Zawe Ashton

• Name — Zawe Ashton • Honorific Suffix — FRSL • Birth Name — Zawedde Emma Ashton[1] • Born — 25 July 1984 • Birthplace — Hackney, London, England • Occupation — * Actress • playwright • Partner — Tom Hiddleston • Children — 2 • Years Active — 1995–present • Relatives — Paulo Muwanga (grandfather)

Ashton was born in Hackney, London, on 25 July 1984.[5] She is the eldest of three children born to a Ugandan mother, Victoria,[6] and an English father, Paul Ashton.[7] Her maternal grandfather, Paulo Muwanga, was President and later Prime Minister of Uganda. She attended the Anna Scher Theatre School from the age of 6, and was a member of the National Youth Theatre.[8] She gained her degree in acting at Manchester Metropolitan University.[9]

Ashton's theatre credits include Harold Pinter's Betrayal at The Harold Pinter Theatre, London and the Bernard B. Jacob's Theatre, Broadway. Rhinoceros, The Arsonists, Gone Too Far! (Royal Court), Othello (Globe Theatre), Frontline (Globe Theatre), All The Little Things We Crushed (Almeida), This Wide Night (Soho Theatre), Michael Frayn's comedy Here (The Rose Theatre Kingston), Abi Morgan’s Splendour (Donmar Warehouse), Jean Genet's The Maids (Trafalgar Studios), Salome in Salome (Headlong Theatre / Hampstead Theatre). In June 2010 Ashton was awarded 2nd prize at the Ian Charleson Awards for her classical performance in Salome. • Illustration — Ashton at the 2013 British Comedy Awards Her film credits include Velvet Buzzsaw, directed by Dan Gilroy for Netflix, Dreams of a Life directed by Carol Morley, for which she was nominated in the Most Promising Newcomer category at the 2012 British Independent Film Awards, St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold, Blitz, Nocturnal Animals, directed by Tom Ford, Greta directed by Neil Jordan. Her TV credits include Vod in the Channel 4 comedy Fresh Meat, Claire in the six-part BBC One / Netflix series Wanderlust,[10] Journey Blue in Doctor Who, BBC, and Katherine in Not Safe For Work for Channel 4. As a child, Ashton appeared in two episodes of The Demon Headmaster. In November 2023, she played the character Dar-Benn in the Marvel Studios movie The Marvels.[11]

Ashton began entering poetry slams at age of 17, and won the London Poetry Slam Championship in 2000.[13] In 2006 she was Young Writer in Residence at the Contact Theatre in Manchester. Her first play, Harm's Way, was shortlisted for the Verity Bargate Award in 2007, and premiered at the Lowry, Salford in 2008 as part of the National Youth Theatre’s new writing season. Her other plays include Skunk, performed by the National Youth Theatre and Soho Theatre; and She from the Sea, performed in 2010 at the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT).[14] Ashton was co-writer of Suddenlossofdignity.com, Bush Futures Programme. One of her plays, For all the Women Who Thought They Were Mad, was selected as part of the Royal Court Playwriting Festival in 2009. She contributed to the writing of The Children's Monologues, adapted from over 300 original stories by Tswana, Zulu and Sesotho children in South Africa and presented by Dramatic Need in 2010.[15] She has worked with the Bush Theatre and the Clean Break theatre company.[16] In 2019, Ashton published her first book, Character Breakdown, a fictionalized memoir based on her experiences as an actress.[17] She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in July 2021.[18]

Ashton has narrated episodes of 24 Hours in Police Custody, shown on Channel 4.[19] She narrated a documentary, Public Enemies: Jay-Z vs Kanye, for the same channel in 2017.[20] In 2017, Ashton presented the third series of Random Acts, Channel 4's short-film showcase in association with Arts Council England. Episode 2 included a film directed by Ashton, where she had the lead role.[21][22]

Ashton is engaged to actor Tom Hiddleston.[23] They co-starred in the 2019 West End and Broadway revivals of Betrayal. Their relationship was first confirmed following an appearance together at the 74th Tony Awards in 2021. Their engagement was confirmed after Ashton was spotted wearing a diamond ring at the 75th British Academy Film Awards in 2022.[24] They have two children.[28]

• Illustration — Ashton in 2013

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1995 — Game On — Little Girl — Episode: "Bad Timing" • 1996 — The Demon Headmaster — Rebecca — 2 episodes • 2000 — The Bill — Kylie — Episodes: "Meltdown: Part 2 & Part 3" • 2002 — In Deep — Jade — 2 episodes • 2003 — Holby City — Abigail Meredith — Episode: "Crossing the Line" • 2007 — Mobile — Eyewitness — 2 episodes • 2008 — The Bill — Becka Adams — Episode: "Gun Runner: Under Cover" • 2009 — Casualty — Gina — Episode: "True Lies" • 2010 — Sherlock — Sally Donovan — Episode: unaired pilot • Misfits — Jessica — Episode: "#2.5" • 2011 — Lapland — Jingle Jill — Television film • 2011–2013 — Case Histories — Deborah Arnold — Main role • 2011–2016 — Fresh Meat — Violet "Vod" Nordstrom — Main role • 2014 — Doctor Who — Journey Blue — Episode: "Into the Dalek" • 2014–2019 — 24 Hours in Police Custody — Narrator — Documentary series • 2015 — Not Safe For Work — Katherine — Main role • 2017 — Guerrilla — Omega — Miniseries • Sarah & Duck — Hairdresser — Episode: "Hair Cut" • 2018 — Wanderlust — Claire Pascal — 5 episodes • 2021 — The Handmaid's Tale — Oona — 3 episodes • 2021 — Spice Girls: How Girl Power Changed Britain — Narrator — 3 episodes • 2022 — Maryland — Mary — Television film[31] • 2023 — Mog's Christmas — Mrs Gaynor (voice) — Animated television short film[33] • 2024 — Paid in Full: The Battle for Black Music — Narrator — British broadcast only; original version narrated by Jully Black.

• Year — Title — Role — Venue — Notes — Reference • 2007 — Othello — Bianca — The Globe[34] • Rhinoceros — Daisy — Royal Court[35] • The Arsonists — Anna — Royal Court • The Cage — Nicola — Nuffield Theatre[36] • 2008 — Gone Too Far! — Armani — Royal Court[37] • The Front Line — Casey — The Globe[38] • 2009 — All The Little Things We Crushed — Zoe — Almeida Theatre • This Wide Night — Marie — Soho Theatre[39] • 2010 — Salome — Salome — Curve Theatre[40] • The Children's Monologues — The Old Vic / Royal Court Theatre — Writer only • 2012 — Here — Cath — Rose Theatre[41] • 2015 — Splendour — Gilma — Donmar Warehouse[42] • 2016 — The Maids — Claire — Trafalgar Studios[44] • 2018 — The Hardest Rain — The Old Vic — Writer only • 2019 — For All the Women Who Thought They Were Mad — Hackney Showroom / Soho Repertory Theatre — Writer only[45][46] • Betrayal — Emma — Harold Pinter Theatre / Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre[47]

Zawe Ashton was recorded at birth as Zawedden Ashton. Her recorded language was English. One child is recorded: Oakley Hiddleston. Other recorded relations include Paulo Muwanga.

Zawe Ashton is recorded as actress, playwright, writer, screenwriter and film director.