Gugu Mbatha-Raw first appeared in the Episode: "Overload" of the British medical drama television series, ‘Holby City’ in 2004. She went on to make her big-screen debut in the 2007 British revenge/thriller film ‘Straightheads’ directed by Dan Reed. The film scored a 40% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2011, she starred as ‘Talia’ in the American romantic comedy film ‘Larry Crowne’ directed by Tom Hanks. The film received a mixed response from critics but managed to gross over $72 million on a $30 million budget. She next appeared in the 2013 Stephen Sommers-directed American mystery thriller film ‘Odd Thomas’ where she played the role of ‘Viola.’ The film received mixed reviews from critics, earning a 38% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The same year also saw the release of the British period drama film ‘Belle’ where Mbatha-Raw portrayed ‘Dido Elizabeth Belle.’ The film opened to positive reviews and received an 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Mbatha-Raw also won several awards, including the ‘Black Reel Award’ and the ‘British Independent Film Award,’ for her performance in the film. In 2014, she played the role of ‘Noni Jean’ in the American romantic drama film ‘Beyond the Lights’ directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. The film received a positive response from critics and grossed over $14.6 million on a $7 million budget.
She next appeared in films like ‘Jupiter Ascending’ (2015), ‘Concussion’ (2015), ‘Free State of Jones’ (2016), ‘Miss Sloane’ (2016), ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (2017), ‘The Cloverfield Paradox’ (2018), ‘Irreplaceable You’ (2018), ‘Fast Color’ (2018), ‘Farming’ (2018), ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ (2019), ‘Come Away’ (2020), ‘Misbehaviour’ (2020), and ‘Summerland’ (2020). She was last seen in the 2021 4-part television thriller series ‘The Girl Before’ where she played the role of ‘Jane Cavendish.’ She is all set to appear in the upcoming psychological thriller miniseries, ‘Surface.’