The fast-rising international starlet Thuso Mbedu has bagged herself a global production deal with American on-demand streaming platform and television network, Paramount Plus and will be creating a suite of shows for the network outside of the United States.
The South African actress and star of the successful Amazon limited series, The Underground Railroad will soon be developing and producing documentary programmes focused on equity, climate, and health for the cause-driven production division of Paramount Plus Global’s production arm.
These will be made under the VIS Social Impact which launched in October 2021 as part of Paramount’s ‘Content for Change’ initiative that aims to counteract racism, stereotypes, and hate on- and off-screen. Among its key pillars is systematically transforming film and TV’s creative supply chain through deals such as the Mbedu agreement.
Mbedu made a name for herself in the local television scene from her big roles on popular TV shows such as Mzansi Magic’s Is’thunzi, Isibaya, and Saints and Sinners, eTV’s Scandal, and MTV’s Shuga. She has since gained international recognition after getting an Emmy nomination for her brilliance on Is’thunzi which exposed her to filmmakers abroad and to making history as the first South African thespian to book a lead role in an international Hollywood series, The Underground Railway.
The Thuso Mbedu star keeps on rising as the actress will soon be making an appearance alongside American film and television stars Viola Davis and John Boyega in a Sony film production, The Woman King.
The Woman King is a film inspired by real-life events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its story follows Nanisca who’s played by Viola Davis, General of the all-female military unit, and Nawi played by our own Thuso Mbedu, an ambitious recruit, who together fought enemies who violated their honor, enslaved their people, and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for.
In a recent interview with the American publication, Deadline, Mbedu shared her excitement and plans to take on this tenure and said, “As Africans, we have so many unique and diverse cultures, histories, and experiences that the world needs to see and hear about and, as an African woman, to get an opportunity to tell stories that will uplift, empower and shape new ways of thinking and seeing the world, is absolutely amazing.”
Another Senior Vice President of International Social Responsibility at Paramount, Arnold, raved about Mbedu’s talents telling Deadline that: “Having been privileged to work with Thuso on MTV Shuga: Down South, I’ve seen her powerful creative talent first-hand; I’m in no doubt that her skill and expertise will help our studio develop ground-breaking social impact-driven content with worldwide appeal.”
Her acting and film performances have continued to garner praises and critics from many entertainment heavyweights with Oprah her performance on The Underground Railroad a performance of a lifetime.
Furthermore, and proving Mbedu’s acting success, she has since won an Independent Spirit Award, Gotham Award, and Hollywood Critics Association Award for her role as Cora in The Underground Railroad, a role that made her the first South African leading woman of a U.S. series.
