Danai Gurira

Danai Jekesai Gurira is a renowned Zimbabwean-American actress, playwright, and activist. Born on February 14, 1978, she graced screens by starring as Michonne on the AMC horror drama series, The Walking Dead from 2012–2020, and reprising the role in 2022, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live in 2024. Marvel enthusiasts would recognize her as Okoye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films, including Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). Her prowess isn't limited to acting as she is also the writer of the Broadway play Eclipsed, a performance that earned her a nomination for a Tony Award for Best Play. Her acting portfolio is impressive, with roles in films that have collectively grossed $6.98 billion dollars, placing her among the highest-grossing actresses of all time.

Her early life saw her being born in Grinnell, Iowa, to Josephine Gurira, a college librarian, and Roger Gurira, a professor at Grinnell College. Gurira, the youngest of four siblings, saw her family move back to Zimbabwe in 1983. Her education led her back to the United States, where she graduated from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with a BA in Psychology. She later earned a Master of Fine Arts in acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. As an activist, Gurira is known for her advocacy towards women's rights, the eradication of poverty, and heightening awareness on HIV/AIDS. Apart from acting and activism, she co-founded Almasi Arts, an organization that enhances arts education in Zimbabwe. Her dedication to gender equality and women's rights got her appointed as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in 2018.