Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha-Raw was born in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, on April 21st, 1983. Her father, a South African doctor named Patrick Mbatha, and mother, an English nurse named Anne Raw, raised her. She moved home with her mother in Witney when her parents separated. Gugu grew up with her mother, but she also has a good relationship with her father. Acting, dancing, and musical theatre have been her passions since she was a child.
Gugu studied at The Henry Box School and was a member of the ‘National Youth Theatre.’ Judy Tompsett School of Dance, now known as the Marsh Tompsett School of Dance, was where she learned to dance. She afterward went to the ‘Oxford Youth Music Theatre’ to hone her acting, singing, and dancing skills. In 2001, she went to the ‘Royal Academy of Dramatic Art’ for training and experience in her field of interest after earning a scholarship.
