Michaela Coel’s Net Worth, Height, Age, & Personal Info Wiki

Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson, known professionally as Michaela Coel, is a Ghanaian-British actress, filmmaker, singer, and composer. She is best known for creating and starring in the E4 sitcom “Chewing Gum” (2015–2017), for which she was awarded the BAFTA for Best Female Comedy Performance. For the BBC One/HBO comedy-drama series “I May Destroy You” (2020), she was awarded the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress in 2021.

Facts About Michaela Coel

Michaela Coel’s Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)

Michaela Coel’s Net Worth

As of 2023, Michaela Coel has a net worth of approximately $5 million. Her primary source of income is her profession as an actress and comedian.

Michaela Coel’s Personal Life

The “Black Panther 2” actress, who rose to prominence as the creator and star of the television series “Chewing Gum” and “I May Destroy You,” is notoriously private about her dating status. In a recent interview with Vogue, she revealed that she is currently single. Michaela has not disclosed her current relationship status for several years. In 2018, she revealed in an interview with The Guardian that she had a partner. For reasons of privacy, she declined to elucidate further on their relationship.

Michaela Coel’s Early Life

Michaela Ewuraba Boakye-Collinson is originally from East London and was born on October 1, 1987. Her parents are Ghanaian. Her mother raised her and her sister predominantly in the East London boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets. She attended Catholic institutions in East London and claims she bullied other students in elementary school. She claimed she felt isolated because she was the only black pupil in her age group. Her education at a comprehensive secondary school ended her isolation.

From 2007 to 2009, Michaela studied English literature and theology at the University of Birmingham. After meeting Walker at open mic sessions, she enrolled in a masterclass with Ché Walker. In 2009, she became the first black student to enroll at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in five years. The Laurence Olivier Bursary made it possible for her to pay for her education. As a Guildhall student, Coel participated in the Mark Proulx workshop at Prima del Teatro and the Kat Francois Poetry Course at the Theatre Royal Stratford East.

Michaela Coel’s Career

Beginnings

Michaela Coel began performing at Ealing poetry open mics in 2006. As she continued to perform at open mics, Ché Walker, an actor, playwright, and director who had seen her at the Hackney Empire, encouraged her to apply to Guildhall. Coel performed as a poet on numerous stages, including Wembley Arena, Bush Theatre, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and De Doelen, Rotterdam. She was known as Michaela The Poet.

In 2009, Michaela entered the Talawa Theatre Company’s TYPT summer school program. She was in the 2009 TYPT production of Krunch, directed by Amani Naphtali, during her tenure at Talawa. In the same year, Coel released the album “Fixing Barbie,” which showcased her work as a poet and musician. She likewise released the album “We’re the Losers” in 2011.

In 2012, Coel’s play “Chewing Gum Dreams” was her senior thesis at Guildhall. The first production of the drama took place at The Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick. Based on her dramatic life, Coel portrayed Tracey, a 14-year-old girl, in a one-woman performance. The play was subsequently performed at the Bush Theatre (2012), Royal Theatre Holland (2012), Royal Exchange Theatre (2013), and National Theatre (2014). It has received favorable reviews.

Critical acclaim (2020–present)

Inspired by her sexual assault, Michaela Coel created, wrote, produced, co-directed, and starred in the comedy-drama series “I May Destroy You.” The program premiered on BBC One in the United Kingdom and HBO in the United States in June 2020 to widespread praise. She admitted turning down a $1 million offer from Netflix after the streaming service refused to grant her intellectual property ownership of her program.

Michaela was included among Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020. She was also identified as one of the breakout film talents of 2020. Coel was also featured on British Vogue’s list of influential women for 2020. In addition, she was ranked fourth on the 15th annual Powerlist of the most influential individuals of African or African-Caribbean descent in the United Kingdom for the influence of her work on “I May Destroy You.” Later, Coel was cast in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in July 2021, and the film was released on November 11, 2022. She portrays Aneka, a member of the Dora Milaje, in the film.

“Misfits: A Personal Manifesto,” the first book by Coel, was released simultaneously in the United Kingdom and the United States by Ebury Press on September 7, 2021. Her publisher described the book as “a powerful manifesto on how speaking your truth and owning your differences can transform your life” based on her 2018 MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh Festival, which discussed Coel’s experiences with racism and misogyny. In 2022, Coel was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. She will next appear in Mother Mary by David Lowery.

Michaela Coel’s Controversy

In August 2018, Michaela Coel disclosed that during the writing of her sitcom “Chewing Gum,” she was drugged and sexually assaulted by two unidentified males. The assault inspired her to create the television drama “I Might Destroy You.”

Net Worth of Other Notable Comedians

Maria Bamford

Maria Elizabeth Sheldon Bamford is an acclaimed American stand-up comedian and actress recognized for her unique humor addressing mental health and family dynamics. Born on September 3, 1970, in Port Hueneme, California, Bamford’s diverse career has seen her voice a myriad of characters in animated series like “CatDog,” “Adventure Time,” and “BoJack Horseman.” Beyond her voice-acting achievements, she notably starred in the semi-autobiographical Netflix series “Lady Dynamite,” which offers a comedic lens into her life. Maria’s candidness about her personal challenges with mental health has also been a defining feature of her stand-up routines, leading to both relatability and acclaim. Through her multifaceted career in comedy and acting, Maria Bamford’s net worth has reached an estimated $800,000.

Natasha Leggero

Natasha Leggero, an American comedian, actress, and writer, garnered recognition as the host of “The 70s House” on MTV in 2005 and later, as a mainstay on Chelsea Handler’s talk show “Chelsea Lately” from 2008 to 2014. Born in Rockford, Illinois, on March 26, 1974, Leggero shifted from Roman Catholicism to Judaism and kickstarted her career in plays in Chicago at age ten. She’s known not only for her roles in various TV series and voice acting endeavors but also for her unique comedic style, often satirizing the elite with her “high-class” attire and demeanor. Despite courting controversy with certain jokes, such as the one about Pearl Harbour veterans, she remains unapologetic about her comedic approach. As of 2023, Natasha Leggero’s net worth is estimated to be $2 million.