Lesotho | English

Dad and mum met in Lesotho, dad worked for NGOs with charities and mum studied Spanish in Cuba. I was born in Wales, but I didn't live in the UK until I was 13. When we were young we lived in many countries, Ghana, Uganda, Mali, Kenya. I loved the food in Ghana. Even for a mixed race person I’m quite fair, and every African country has a word for a ‘white person’ so until I was 13, I thought oh I am white. So when I came to the UK, I was told I am black which was an immediate shift. It kind of highlighted to me a lot of stuff about race, how much of your identity is what other people put on you. I am an actor and I definitely identify as mixed race. I have as much white blood as I have black blood, but no one ever sees this. I would never go for a casting for a white character, like no one would ever have me in for that, but I would continuously be put in a casting for a black character.

It’s a really good time to be mixed race because we are all going to mix eventually. Many white people are mixed but it’s not visual. When black people mix, it is visual. I think everyone is mixed race, everyone is dual heritage.