Thuso Mbedu

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Covers

Records

Thuso Mbedu has achieved several historic firsts in her career. She became the first South African actress to lead an American television series with The Underground Railroad. She earned back-to-back International Emmy nominations for her starring role in Is'Thunzi. Her performance in The Underground Railroad won her the Independent Spirit Award, making her one of the few African actresses to win that prize. She was also named to the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list in 2018.

AwardsMbedu won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series for The Underground Railroad, as well as a Gotham Award and a Hollywood Critics Association Award for the same role. She also won a Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Actress for The Woman King and a Girls on Film Award for Ensemble Acting. She received two International Emmy nominations for Is'Thunzi.

Honours & Distinctions

Forbes Africa 30 Under 30

Forbes Africa·2018

Honoured as one of Africa's top young achievers

First South African actress to lead an American television series

2021

Starred as Cora in The Underground Railroad

Rankings & Lists

Forbes Africa 30 Under 30

Forbes Africa·2018

Magazine Covers

Forbes Africa

2018

30 Under 30

Records & Feats

First South African actress to lead an American television series

Historic First·2021

Mbedu starred as Cora in The Underground Railroad (2021), a historic first for a South African actress.