Ruth Negga
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1981-05-04
    • Born Place: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • Also Known As:

    루스 네가, 露丝·内加, روث نگا

Ruth Negga

Ruth Negga is an acclaimed Ethiopian-Irish actress known for her powerful and nuanced performances across film, television, and stage. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 1981, to an Irish mother and an Ethiopian father, she moved to Limerick, Ireland, at the age of four following her father's passing. This diverse background has profoundly influenced her artistic perspective and her choice of roles, often exploring themes of identity and belonging.Negga's career began primarily in theatre, with notable performances in productions like Duck and Hamlet. She transitioned into screen acting with her debut in the Irish film Capital Letters (2004), followed by significant roles in films such as Breakfast on Pluto (2005) and Isolation (2005). She gained further recognition for her work in television, including recurring roles in the Irish crime drama Love/Hate (2010-2011), the E4 sci-fi series Misfits (2010), and her portrayal of the enigmatic Raina in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2015). She also earned an IFTA Award for Best Actress in Television for her performance as Shirley Bassey in the BBC production Shirley (2011).Her career reached new heights with her leading role as Mildred Loving in Jeff Nichols's 2016 biographical drama Loving. Her poignant portrayal of the real-life woman at the center of the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized interracial marriage in the U.S. garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning her nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress. In the same year, she appeared as Queen Taria in the fantasy film Warcraft.Following Loving, Negga continued to showcase her versatility. She starred as Tulip O'Hare in the AMC fantasy drama series Preacher (2016-2019), a role that solidified her presence in American television. Her later film roles include Ad Astra (2019) alongside Brad Pitt, and her critically lauded performance as Clare Bellew in Rebecca Hall's directorial debut Passing (2021), which earned her additional Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. More recently, she appeared in Good Grief (2023) and the 2024 Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent.

Person History