Emmy nominated actress Thuso Mbedu is a star! We’ve never doubted her talent and we’re so happy that she now gets to share it with the rest of the world. Thuso is currently the talk of town and will be for a very long time, after her stellar performance in new Amazon Prime drama series “The Underground Railroad” where she plays the lead role of “Cora Randall”.
The 10-episode drama series, which started streaming on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, May 14, sees Thuso star as Cora Randall, a slave who escapes a plantation in Georgia. She boards a train embarking on a trip where she seeks freedom. All this while she is hunted by a notorious slave catcher, Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton).
The early reviews for “The Underground Railroad”, which is adapted from the Pulitzer-winning novel by Colton Whitehead, have been glowing, with many critics praising her performance and some predicting a Primetime Emmy nomination for the work on the show.
Thuso has drawn parallels between her life and that of her character. Thuso did not grow up with her mother, who died due to a brain tumour. She and her younger sister, were raised by their grandmother.
Cora’s mother, Mabel, fled the plantation, leaving 11-year-old Cora to suffer and deal with enslavement without her protection.
In a Twitter thread, the award-winning actor listed reasons why the character appealed to her.
“There’s a part of me that wants to say I saw parts of me in her, but I don’t know if I’m brave enough to say that yet because Cora is so much stronger than me.
“But playing her did help heal parts of me I did not know were wounded — maybe that’s what drew me to her.
“Cora’s freedom is tied to running and we see this as we go from episode to episode.
“Colson Whitehead created a human being that people can point to on the street. She’s a brave but fragile young woman because of everything she’s been through.
“Cora is… simple, but complicated. We are only as strong as our hardest challenge and, through Cora, we see that.
“She gives hope for a future to the everyday man and woman who, with each new day, find themselves fighting for something.
“What I like about Cora is that she holds the mic for everyone to be heard. As she goes from state to state, not only are we following her but by following her, we meet many others whom she allows to share a piece of themselves.”
Source: IOL
Image: Amazon Prime
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