{"id":548374,"date":"2026-07-28T20:08:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T20:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/548374\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T20:08:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T20:08:08","slug":"hollywood-actress-takes-on-emotional-part-in-new-slavery-thriller","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/548374\/","title":{"rendered":"Hollywood actress takes on ’emotional’ part in new slavery thriller"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Witney-born actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw is set to star in a new five-part Sky series titled Possession.\n<\/p>\n

\n The drama unfolds between Bristol and Jamaica stars u Mbatha-Raw as Claudia, a lawyer entangled in an inheritance dispute that leads her to confront buried family history and generational trauma tied to the legacy of slavery.\n<\/p>\n

\n Mbatha-Raw, who went the The Henry Box School in Witney, has appeared in several high-profile films and television shows over her career, including Loki on Disney+ and Surface on Apple+ TV.\n<\/p>\n

\n Gugu Mbatha-Raw, aged 43, said: “What the series is really about is much deeper.\n<\/p>\n

\n “It explores identity, heritage and the enduring legacy of slavery between Bristol and Jamaica, as well as the impact of colonialism and how the past continues to shape the present.\n<\/p>\n

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\n \"UndatedGugu Mbatha-Raw as Claudia (Image: \u00a9Sky UK Ltd)\n<\/p>\n

\n “For Claudia, it becomes a journey back to her roots and an awakening to parts of herself she has long kept at a distance.”\n<\/p>\n

\n The actress praised Karla Crome\u2019s scripts for their originality and impact.\n<\/p>\n

\n She said: “I was completely blown away by how bold they were.\n<\/p>\n

\n “It felt like such a refreshing concept \u2013 I hadn\u2019t seen a story that tackled the idea of reparations in this way before, especially one that was also so gripping, entertaining and thrilling.”\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt asks big questions about where we come from and how the past continues to live with us.”\n<\/p>\n

\n Jamaican actor Sheldon Shepherd, who plays Cudjoe East, said the series offers a new way to understand the concept of reparations.\n<\/p>\n

\n Mr Shepherd said: “The thing about reparations is that they\u2019ve been talked about for a long time.\n<\/p>\n

\n “People wonder what they actually look like.\n<\/p>\n

\n “When I read the script, I realised it gave the issue an artistic expression, and that was very important to me.\n<\/p>\n

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\n \"UndatedJonny Lee Miller as Oliver Connaught (Image: \u00a9Sky UK Ltd)\n<\/p>\n

\n “It meant I could explore it through art rather than by standing in the street with a placard.\n<\/p>\n

\n “I call it repairing the damage done, and if we look at it that way, perhaps the idea becomes a little easier to approach, more digestible, so to speak.\n<\/p>\n

\n “When you think about the word \u2018repair,\u2019 it has a positive feeling to it.\n<\/p>\n

\n “It suggests you\u2019re doing something good.”\n<\/p>\n

\n The project arrives amid renewed global focus on the legacy of slavery and colonialism, intensified by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 and subsequent global protests.\n<\/p>\n

\n Jonny Lee Miller plays Oliver Connaught, the white British aristocrat tied to the disputed estate, while Bel Powley stars as Charlotte Connaught, his ancestor from the 18th century.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"Undated Bel Powley as Charlotte Desfriene (Image: \u00a9Sky UK Ltd)\n<\/p>\n

\n Mrs Powley said: “The show explores racial politics, identity and the legacy of colonialism, but it does so through a genre-bending lens.\n<\/p>\n

\n “There are elements of suspenseful thriller, tropical noir and horror, but it always stays grounded.”\n<\/p>\n

\n Possession premieres on Sky Atlantic and Now TV on Thursday, August 6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Witney-born actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw is set to star in a new five-part Sky series titled Possession. The drama…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":548375,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[156,111,139,69,437],"class_list":["post-548374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=548374"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/548374\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/548375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=548374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=548374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=548374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}