Disney animated fantasy film Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast, she supplied the voice of Fury. She portrayed Afeni Shakur, the mother of rapper Tupac Shakur, in the biographical drama film ‘All Eyez on Me’ two years later.
In 2018, she made her film debut as Okoye, the leader of the Dora Milaje, the Black Panther’s personal bodyguards, in the Marvel superhero film of the same name. She reprised the role in ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ the highest-grossing film of the year, which was released in April of that year and received praise for its performance.
Danai’s Major Opera
Danai Gurira became a ubiquitous name after appearing on ‘The Walking Dead’ on AMC’s television network. Since she joined the program in its third season, it has achieved the highest ratings in the history of cable television.
Critics have hailed ‘Black Panther’, a film based on a comic book superhero, as one of the finest Marvel Cinematic Universe films. It is the second-highest-grossing film of 2018, the third-highest-grossing film of all time in the United States, and the ninth-highest-grossing film of all time.
Personal History and Legacy
Currently residing in Los Angeles, Danai Gurira frequently visits New York City. She is fluent in French, Shona, a rudimentary level of Xhosa, and English. She has been associated with her ‘The Walking Dead co-star Norman Reedus ever since they shared a casual kiss on set. However, they have not yet disclosed details about their relationship, and she is still considered unmarried.
Estimated Net Worth
Danai Gurira is a Zimbabwean-American actress with a $5 million net worth. Danai Gurira is most well-known for her roles in “The Walking Dead” and numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
Trivia
Danai Gurira is a fitness fanatic who practices Pilates and cross-training. She relished the physical challenges associated with learning to ride horses for “The Walking Dead.” Reportedly, she didn’t know her actual name until she was five years old, during which time she was referred to as “Dede” in Iowa.