Thanks to her growing career, Nathalie Emmanuel has landed more roles since the turn of the decade. She’s one of Hollywood’s fast-rising British actresses, representing a younger generation poised to dominate the big and small screens. Like many British actors before her, Natalie Emmanuel began her career in theater.
Born in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, on March 2, 1989, Nathalie Emmanuel’s father is half-Saint Lucian and half-English. Her mother is Dominican. Emmanuel’s interest in acting began at an early age after her mother put her in acting, dance, and singing classes. By age 10, she was cast as the Young Nala in a West End production of The Lion King. Over two decades later, these are Nathalie Emmanuel’s most memorable roles in film and television.
1. Hollyoaks
The British soap opera Hollyoaks was Nathalie Emmanuel’s acting debut. She joined the long-running show in 2006, making her debut as Sasha Valentine on July 17, 2006. Although Hollyoaks isn’t popular in the United States, it is a popular running show in the United Kingdom. Emmanuel’s Sasha Valentine was a troubled teenager plagued with drug addiction and in a toxic relationship.
Her portrayal of the character garnered attention for highlighting important social issues during her time on the show. The character was one of eleven announced to depart the show in March 2010. Nathalie Emmanuel’s last appearance on Hollyoaks was on August 13, 2010. During her time on the show, Nathalie Emmanuel reprised the role in two spin-off shows, Hollyoaks Later (2008) and Hollyoaks: The Morning After the Night Before (2009). In retrospect, Hollyoaks helped position Emmanuel’s then-budding career for better future castings.
2. Game of Thrones
Nathalie Emmanuel gained international recognition with HBO’s Game of Thrones. A fan of the show herself, Emmanuel was cast in a minor supporting role as Missandei. Emmanuel made her debut in season 3, episode 1 (“Valar Dohaeris”) as a slave interpreter. Missandei’s role in the TV series was expanded more than in the book. Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) secures Missandei’s freedom from her master. Missandei becomes Daenerys’ interpreter, trusted advisor, and confidante.
Emmanuel’s Missandei was known for her beauty, intelligence, loyalty, and diplomatic skills. Missandei’s relationship with Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), the commander of the Unsullied, was also a significant part of Missandei’s story arc. Nathalie Emmanuel’s Missandei is killed in season 8, episode 4 (“The Last of the Starks”) after being beheaded by Gregor Clegane (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) from Cersei Lannister’s (Lena Headey) orders.
3. Maze Runner
Between her time in Game of Thrones, Nathalie Emmanuel joined the Maze Runner cast in its second installment, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, in 2015. She was cast as Harriet, one of the women at the roadblock that ambushes the Gladers. Harriet is one of the female survivors who are a part of the Right Arm, a resistance group opposing WCKD.
Emmanuel portrayed Harriet as strong, resourceful, and committed to helping bring down WCKD and protecting her people. Nathalie Emmanuel reprised the role in the third and final installment, Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018). Both movies were Box Office hits, starring Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Giancarlo Esposito, and Aidan Gillen.
4. Fast & Furious Films
The Fast & Furious films have been Nathalie Emmanuel’s most successful and highest-grossing movies of her career. Emmanuel joined the billion-dollar franchise in 2015, in its seventh installment, Furious 7. She played Ramsey, a British computer hacker and creator of God’s Eye, an all-powerful hacking program that can track anyone in the world. After Furious 7, Ramsey became a key member of Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) crew. Emmanuel last appeared in the 2023 Fast X.
5. Four Weddings and a Funeral
Nathalie Emmanuel was part of the Mindy Kaling and Matt Warburton-created 2019 miniseries Four Weddings and a Funeral. The series was created as a modern adaptation of the 1994 British film. In Four Weddings and a Funeral, Emmanuel played Maya, one of the four American friends the series revolved around. Her role centers on navigating romantic complications and personal growth. The 10-episode Four Weddings and a Funeral aired originally on Hulu from July 31 to September 11, 2019.
6. Die Hart
In Die Hart, Nathalie Emmanuel played Jordan King. Co-starring alongside Kevin Hart, John Travolta, Josh Hartnett, Ben Schwartz, and John Cena. Emmanuel’s Jordan King is an aspiring actress and stuntwoman paired with a fictionalized Kevin Hart as they navigate an action film training camp. Emmanuel’s portrayal brought a balance of action and comedic timing to the role. Die Hart season 1 was edited into a movie of the same name, while season 2 was re-edited to Die Hart 2: Die Harter.
7. Army of Thieves
The 2021 heist comedy cast Nathalie Emmanuel as Gwendoline Starr, a skilled jewel thief. In Army of Thieves, her character recruits Ludwig Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer), a talented safecracker, to help her team break into a series of uncrackable safes. Although reviews were mixed, Army of Thieves topped Netflix’s weekly Top 10. Army of Thieves was created as a prequel to the Dave Bautista-led 2021 Army of the Dead.
8. The Invitation
Nathalie Emmanuel played the lead role of Evie in Jessica M. Thompson’s 2022 horror thriller The Invitation. In the movie, having lost her mother with no other relatives, Evie takes a DNA test and discovers her long-lost family in England. After being invited to a lavish wedding in England, Evie realizes her newfound family has dark and sinister intentions. She’s drawn into a vampiric world her ancestors had long served. Despite being panned by critics, The Invitation performed moderately at the Box Office.
9. Megalopolis
Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis was largely a Box Office flop but featured several of the director’s frequent collaborators. Joining the star-studded cast is Nathalie Emmanuel, who plays Julia Cicero. Her character is the Mayor Franklyn Cicero’s (Giancarlo Esposito) daughter. Julia Cicero becomes romantically involved with Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver). Emmanuel’s Julia is torn between her love for Cesar and her father, who opposed Cesar’s grand visions and idealism of his futuristic utopian city, Megalopolis. Produced on a $120–136 million budget, Megalopolis is one of Nathalie Emmanuel’s most expensive films.
10. The Killer
John Woo’s 2024 action thriller is a remake of one of his classics, the 1989 film of the same name. Nathalie Emmanuel leads the cast as Zee, a notorious assassin in the Parisian underworld. Her assassin skills earned her the nickname Queen of the Dead. However, her seemingly perfect assassin life takes a turn when she decides to spare the life of a young blind American woman, Jenn Clark (Diana Silvers).
This decision puts her at odds with her handler, Finn (Sam Worthington), and an open contract is placed on her head. Zee is forced to form an unlikely alliance with Detective Sey (Omar Sy) to uncover a deeper conspiracy involving several law enforcement officers. Besides these Nathalie Emmanuel roles, check out Asa Butterfield’s most memorable performances.
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