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Thuso Nokwanda Mbedu (born 8 July 1991) is a South African actress. She rose to prominence for her performance in the South African teen drama series Is'Thunzi for which she was nominated consecutively for an International Emmy in 2017 and 2018. actress Thuso Mbedu gets International Emmy nomination Mbedu later appeared on the 2018 Forbes Africa 30 under 30 list.
In 2021, she starred in the Amazon Video limited series The Underground Railroad as Cora, which made her the first South African actress to lead an American television series, and earned her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series. She then made her feature film debut in the American historical epic The Woman King (2022) in the role of Nawi.
Mbedu attended Pelham Primary School and then Pietermaritzburg Girls' High School. She went on to study Physical Theatre and Performing Arts Management at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), graduating in 2013 with honours, after also having taken a course at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City in 2012.
After being unemployed for six months, Mbedu landed her first starring role in television in the Mzansi Magic teen drama series Is'Thunzi, which premiered in October 2016. In the series, she played Winnie, a sassy go-getter who dreams of marrying a rich and famous rugby player only to have her dreams dashed when she is exiled to go live with her strict aunt in Bergville. While filming a rape scene for the show, she suffered a panic attack. In September 2017, she was nominated for an International Emmy Award in the category Best Performance by an Actress for her role as Winnie in Is'Thunzi and was the only African to be nominated that year.
Mbedu made her international debut as Cora in the 2021 Amazon Video historical limited series The Underground Railroad, based on the novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead and directed and executive produced by Academy Awards winner Barry Jenkins. Mbedu earned a Hollywood Critics Association Award, an Independent Spirit Award, and a Gotham Awards for the series.
In April 2021, it was announced Mbedu would make her film debut as Nawi opposite Viola Davis in The Woman King, a historical epic film inspired by the true events that took place in the Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. The film was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, from a script by Fatherhood co-writer Dana Stevens.
In 2023, Mbedu became the ambassador and spokesperson of L’Oréal for Sub-Saharan Africa. In August 2023, Mbedu narrated 'The not-quite-redemption of South Africa's infamous ultra-marathon cheats' on Curio, an audio platform. In January 2025 Deadline reported that Mbedu has been cast in the lead role in the upcoming Paramount film Children of Blood and Bone as Zélie amongst Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Idris Elba and Tosin Cole.
| +Key | Denotes productions that have not yet been released |
| + !Year !Title !Role !Notes | |||
| 2022 | The Woman King | Nawi | |
| 2024 | Junia (voice) | ||
| 2027 | Zélie | Post-production |
| 2014 | Isibaya | Nosisa | 3 episodes |
| 2014–2018 | Saints and Sinners | Boni Khumalo | Lead role |
| 2015 | Snake Park | Khethi | Guest role |
| 2015–2017 | Scandal! | Kitso Medupe | Supporting role (15 episodes) |
| 2016–2017 | Is'Thunzi | Winnie Bhengu | Lead role (25 episodes) |
| 2017–2019 | Shuga | Ipeleng | Recurring role (20 episodes) MTV Shuga: Down South - Ipeleng goes to Varsity - YouTube |
| 2018 | Liberty | Rosie | Miniseries (3 episodes) |
| 2018 | Okuhle Cele | Recurring role | |
| Side Dish | Phiwe | Miniseries | |
| 2021 | The Underground Railroad | Cora Randall | Miniseries (8 episodes) |
| 2023–present | Annette (voice) | Animated series (16 episodes) | |
| 2025 | ''Task | Aleah | Miniseries |
| 2017 | DSTV Viewers Choice Awards | Best Actress | Is'Thunzi | ||
| International Emmy Awards | Best Performance by an Actress | ||||
| 2018 | South African Film and Television Awards | Best Actress TV Drama | |||
| International Emmy Awards | Best Performance by an Actress | ||||
| 2019 | South African Film and Television Awards | Best Actress – TV Drama | |||
| 2020 | 1st KZN Entertainment Awards | Best Actress | |||
| 2021 | TCA Awards | Individual Achievement in Drama | The Underground Railroad | ||
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series | ||||
| Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Movie | ||||
| TV Breakout Star | |||||
| Gotham Awards | Outstanding Performance in New Series | ||||
| 2022 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Movie | |||
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series | ||||
| 2023 | Black Reel Awards | Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance by Female | The Woman King | ||
| Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress | |||||
| National Film & Television: South Africa | Outstanding Actress of the Year | ||||
| National Film & Television: South Africa | Best Supporting Actress | ||||
| NAACP Image Awards | NAACP image Award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast | ||||
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | Best Women Breakthrough Performance In Motion Picture |
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