Thuso Mbedu Biography
Thuso Mbedu is a South African actress known for Movies and TV Shows such as The Woman King (2022), The Underground Railroad (2021), Is’Thunzi (2016-2017), Scandal (2015-2017), Isibaya (2014), Saints and Sinners (2014-2018) among others. 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.
Thuso Mbedu Age
How old is Thuso Mbedu? Mbedu is 31 years old. She was born on July 8, 1991, in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
Thuso Mbedu Height
She is 5 feet 4 inches tall (approximately 1.63m or 163cm).
Thuso Mbedu Nationality
Born and raised in South Africa, Mbedu is South African by nationality.
Thuso Mbedu Education
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 honors. In 2012, she took a course at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City.
Thuso Mbedu Parents
Thuso as her multicultural name suggests (Thuso is Sotho, Nokwanda is Zulu, and Mbedu is Xhosa) is the daughter of a Zulu mother and a Xhosa and Sotho father. She was raised in the Pelham area by her Zulu grandmother, who became her legal guardian after the passing of both her parents at an early age. Her mother died when she was four years old and although she didn’t have a relationship with her biological father, he died when she was 21. Thuso has a sister named Masentle Nomalungelo Mbedu.
In 2012, Thuso lost her grandmother which meant she no longer had a home to go to.
“I don’t have a home to go back to. All the money I made from Saints (& Sinners), I paid three months’ rent in advance and I had to relocate my sister and her child from KZN to Joburg,” she said.
She also said she knew that everything her grandmother managed to get for her and her sister, came from the “grace of God”.
Thuso Mbedu Husband
Who is Thuso Mbedu married to? Thuso is not married. In November 2022, Thuso was forced to address rumors that were making the rounds about her age and marital status. She wrote; “Seeing as people like to tweet with their chests. Yes, I’m 31. No, I’m not married. No, I don’t have children that have come from my uterus but my nieces call me ‘mam’ncane’ (younger mother) because that’s how we do it in the Zulu culture, and love them like they are mine. As you were”
Thuso Mbedu Movies and TV Shows
Mbedu is an 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. 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.
In late 2014, Mbedu had a small role in the second season of the Mzansi Magic soapie Isibaya, before landing her role as a journalism student and wild child Kitso on Scandal! She then had a guest role as Kheti on the second season of the SABC 2 teen drama series Snake Park, and a lead role as Boni Khumalo in the television series Saints and Sinners.
After being unemployed for six months, Mbedu landed her first starring role on 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 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.
Thuso Mbedu Salary
Mbedu earns an average annual salary of $700,000 as of 2023.
Thuso Mbedu Net Worth
She has an estimated net worth of $5 million as of 2023.
