Lashana Lynch (born 27 November 1987) is a British actress. She first gained recognition for her role as Rosaline Capulet in the ABC period drama series Still Star-Crossed (2017) going on to win the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2022. She portrayed Maria Rambeau in the Marvel Cinematic Universe beginning with Captain Marvel (2019). She has since had roles in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021), Matilda the Musical (2022), The Woman King (2022), and Bob Marley: One Love (2024), as well as the television series Day of the Jackal (2024).

Lashana Lynch
Lynch in 2019
Born (1987-11-27) 27 November 1987 (age 37)[1]
Alma materArts Educational School
OccupationActress
Years active2007–present

Early life

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Lynch was born on 27 November 1987[1] in Hammersmith, London.[2][3] She is of Jamaican descent.[4] She attended Twyford CofE High School and ArtsEd drama school in London.[5]

Career

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Lynch made her film debut in the 2012 drama film Fast Girls, a production presented at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[6][7] In it, she plays a runner from a British team nominated for the World Athletics Championships.[8] She later co-starred in the BBC television film The 7.39 with David Morrissey, Olivia Colman and Sheridan Smith.[9] On television, she has appeared in Silent Witness and Death in Paradise, and was a regular cast member on the short-lived BBC comedy Crims in 2015.

Also in 2015, she starred opposite Lenny Henry in the title role of the Chichester Festival Theatre production of Educating Rita by Willy Russell, which played in the Minerva Theatre from 18 June to 25 July. The Guardian's review described her as "dazzlingly fresh".[10] In 2016, Lynch was cast as leading character Rosaline Capulet in the American period drama series Still Star-Crossed, produced by Shonda Rhimes.[11][12] In 2018, she joined the cast of the pilot episode of Y: The Last Man as Agent 355, but was replaced by Ashley Romans in the main series.[13]

In 2019, she played Maria Rambeau in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Captain Marvel.[14][15] Her character is an Air Force pilot, and the single mother of Monica Rambeau, who grows into an important character in the MCU in her own right.[8] At the same time, she also appeared in the British science fiction comedy The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud with Scott Adkins and John Hannah.[16]

In 2020, during the Black Women in Hollywood Awards, she won an award of distinction along with Niecy Nash and Melina Matsoukas.[17] In 2021, Lynch played Nomi, the new 007 agent, alongside Daniel Craig as the retired 007 agent James Bond, in the James Bond film franchise entry No Time to Die; the change to a woman holding the 007 designation in the franchise drew international headlines.[2][18][19]

In 2022, Lynch portrayed an Earth-838 variant of her Maria Rambeau character from Captain Marvel in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. On this Earth, Rambeau became Captain Marvel.[20] The same year, Lynch also played veteran warrior, Izogie, in the historical epic, The Woman King, about the Agojie, the all-female military unit of the Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.[21][22] Also in 2022, Lynch was cast in the upcoming Bob Marley biopic, Bob Marley: One Love, along with Kingsley Ben-Adir and directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green.[23][24]

In 2024, Lynch was revealed to be the voice actress and likeness for the main character of The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020, Brianna Young, marking her first work on a video game project.[25] She also bagged a major role in the British television series The Day of the Jackal.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2012 Fast Girls Belle Newman
2013 Powder Room Laura
2016 Brotherhood Ashanti
2019 Captain Marvel Maria Rambeau
2020 The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud Shee
2021 No Time to Die Nomi
Ear for Eye US Female
2022 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Maria Rambeau / Captain Marvel
The Woman King Izogie
Matilda the Musical Miss Honey
2023 The Marvels Maria Rambeau / Binary Cameo; mid-credits scene
2024 Bob Marley: One Love Rita Marley

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2007 The Bill Precious Miller Episode: "Man Down"
2013 Silent Witness Shona Benson Episodes: "Trust: Part 1", "Trust: Part 2"
2014 The 7.39 Kerry Wright Television film
Atlantis Areto Episode: "Telemon"
2015 Death in Paradise Jasmine Laymon Episode: "The Perfect Murder"
Crims Gemma 5 episodes
2016 Doctors Leah Gattis Episodes: "Nighthawks: Part One", "Nighthawks: Part Two"
2017 Still Star-Crossed Rosaline Capulet 7 episodes
2018–2021 Bulletproof Arjana Pike 6 episodes
2024 The Day of the Jackal Bianca

Video game

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Year Title Role Notes
2025 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 Brianna Young Likeness
Voice

Accolades

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References

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  1. ^ a b Kacala, Alexander (14 July 2019). "Who Is Lashana Lynch? 5 Things to Know About the Actress Rumored to Be First Black, Female 007". Newsweek. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b Lewis, Tim (12 September 2021). "Lashana Lynch, the first female 007: 'I never had a plan B'". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  3. ^ Hautman, Nicholas (15 July 2019). "Lashana Lynch: 5 Things to Know About the Actress Who Is Rumored to Take Over 007 Role". Us Weekly. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  4. ^ Fisher, Gillian (27 February 2014). "Lashana Lynch – interview Dog Days, Theatre 503". Afridiziak. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  5. ^ Ford, Rebecca (6 November 2019). "Bond Women: How Rising Stars Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas Are Helping Modernize 007". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  6. ^ Shoard, Catherine (22 May 2012). "Fast Girls: the Cannes sprint". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  7. ^ "5 minutes with... Lashana Lynch". BMS World Mission. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  8. ^ a b Rogers, Sam (30 July 2019). "Everything you need to know about Lashana Lynch, the first-ever female 007". Vogue.
  9. ^ Obenson, Tambay A. (6 May 2013). "Lashana Lynch Books Role in BBC One's Upcoming 2-part Rom". Shadow and Act. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  10. ^ Billington, Michael (24 June 2015). "Educating Rita review – Lenny Henry walks off stage but returns with conviction". The Guardian.
  11. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (10 March 2016). "'Still Star-Crossed': ABC Pilot Casts Zuleikha Robinson, Finds Female Lead – Deadline". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  12. ^ Obenson, Tambay A. (29 March 2016). "Lashana Lynch Books Lead Role in Shondaland's 'Romeo & Ju". Shadow and Act. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (11 July 2018). "'Y': Diane Lane To Star in FX Drama Pilot Based On 'Y': The Last Man' Comic Book Series; Barry Keoghan, More Round Out Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  14. ^ Galuppo, Mia (16 March 2018). "Lashana Lynch Replacing DeWanda Wise in 'Captain Marvel' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  15. ^ Robinson, Joanna (8 March 2018). "Captain Marvel Breakout Lashana Lynch Is Ready to Take Flight". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  16. ^ Grater, Tom (5 February 2019). "UK sci-fi thriller 'The Intergalactic Adventures Of Max Cloud' wraps for Goldfinch". Screen Daily.
  17. ^ a b Essence (21 January 2020). "ESSENCE Black Women In Hollywood Awards To Honor 'Pose' Series, Melina Matsoukas, Niecy Nash & Lashana Lynch". Essence. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  18. ^ Daley-Ward, Yrsa (29 September 2021). "Lashana Lynch on making history as the first Black female 007". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  19. ^ Lang, Brent (25 April 2019). "'Bond 25' Team Reveals Cast, Plot Details, but No Title". Variety. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  20. ^ Garbutt, Emily (5 May 2022). "The Illuminati members in Doctor Strange 2, listed and explained". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 5 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  21. ^ Galuppo, Borys Kit,Mia; Kit, Borys; Galuppo, Mia (2 September 2021). "Lashana Lynch Joins Viola Davis in Historical Epic 'The Woman King' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ Evangelista, Chris (10 September 2022). "The Woman King Review: A Rousing Historical Epic With Great Action And Even Better Characters [TIFF]". /Film. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  23. ^ Kroll, Justin (4 August 2022). "'No Time To Die's Lashana Lynch To Play Bob Marley's Wife, Rita, In Paramount Biopic". Deadline.
  24. ^ Mendelsohn, Jon (4 August 2022). "Lashana Lynch Cast as Rita, Bob Marley's Wife, in Upcoming Biopic". Collider.
  25. ^ Wilson, Mike (20 August 2024). "'The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020' Announced for 2025 [Trailer]". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  26. ^ Dex, Robert (13 March 2022). "Lashana Lynch named Rising Star at 2022 Baftas". MSN. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  27. ^ Archbold, Hedda (23 January 2023). "Girls On Film Awards 2023". HLA Agency. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  28. ^ Dalton, Ben (23 February 2023). "'Aftersun', 'The Woman King' lead Girls On Film 2023 awards winners". Screen. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
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