Naomie Harris Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Naomie Melanie Harris is an English actress best known for her role in the James Bond films Spectra and Skyfall as Eve Moneypenny. Born on September 6, 1976, Harris started her career as a child actress featuring in the television series, Simon and the Witch, 1987. She has appeared in several works including the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean, 28 Days Later, and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

Harris was highly praised for her role in Moonlight, 2016, which earned her nominations in the BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. During the 2017 Year of Honours, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services in drama.

Early Life

Naomie Melanie Harris was born on September 6, 1976, in Islington, London to Lisselle Kayla, a Jamaican migrant. Her father was also a fashion designer from Trinidad. Harris parents separated before her birth and therefore did had no relationship with her father. Raised by her mother, she grew in a council flat in Finsbury Park. Her mother later remarried and had two children. Lisselle was a scriptwriter and introduced young Harris into acting at a very young age.

Harris received education at St Marylebone School in London and continued at Woodhouse College for her 6th form. Harris later entered Pembroke College, Cambridge and graduated with a degree in social and political sciences in 1998. Having developed an interest in acting and wanting to make it a career, she received training at the Bristol Old VC Theatre School.

Career

Naomie Harris was a child actress and has appeared in several films, television series and theatre works. At the age of nine appeared in the television series Simon and the Witch, 1987-1988. She played the role of Ami Jackson in the remake of the science fiction series The Tomorrow People from 1992 to 1995. Within that same period, she appeared in 17 episodes of Runaway Bay from 1992 to 1993. Going into the theatre, Harris played Susan Carter in Witch of Edmonton at the Southwark Playhouse in 2000.

Her debut feature film was in 2001 when she featured in the film Crust as a receptionist. She appeared in Danny Boyle’s post-apocalyptic film 28 Days Later, 2002 and followed it with the television adaptation of Zadie Smith’s White Teeth. Harris appeared in two Pirates of Caribbean movies Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, 2006 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End in 2007 all as Tia Dalma.

Naomie Harris played Trudy Joplin in Miami Vice, 2006, A Cock and Bull Story, 2006 and Street King in 2008. She featured in Channel 4’s television film adaptation of the novel Poppy Shakespeare and BBC historical drama Small Island in 2009. Back to the theatre, she starred as Elizabeth Lavenza in Danny Boyle’s stage production of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, 2011 in the Seattle International Film Festival.

Later Works

Naomie Harris played the role of Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond film, Skyfall, becoming the first black actress to play the role. She played Winnie Mandela opposite Idris Elba in the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, 2013. Winnie Madikikela-Mandela praised Harris for her performance upon viewing the movies. She indicated it was "the first time she felt truly captured on film".

In 2015, Harris reprised her role of Moneypenny in the James Bond film, Spectra. She earned critical acclaims for her role as Paula in the film Moonlight. Her performance earned her nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

Honours

On February 23, 2017, Queen Elizabeth appointed Naomie Harris an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services in drama, during the 2017 New Year Honours at the Buckingham Palace.