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"There was never a plan B," No Time to Die star Lashana Lynch told Rolling Stone when asked what she would've done if not for being an actor. The 33-year-old is a conversation-starter today, but that's not how it all began. Her journey to the top may have been riddled with challenges, but it has been equally rewarding.
Lashana Lynch is a firecracker lighting up the screens with her portrayal of Nomi, an MI6 agent in Daniel Craig's final hurrah as James Bond. A welcome departure from the flamboyant, cruel-mouthed and martini-swigging spy, Lashana Lynch channels quiet confidence, a charm that is unmistakable and hard to come by.
Lashana Lynch's early life explored
Her meteoric rise saw humble beginnings. Born in Hammersmith, West London to social worker dad and housing manager mother, Lashana Lynch knew very early life had a special quality that would springboard her to dizzying heights of stardom.
The Fast Girls actress graduated from the Arts Educational School with a mission that has guided the choices she has made to-date. She was determined not to okay stereotyped roles written for black women, even if that meant she had to struggle to make ends meet. And struggle, she did.
At one point, Lashana Lynch was an NHS receptionist who couldn't afford rent despite having scored decent acting gigs. She was also temping at a courtesy car company.
She told Rolling Stone:
"When I did Still Star-Crossed, I was working for the NHS again. I went away, I didn’t have any money, I literally had about 2p in my bank. And when you work you don’t get paid straight away, so I’m the lead in this show, but still can’t afford my rent."
All about her first role
Most know her as the resilient Maria Rambeau from Captain Marvel, but there's a decade's worth of hard work that precedes that role.
Her first acting gig was for ITV's cop drama The Bill. She was cast as the kidnapped girlfriend of a gang member. Obviously, the audition required her to be frazzled and in tears, which rolled down effortlessly because she was stressed out from traveling.
Lashana recalled:
"I got on the Northern Line the wrong way and got there so late. And the scene was her crying her eyes out and, literally, I did not have to act."
For Lynch, it was only upwards from here on out. She has since starred in Still Star-Crossed, Bulletproof and The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud, among other projects. The actor will next be seen in Ear for Eye, Matilda and The Woman King.
