Susan Wokoma | Actress

Susan Wokoma | Actress

As a child growing up in Elephant & Castle, it was sitcoms like The Real McCoy and Goodness Gracious Me that Susan loved the most. Her gift for comedy was recognised by her teachers, who encouraged her to apply to the National Youth Theatre. By 16, Susan had an agent, and soon found herself studying at RADA. In winning her place at the academy, Susan selected and rehearsed her own speeches without any help. It worked, and Susan says it was a useful lesson in trusting her instincts and believing in the value of what she has to offer as an individual.

Although RADA gave her an incredible toolkit, Susan describes having a feeling early-on that if she had a successful career it wouldn’t involve starring in classic plays at places like Shakespeare’s Globe, where so many RADA graduates go on to work. Once again, Susan’s instincts were right. After giving herself time to find her feet in the industry, she has become known for standout performances in comedies like Chewing Gum and Crazyhead. She pinches herself when she realises that the kind of shows she grew up loving are the same ones she now gets to work on. Having recently been commissioned to write her own sitcom, Susan is looking forward to the next few years developing her voice both on and off screen.