Michaela Coel Wiki: Facts About The First Black Woman To Receive An Emmy Award

After winning the BAFTA award for best female comedy performance in ‘Chewing Gum,’ Michaela Coel ruled the cineplex again with ‘I May Destroy You.’ She became the pioneer black woman to bag an Emmy Award for her work in comedy-drama ‘I May Destroy You’.

Michaela Coel is a British actress, screenwriter, director, producer, and singer, primarily known as Tracey Gordon in the E4 sitcom. Afterward, she bagged roles for TV segments- Black Mirror, Black Earth Rising, and movies- Been So Long. Also, she had a significant part in the 2017- space themed film- Star wars: the Last Jedi.

Michaela Coel Wiki- Her Parents Aren’t Religious?

She was born with a birth name, Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson, on 1 October 1987 in east London. Her Ghanian parents had parted ways before she was born. She spent her childhood days with an older sister under the wings of her Ghanian mother. Attending Catholic school, she felt as if she was isolated from others and dealt with her emotion by ‘hitting people. Michaela was the only black woman in the school, where she bullied and hit other groups. She recalled herself as a bully. 

While enrolling at a comprehensive school for secondary school, she changed. Michaela felt she was in a similar age cohort with black women with whom she shared secrets and chatted her heart out. Her friends quit, but she pursued her career in drama and theatre during the University of Birmingham days. Also, she was the pioneer black woman to attend the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for five years. The actress was an ace student with the Laurence Olivier Bursary award that assisted her in her schooling fund. In the end, she sharpened her skills in acting, singing, and writing poems.

She claims herself a Christian- an extreme Christian. At 18, she joined dance classes run by Christian fellows. The exact age when she found her god. When she converted to Christianity, her mother ( a mental health liaison officer) thought she was in a cult and her older sister was scared. 

Michaela Coel Career: From Poems To Movies

More than a decade ago, in 2006, she performed poems in Ealing, The Hackney Empire, de Doelen, Wembley Arena, and Talawa Theatre Company. Then, she wrote and starred in the E4 sitcom, Chewing Gum. She didn’t think about entering the film industry until she said OK to her old friend Walker; he adapted his play into the film. 

It was the breakthrough moment for Michaela Coel when she wrote the comedy series- ‘I May Destroy’ You in 2020. She was bestowed with the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special for the comedy series. Before the breakthrough in 2020, she appeared in BBC One’s drama- London Spy, the TV series- Black Mirror, and Netflix – Been So Long. 

Michaela Coel’s net worth?

She is the most sought actress in Hollywood following her unorthodox comedy in the Chewing Gum series. Then, she served most potential writing in ‘I May Destroy You,’ which unfolds the character in the aftermath of sexual assault. It gifted her with the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special, making her the first black woman to receive it. 

Initially, she thought of signing a Netflix contract for her masterpiece, I May Destroy You. Nonetheless, she dropped the million-dollar deal because Netflix didn’t have the clause of giving her copyright in the first-hand contract. Now, more than a million-dollar deal makes Michaela Coel’s net worth a hefty sum. One of the Times’ 100 most influential people and Black panther: Wakanda Forever star, Coel’s net worth is $2 million as of 2022.

Who is Michaela Coel’s partner? What does Michaela Coel’s husband do?

In the Netflix hit, Been So Long, she fell for an ex-con, Raymond (Arinzé Kene), though she had lived isolated for so long. Out of the screen, does Michaela Coel’s partner possess a similar enchanting aura as Raymond? Well, she considers her sexual orientation as  aromantic. She doesn’t get excited if her husband (but she hasn’t been married yet) surprises her with flowers, chocolates, or expensive material things. 

She didn’t know the term ‘aromantic’ until she listened to a song by Moses Sumney, who dropped an album of the same name. The actress googled the word and immediately recognized herself as aromantic. Michaela believes in platonic relationships; her oxytocin level doesn’t rise with diamonds, gifts, and extravagance. For instance, if her partner insists that she wear a beautiful outfit for an extravagant date, she won’t relate to the romantic side. She is more into a person instead of wedding things and expenses. 

“I am OK being by myself. I like having intimate relationships, but I don’t want to change people or want to be changed by anyone. Diamond rings don’t make me happy. Flowers don’t make me smile. I can’t smell them. I don’t have a sense of smell. I want to know who you are.”

General FAQs

How old is Michaela Coel?

Born on 1 October 1987 in east London, Michaela Coel is 34 years old. Her zodiac sign is Libra. 

Where is Michaela Coel’s hometown?

She hails from London, UK.

What is Michaela Coel gender?

As mentioned earlier, she is the pioneer black woman to bag an Emmy Award for her work in the comedy-drama I May Destroy You.

What are Michaela Coel’s nationality and ethnicity?

Though her parents are Ghananian, she belongs of British nationality and Black ethnicity.

What height is Michaela Coel?

The pretty strong head, funny, and innocent-looking Michaela Coel stands at an average height of five feet and four inches.