Sheila Atim

Sheila Atim MBE is a multi-talented Ugandan-British actress, singer, composer, and playwright who began her professional acting career in 2014. Her debut occurred at Shakespeare's Globe in The Lightning Child, a musical penned by her acting coach, Ché Walker. Her diverse and acclaimed body of work includes stage roles in the Donmar Warehouse's all-female Shakespeare Trilogy in 2016, as well as other noteworthy performances. In 2018, Atim received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Marianne Laine in the original show Girl from the North Country. Not limiting herself to the acting field, she has also composed songs for numerous productions and premiered her play Anguis at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019. Her keen expertise is evident in her wide-ranging roles on television series, such as the tilting Game of Thrones successor series Bloodmoon, BBC's The Pale Horse, and Amazon's The Underground Railroad. In 2021, she shone brightly in Netflix's popular sports drama Bruised. In recognition of her excellent performance in the play Constellations, she was awarded the Best Lead Actress Laurence Olivier Award in 2022.

Born roughly in 1991 in Uganda, she moved to the United Kingdom when she was only five months old. Raised in Rainham, London, she conducted occasional modelling as a teenager, which led to her presence at the 2009 London Fashion Week event, 'All Walks beyond the Catwalk'. Although she underplayed modelling's impact on her career, stating, 'modelling was never a big earner for me. I was unusual looking.', she focused on her passion, completing a degree in biomedical science from King's College London, and getting actor training at the Weekend Arts Centre in London. Ché Walker's play The Lightning Child kickstarted her professional acting career when he chose her during a workshop for the play.