Vest by Balmain; jeans THE by J Brand; earrings by Maria Black; belt by EDIT The Lanvin Int erview: Danai Gurira From battling zombies on screen to fighting for women’s rights, the actress and writer is a force to be reckoned with, finds Tiffany Bakker Photographs by Annabel Mehran Styling by Katie Long

anai Gurira believes that she STYLE RÉSUMÉ only really understood the Profession: Actress and Dpower of Angelina Jolie when playwright she witnessed “Nobel laureates and My style: Chic with serious people” clamoring to get a touches of originality photo of the actress and GO-TO LABELS: I’m open to humanitarian at the Global Summit to whatever works on me, but I End Sexual Violence in Conflict, like the label Suno. It taps earlier this year in London. into something that feeds me “I just kind of stood back, amazed. as an African woman, but also These very serious people stopped feels very fashion-forward everything and ran to take photos of BEAUTY ESSENTIAL: MAC Angelina,” smiles Gurira, who was foundation blends beautifully asked to participate in the event and suits my skin based on the strength of her self- penned 2009 play Eclipsed, which Shirt by Gucci; Dress by Isa Arfen; THE skirt by The Row boots by Alexander EDIT Wang; earrings by Lanvin; cuff by Aurélie focuses on sexual violence against are we, what is the extent of our Bidermann women in war-torn Liberia. humanity, and how will we “[Angelina] has such spirit and respond? Even my father, who is a grace,” says Gurira. “She is a very 73-year-old chemistry professor, powerful role model of what you admits he’s sucked in by it. He says do with that level of fame – how to me, ‘It’s not about the zombies, you should channel it and pivot it it’s about the people!’ And that’s towards something we should all what makes it such a hit.” be focusing on. She is rare.” Gurira, too, is rare. In the world he daughter of Zimbabwean of television and film, perspective academics, Gurira was born is often reflected inwardly, but the Tin Iowa but moved to 36-year-old Zimbabwean-American Zimbabwe at the age of five, when actress and playwright’s her parents returned to the perspective is resolutely outward. country after studying in the US. For example, she currently “It was an idyllic childhood, I spends seven months a year in became comfortable very quickly Atlanta shooting US TV in Zimbabwe,” she says. “I found it phenomenon The Walking Dead, in to be a very exciting place, very which she plays “bad-ass” warrior kid-friendly. I grew up around a lot Michonne, slicing up as many of other university brats, whose zombies as she can swing her parents were academics, and a lot multiple swords at. That may seem of kids whose parents had decided inward, but for Gurira, the parallels between the themes on the show and the civil unrest within her “I wanted to tell the home continent are palpable. “It’s metaphorical. There are so many stories of people who things that you could put in place could have an impact, of the zombies,” the 36-year-old but are never heard” reflects. “It asks the questions: who Coat by Michael THE Kors; sweater by EDIT Marni to return [to Zimbabwe], so we’d all been underrepresented on stage Danai’s go-to pieces been born somewhere else.” and screen. “To see that type of While Gurira took an interest in ability thwarted by lack of drama in high school (she says opportunity, it’s just Eres seeing Ntozake Shange’s seminal reprehensible,” she states. 1975 play For Colored Girls “Inexcusable.” So, in 2005, when “changed her life”), she expected Gurira attended New York “I like blazers to follow the same path as her University’s prestigious Tisch that are structured parents into academia, and she School of the Arts, she co-wrote Balmain but sexy.” returned to the US aged 19 to and starred in In The Continuum

study psychology. But spending a with her friend and classmate Altuzarra semester studying in South Africa Nikkole Salter. The play, which is Maison completely changed her about two women living with HIV Martin Margiela Haider perspective. “I had never been able Ackermann (one in Los Angeles, the other in “Every woman to go to South Africa when I was Zimbabwe), garnered reams of needs a pair of growing up because it had been positive critical attention and an good black “This shirt is the stilettos.” under apartheid. But going there Off-Broadway Theater Award. “[The perfect combination Lucy Choi as a young adult and hearing all recognition was] astounding, really of elegance and London practicality.” the voices of the people, it became humbling,” says Gurira. “It made clear to me that I wanted to tell me feel that maybe, just maybe, African women’s stories,” Gurira I’m doing something right.” recalls. “I didn’t want to tell my Oscar winner has helped indicates a cultural shift. “Has the story. I wanted to tell the stories of er “next frontier” is to change perceptions, magazine ever featured a woman people who have experiences, and bring those sorts of roles particularly on how Hollywood that looks so essentially African on whose voices could have a Hto the big screen, and defines beauty. “For as long as the cover before? I doubt it. It magnificent global impact, but who Gurira notes that the success of I’ve known [Lupita], she and I should have been happening like are never heard. And I don’t think her friend, American/Kenyan have been confident girls,” says this all along, but it’s better late anyone can justify the reasons why actress Lupita Nyong’o, is evidence Gurira, insisting that Nyong’o than never. There is a lot of ground

[they’re never heard].” that audiences want to see being crowned People breaking happening right now,” she its

She felt compelled to write roles diversity in appearance and magazine’s ‘most beautiful’ adds, “and it is ground that has d re

for women of color, who had long storytelling. She contends that the person earlier this year long needed to be broken.” c