Chipo Chung

Chipo Tariro Chung (born 17 August 1977)[1] is a Zimbabwean actress and activist based in London.[2]

Chipo Chung
Born (1977-08-17) 17 August 1977
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
OccupationActress

Early life and education

Chung was born as a refugee in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She is of half-Zimbabwean of Mberengwa origin and half-Chinese descent. Her given name Chipo means "gift" in the Shona language. She spent her first two years in refugee camps in Mozambique with thousands of young people who were escaping the war in then-Rhodesia.[3]

Chung was raised in Harare where she attended Dominican Convent High School and developed her acting with the mixed-race theater company Over the Edge. At eighteen, she moved to the United States where her mother Fay Chung was working for the United Nations. Fay Chung is an educationist and former minister of education in Zimbabwe Her father is Rugare Gumbo from Mberengwa district Zimbabwe who was once a member of the ruling party in Zimbabwe.[4]

Career

Chung first studied directing at Yale University, then trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London and graduated in 2003.[5]

Her repertoire includes political theatre: Talking to Terrorists (Royal Court Theatre), The Overwhelming (Royal National Theatre) and Fallujah (in which she played Condoleezza Rice), as well as classical plays such as Phedre, in which she performed with Helen Mirren (Royal National Theatre), and Epidavros.

She has appeared twice in Doctor Who,[6] in one episode playing the Master's assistant Chantho,[7] and in another, a character called the Fortune Teller.[8] Her first film credit was as the voice of Icarus II in Danny Boyle's Sunshine, as well as appearances in In the Loop and Proof. Other television appearances include the drama The Last Enemy and as a reporter in the Sherlock second series episode "The Hounds of Baskerville".

In 2011 she had a recurring role as Vivian, an indentured servant at King Uther's court who then works as an attendant and messenger for Morgan, half-sister of King Arthur, in the medieval romance drama series Camelot. She appeared in the 2015 British TV series Fortitude as Trish Stoddart.

In 2015 she won the role of Mary Magdalene in the TV series, A.D. The Bible Continues. The show was hailed for its international and multi racial casting and opened to 11 million viewers in April 2015.

In 2017, Chung took on the role of Queen Dido in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Dido, Queen of Carthage by the playwright Christopher Marlowe.[5] She also played Agent Whitman in Absentia [9] and from 2017 to 2019 the Master on the TV series Into the Badlands.[10]

Activism

Chung co-founded alongside founder Nick Reding the charity SAFE-Kenya[11] which develops theatre for social change in Kenya, focusing on HIV education and abolishing clitoridectomy, and currently sits on its Board of Trustees. She works closely with the charity Peace Direct in support of Envision Zimbabwe, a women's trust that works towards consensus-building and peace in Zimbabwe. She also sits on the RADA Council and British Equity's International Committee for Artists' Freedom (ICAF).

In December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, Chung signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 general election. The letter stated that "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few."[12][13]

Filmography

Mobile App
YearTitleRoleNotes
2017Deep Time WalkThe Scientist

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2005ProofUniversity Friend
2007SunshineIcarus II (voice)
2009In the LoopAnnabelle Hsin
2011360Editor
2012Labalaba, He'll ReturnAtikaShort film
2013Red ZoneStarling (voice)Short film
2014Beyond Plain SightAgnes TakahataShort film
2018Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!African Troublesome Trucks, Various African Characters (voice)UK & US versions

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2003Absolute PowerMiriamEpisode: "History Man"
2007Dalziel and PascoeLayla Jadwin2 episodes
2007–2008Doctor WhoChantho, Fortune TellerEpisodes "Utopia" & "Turn Left"
2007Holby CityDr. Nicola WoodEpisode: "Past Imperfect"
2008The Last EnemyLucy Fox2 episodes
2009CasualtyDan DanEpisode: "Who Do You Think You Are?"
2009National Theatre LiveIsmeneEpisode: "Phédre"
2010IdentityMichelle FieldingEpisode: "Second Life"
2011CamelotVivian8 episodes
2012SherlockPresenterEpisode: "The Hounds of Baskerville"
2015FortitudeTrish Stoddart5 episodes
2015A.D. The Bible ContinuesMary Magdalene12 episodes
2015From DarknessJemima GreerEpisode: "Episode #1.2"
2016ThirteenAlia Symes3 episodes
2017AbsentiaAgent Whitman7 episodes
2017–2019Into the BadlandsThe Master14 episodes
2018Thomas & FriendsHong-Mei, African TrucksUK/US voice

Video games
YearTitleRoleNotes
2017Hellblade: Senua's SacrificeNarrator

References
  1. "Chipo Tariro Chung". Directors.findthecompany.co.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  2. Bonnie Greer (31 July 2011). "How We Met: Chipo Chung & Bonnie Greer". The Independent. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  3. "100 Women: Chipo Chung on identity, acting and activism". London: BBC. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  4. "Chipo Chung: International actress of repute". The Standard. Zimbabwe. 20 September 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  5. Williams, Holly (14 September 2017). "Chipo Chung: 'I had to go round the houses to get into theatre'". THE STAGE. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  6. Jeffery, Morgan (5 January 2019). "8 actors who played more than one role in Doctor Who". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  7. Battersby, Matilda (5 April 2015). "A.D's Mary Magdalene, Chipo Chung: Jesus was really advanced in his views on women". Independent. Retrieved 3 June 2018.
  8. "15 actors who've appeared in 'Doctor Who' as different characters - Page 2 of 3". CultBox. 18 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  9. Mbiriyamveka, Jonathan (6 December 2017). "Chipo Chung charms M-Net viewing audiences in Absentia". Gem Nation. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  10. Bell, Shavonne (April 2019). "(SPOILERS) Into the Badlands Q&A – Chipo Chung (The Master)" (Press release). AMC Network. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  11. "S.A.F.E. Homepage". Safekenya.org. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  12. "Vote for hope and a decent future". The Guardian. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  13. Proctor, Kate (3 December 2019). "Coogan and Klein lead cultural figures backing Corbyn and Labour". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
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