Naomie Melanie Harris is a well-known English actress who was born on 6 September 1976 in Islington, London. Naomie’s career started as a young child when she secured a part in Simon and the Witch. Today, she is well known for holding roles in critically acclaimed films such as Skyfall, Spectre and Moonlight.
Naomie Harris was born and raised in Islington in London, by her mother Lisselle Kayla. Lisselle (née Carmen Harris) emigrated from Jamaica as a child, with her British and Nigerian parents. Naomie’s father is Brian Clarke, a renowned fashion designer who emigrated from Trinidad to settle in the UK. Although, they separated before Naomie was born and she was raised by her mother in a council flat in Finsbury Park.
Naomie has only met her father a handful of times and when Naomie was 11 years old her mother remarried. The couple had two children, a half-brother and sister to Naomie, who are 20 years younger than her
Her mother held various roles including a screenwriter for the popular soap Eastenders, which gave Naomie a glimpse into the world of acting. Naomie still maintains a close relationship with her mother and they live just several doors apart in Muswell Hill in North London
Academic background
As a child Naomie attended St Marylebone School, near her home in London, she then completed sixth form at Woodhouse College. From an early age, Naomie showed a passion for acting which led to her attending the Anna Scher Theatre School. The school helped her secure her childhood roles in Simon and the Witch and The Tomorrow People.
Once she finished school, Naomie used the money she earned from her childhood roles to fund her degree course. In 1998 Naomie graduated with a BA in social and political sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge, a first for her family.
Her passions lay elsewhere and Naomie began her training to become an actress at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. At this point, Naomie had depleted her childhood earnings and needed to find a new way to fund her course. Luckily, her uncle funded her first term and various charities such as the Women’s Educational Trust funded other terms.
Career
Naomie began her acting career in 1987 at the young age of just 9 years old, when she appeared in the popular television show Simon and the Witch.
In 2002 Naomie played her first major role as Selena in the movie 28 Days Later. She credits Danny Boyle for kickstarting her career when he took a chance and cast her in the film. At the time she was just 8 months out of acting school, a period of time which saw her worrying if she would ever become an actress. Further roles followed in 2004 when she starred in Trauma and After the Sunset.
In 2006, Naomie secured the role of Tia Dalma, the witch in the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films. It is her role in these highly successful films which gave her the confidence she needed to continue her career. Although at the time those around her claimed this franchise would be the one to propel her career, Naomie does not feel the film had the impact on her career that everyone expected.
Over the next five years, Naomie was kept busy with roles in films such as; Street Kings, Explicit Ills, August, Morris: A Life with Bells On, Ninja Assassin, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, My Last Five Girlfriends and The First Grader.
It was her role as Eve Moneypenny in the hugely popular James Bond films Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015), which brought her the most attention. Naomie is the first black Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond series and also the first to be given a first name. As the first female character not to be cast in a romantic light with James Bond, Naomie describes herself as the first Bond woman, rather than a Bond Girl.
Between these two blockbusters, Naomie also played Winnie Mandela in the 2012 film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The role fulfilled a goal for Naomie who always wanted to play characters which positively portrayed black women. The role she played alongside Idris Elba has been described as electric, with Winnie Mandela herself claiming to have never been portrayed so accurately in a film.
Alongside these screen roles, Naomie has also held notable stage positions. For example, in 2011 Naomie played the role of Elizabeth Lavenza in a stage production of Frankenstein for the National Theatre.
More recently, Naomie played the part of Paula in the 2016 film, Moonlight, which led to her being nominated for several awards. The film itself won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Although the cast for the film was largely composed of unknown actors, the film itself was extremely well received.
Her portrayal of a mother suffering from a crack cocaine addiction led to a phenomenal impact on her career, despite breaking her golden career rule of only portraying positive roles of black women. The beating down of the door she expected from starring in the Pirates of the Caribbean films was happening, as a result of starring in a low-budget film.
Naomie is still busy in her acting career and has roles in films which are awaiting release, including Eve Moneypenny in the next James Bond film, No Time to Die and Shriek in Venom 2.
Private life
Naomie has not married and does not have any children, although starting a family is not something she would rule out. For the majority of Naomie’s adult life she has been busy filming, although, in 2017, she decided to take a break from the acting world. During this time, she was a month in India, where she spent her days meditating and practising yoga. The time away from the industry was the welcome break she needed to be able to take on the demanding roles ahead in films such as Moonlight.
Naomie remains close to her family, who even travel around the world with her to film. Despite her celebrity status, Naomie herself does not like to be referred to as a celebrity. Instead, she shuns much of the celebrity lifestyle in favour of a more grounded life. For example, Naomie describes how people can find great outfits by shopping in second-hand stores such as Oxfam while reducing waste and benefiting charities.
Notable achievements
During Naomie’s long career she has earned several accolades and nominations, such as a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor and a BAFTA.
Most recently, in 2017, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for her services to drama. She received the honour from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London.
Despite her already lengthy acting career, Naomie claims she is still enjoying every minute of her career-high. Since turning 40 Naomie has secured her most interesting roles and her career shows no signs of slowing down. As Naomie’s career continues to take off we look forward to following her excellent position in the industry.