With her compelling performance in Zoë Kravitz‘s directorial debut, Blink Twice (2024), Naomi Ackie distinguished herself as a star to reckon with. Famed for her signature full lips and gap teeth, Ackie knew acting was her calling since childhood and gave her all to make her dream come true. She almost got her teeth redone to fit into the competitive industry but decided that skills were all she needed. True to that, her talent has taken her beyond the shores to international stardom.
Before Blink Twice, Naomi Ackie starred in several notable films and television series. Earlier in her career, she appeared on television series such as Doctor Who and The Five. Ackie gained major recognition for her performances on The End of the F***ing World and Master of None. She has also appeared in critically acclaimed films, including Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022). Truly, Ackie’s versatility has helped her excel in both the British and American entertainment spheres. Keep reading for an in-depth look at Ackie’s evolving artistry.
Naomi Ackie’s Early Years
Born on November 2, 1992, in Walthamstow, London, Naomi Ackie is a descendant of second-generation immigrants from Grenada. She has two older siblings, a brother and a sister. Ackie’s father worked at Transport for London while her mother was a National Health Service employee but she chose to blaze a different trail in the performing arts. As a result, Ackie studied at the Walthamstow School for Girls and discovered her knack for acting when she performed in a school play at age 11.
Subsequently, she enrolled in the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama to sharpen her acting skills and graduated in 2012. Her professional acting debut was made on stage in 2009 when she performed at the National Theatre, London in the play Success. In 2013, she performed in the Greenwich Theatre production of The Snow Queen as Gowrie. She also appeared in the stage production of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King in 2015 at Unicorn Theatre, London, and made her screen debut the same year.
Naomi Ackie Made Her Film and Television Debut in 2015
@now Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston gets us So Emotional! #iwannadancewithsomebody #naomiackieinterview #whitneyhouston
Stepping into a new chapter in her career, Naomi Ackie grabbed her first film role as Amber in the 2015 short I Used to Be Famous. Her breakthrough on the big screen came the next year when she appeared in Lady Macbeth (2016) as Anna. The role earned her an award. Ackie played Mona in Idris Elba‘s directorial debut Yardie (2018). She played two film roles in 2019, appearing in Ron Scalpello‘s The Corrupted and J. J. Abrams‘ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
After playing Gloria in the British musical heist film The Score in 2021, Naomi Ackie landed one of her biggest roles, portraying the legendary Whitney Houston in the 2022 biographical musical I Wanna Dance with Somebody. She followed it up with another notable performance in Blink Twice where she played the main role of Frida. Ackie has more film projects in the works, including Mickey 17 and The Thursday Murder Club both scheduled for a 2025 release.
Like her film career, Ackie debuted on television in 2015, making a guest appearance on Doctor Who as Jen.
She appeared in the Television film Damilola, Our Loved Boy and The Five miniseries in 2016. After appearing in a few shows, including The Bisexual and Cleaning Up, Ackie played her first main television role as Bonnie on The End of the F***ing World in 2019. Her next main television role came in 2021 as Alicia on the set of Master of None. She played her first voice role as Jedi Jannah in the 2024 miniseries Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy. She previously played Jannah in the 2022 video game Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
Her Awards and Nominations
In 2017, Naomi Ackie won Most Promising Newcomer at the British Independent Film Award for her performance in Lady Macbeth. She earned two nominations for Best Supporting Actress for the same role. For her role on The End of the F***ing World, Ackie won Best Supporting Actress at the British Academy Television Award in 2020. In 2023, the British Academy Film Awards nominated her for the EE Rising Star Award while she won the Trophée Chopard for Female Revelation of the Year the same year. Meet the cast of Houston’s biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody.
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