Gugu Mbatha-Raw has said that being mixed race is “interesting” for an actor because you’re “always taking on different identities”.
Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar, she said that having mixed heritage gives “complexity” to your character.
The Oxford-born actress is the daughter of a South African doctor and a British nurse.
She told the magazine: “There is always a complexity about identity that you bring.
“It’s not a riddle that needs to be solved, it’s a duality that’s part of your nature.
“It’s interesting as an actor because you’re always taking on different identities.”
The Morning Show star also said that her role in the series, in which she plays a character who is the victim of sexual assault, can help create “conversations” on the topic.
“It’s exciting for me to realise that the work can create conversations and help people to look at things differently,” Mbatha-Raw said.
“Obviously, it’s just TV, it’s not therapy, but I think it could spark a shift in someone.
“Even since that episode, friends I’ve had for a long, long time have been reframing an experience they had in light of it.”
Read the full interview in the April issue of Harper’s Bazaar, which is on sale from March 4.