- Her name is pronounced "Goo-Goo mBAH-tah Raw". Her birth name, "Gugulethu" (Goo-Goo-Lay-Too), is a contraction of "igugu lethu", that means "Our Pride" in Zulu.
- She was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to Drama. She is an actress in Oxfordshire, England.
- Shared the cover of Vanity Fair magazine's 2016 Hollywood issue with, Jane Fonda, Viola Davis, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Rachel Weisz, Lupita Nyong'o, Brie Larson, Alicia Vikander, Charlotte Rampling, Helen Mirren, Diane Keaton and Saoirse Ronan. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz.
- Was one of the eight women honored at the 2014 ELLE Women in Hollywood Awards for their creative contributions to the world of film.
- Nominated for the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance as the title role of Jessica Swale's play "Nell Gwynn" (2015).
- She has always loved art and had considered becoming an artist instead of an actress for a time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she painted portraits of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others, using painting supplies that her Concussion (2015) co-star Will Smith has given to her in 2016.
- Attended the Henry Box School and participated at the National Youth Theatre, having been interested in drama, dance, and musical theatre from a young age. Her credits include dancing at the Judy Tompsett School of Dance (now known as the Marsh Tompsett School of Dance).
- Ranked as having one of the "Most Beautiful Famous Faces" by TC Candler's list of the "100 Most Beautiful Famous Faces From Around the World" for three consecutive years. She was ranked #33 in 2016, #22 in 2015 and #15 in 2014.
- Has appeared with her co-star David Oyelowo in three films: The Cloverfield Paradox (2018), A Wrinkle in Time (2018) and Come Away (2020).
- Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
- Trained as an actress at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London, England.
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