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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced Shuri (Letitia Wright) as Wakanda's next Black Panther.
The 29-year-old British-Guyanese actress started her career at the age of 18 and has appeared in several television series before moving to the big screen. Letitia Wright was born in Georgetown, Guyana, South America, but at the age of eight, she moved to England. While life back in Guyana was comfortable, she always wanted something more and the move to England gave her the chance.
Wright quickly acclamatized herself to the culture and began her journey to becoming the star she is today. She is the headliner for one of the biggest film franchises in the world and has reached extraordinary heights of success.
Following the death of Chadwick Boseman - the actor who previously played the Wakandan superhero - Shuri taking up the mantle of the Black Panther is a very exciting angle that has been widely lauded.
Letitia Wright's contribution to bringing Shuri, the technological mastermind and younger sister of the late King T'Challa, to life is undeniable. This proves her screen presence and acting prowess with the increased screentime compared to her previous appearances in other MCU films.
Letitia Wright - an award-winning actress who is also the reigning champion of rap battles among the Black Panter cast
1) Letitia Wright's inspiration for acting
Letitia Wright has become a sought-after actor since her first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Shuri, King T'Challa's younger sister. However, she comes from a humble background and has reached the heights of success through sheer hard work.
The actress started off with school plays in her childhood and attended acting classes later on, but credits something else as her real inspiration.
In an interview with the Sunday Morning Herald, Wright talked about how the 2006 Keke Palmer starrer, Akeelah and the Bee, made a huge impact on her. She realized that acting was her passion and she wanted to make films that could make an impact on people just as it had on her.
Letitia said that she wanted to make people feel the way she felt after watching the film, not just inspired and happy but like she could do anything. She added that it was "just a good feeling."
She made her first appearance in television series like Holby City and Top Boy, and in films as a supporting role in My Brother the Devil (2012).
2) Depression and the peace she found in religion
Letitia Wright has talked at length about depression and how the immense pressure in the industry took a toll on her. However, it is good to know that she has fought and come out victorious. She credited most of it to religion and spoke about how Christianity helped her rediscover herself and her purpose.
She added that she was in such a "deep state of depression" that she just wanted to quit acting. However, the actress said that she delved herself into religion after a Bible reading session in east London and has been better ever since.
She even took a break from acting at the age of 20 and dedicated her time to religion, changing her outlook on life to a more positive one, before resuming her career in acting.
3) Awards for her promising talent
While most of us know Letitia Wright as Shuri in Black Panther, she has been working in the industry for over a decade now. She has appeared in multiple films and television shows, and has also received praise for her performances in those titles.
Her performance in the award-winning crime drama, My Brother the Devil, got her recognition as the 2012 Star of Tomorrow by Screen International. Her 2017 appearance on Black Mirror got her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy.
In 2018, she appeared in her most notable role yet, Black Panther, which earned her three awards - the Teen Choice Award, the NAACP Image Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also received a BAFTA for the Rising Star Award. And that's not all, Wright also received a NAACP Image Award for giving her voice to Nooshy in Sing 2 (2022).
5) Letitia Wright has a sick flow
While we know what a great actor Letitia Wright is, she is a person of many talents and one these is rapping and freestyling.
During the press tours of Black Panther, Wright has talked quite often about her rapping skills and how she is the reigning champion of rap battles among the cast and crew of the film.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, where Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o and Letitia Wright sat down, both of them reconfirmed her rapping prowess. They even laughed about Danai's raps and the time she tried to plagiarize LL Cool J. Wright's rap prowess has also earned her the nickname of MC Baby Underbite from her cast members.
5) Her success came from her relentless effort
Letitia Wright's talent for acting was very apparent from an early age. However, her first proper validation came at the age of 12, when she participated in a school theatrical performance to commemorate Black History Month.
Her portrayal of Rosa Parks was so immaculate that the play was asked to be restaged in a nearby community theater. This gave her the push she needed and she started considering acting as a possible profession.
At 15, Wright was set on getting herself an agent. However, without a lot of money to spend, she took a selfie in a mirror and submitted the shots with her details to the top agents across London by hand and e-mail.
She finally got a chance and aced it, getting signed on the spot. Her family, who were not acquainted with acting being a real profession back in Guyana, realized it to be something worthwhile. She started taking acting classes and soon booked her first on-screen work in Holby City.
The rest, as we know, is history, and Letitia Wright is now no-doubt one of the most sought-after actors in the industry.
