Letitia Michelle Wright is a Guyanese-British actress who was born in Georgetown, Guyana, on October 31, 1993. When Letitia was seven years old, her family relocated to London. She never imagined a Hollywood career, despite her roles in Black Panther, Avengers: Endgame, Ready Player One, Avengers: Infinity War, and Guava Island. However, after a string of stage and television roles and early recognition of her talent, her casting in the blockbuster film Black Panther was the break that every actor dreams of.

Keep reading to learn some best moments of Leticia Michael’s life and career that display her Caribbean ties and the close mutual affection between her and her homeland, Guyana.

The University of Guyana (UG) conferred an honorary degree called ‘honoris causa’ on her at its main campus at Turkeyen, Georgetown.

An honorary degree typically recognizes outstanding achievements in any field. Wright’s honorary recognized her accomplishments as a world-renowned actress. In her acceptance speech, she spoke deeply and honestly about her journey and reflected on her pride in representing Guyana on the world stage. Check out the excerpt below about what she said:

“I capitalized on the chance to highlight my country since it is a huge part of who I am and is in my bloodline.” When I get home, there’s roti – dhal roti and pepper pot and bread, which is my favorite. I go home, and Guyana is in the very fabric of everything I do and am, so I haven’t been home, but home hasn’t left me. Guyana, as much as you love me, I love you; as much as you are proud of me, I am also proud of you.”
Dr. Mohamed-Martin, Vice Chancellor, reflected on the Guyanese people who came before Wright and got honorary degrees too.

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali Invited her to Visit Guyana.

President Irfaan Ali told Guyana-born actress Letitia Michelle Wright in 2022 that his administration would be “honored” to host her as he invited the Black Panther movie star to visit Guyana. Irfaan Ali congratulated Wright, who moved to England when she was seven years old, on her “massive success in her Black Panther role and her overall success as an actress on television in a letter dated November 16.

Here’s a short excerpt of what President Ali told Letitia Wright:

“I was happy with interview you gave in which you mentioned your birth country and how much you wanted to make your homeland proud. I am grateful for the recognition you have brought to our country and the pride your outstanding on-screen performances have brought us. The people of Guyana will gladly welcome you to your beloved Motherland. I hope that your schedule and plans will allow for such a visit as soon as possible.”

Some Notable Letitia Michelle Wright’s Life and Career Highlights

• Wright participated in school plays, but her desire to be a professional actress stems from the 2006 film Akeelah and the Bee. She was moved by Keke Palmer’s performance, saying it motivated her to pursue acting. She enrolled in the Identity School of Acting at the age of sixteen.

• In 2011, she appeared in one episode of Top Boy and two of Holby City. She later had a smaller role in My Brother the Devil, which led her to be named one of Screen International’s 2012 Stars of Tomorrow. Hollywood discovered Wright after Michael Caton-Jones gave her a leading role in Urban Hymn (2015).

• In 2016, she played Renie on “Humans.” She also performed in the play Eclipsed at London’s Gate Theatre during this time. Letitia was then nominated for the Outstanding Supporting Actress award at the Primetime Emmy Awards for her memorable role in “Black Museum” in 2017.

• Wright appeared as Shuri, princess of Wakanda, King T’Challa’s sister, in the 2018 film Black Panther. Black Panther, a hit release from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starred Danai Gurira, Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, and Michael B. Jordan.

• Letitia was feted for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture for her work in Black Panther and got an NAACP Image Award for her excellent role. Later, she reprised the role two months later in Avengers: Infinity War.

• In Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of Ernest Cline’s 2011 science-fiction novel Ready Player One, Wright also starred as Reb.

• The actress appears in Drake’s music video for “Nice for What” as one of the cameos.

• Wright was also in the play The Convert, which was performed at the Young Vic Theatre in London in 2018. The play was based on an English-speaking black missionary and catholic teacher, Chilford, in the nineteenth century. The missionary taught Africans to practice Christianity and speak Victorian English. Letitia plays a young Rhodesian girl (Jekesai), saved by Chilford when her uncle was forcing her into marriage.

• Wright won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2019. Letitia Wright co-starred with Rihanna and Donald Glover in Guava Island, a short musical film released by Amazon Studios in April 2019.

• Wright was cast in a novel adaptation of Hold Back the Stars alongside John Boyega in November 2018. Wright appeared in Death on the Nile, which was released in 2020. She also appeared in Steve McQueen’s mini-series Small Axe, which was set in London’s West Indian community between the 1960s and 1980s. Wright plays British Black Panther leader Altheia Jones-LeCointe in the first episode, Mangrove, which premiered on BBC One on November 15, 2020.

• Wright played “June Gibbons” and “Jennifer Gibbons,” twin sisters in the 2020 film The Silent Twins, based on Marjorie Wallace’s 1986 book of the same name.

Final Take Away

Wright received global recognition when she played Shuri in 2018’s hit film Black Panther, a creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bagging the SAG Award and an NAACP Image Award was only fitting for the Guyana-born Hollywood actress. Reprising her roles in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and the blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was the icing on the cake. These roles propelled her to international fame and brought pride to her native Guyana.