Ruth Negga: ‘Actors of colour should have no limitations on screen’

Ruth Negga finds it offensive that people assume actors of colour can’t take on a broad range of characters.
The Ethiopian-Irish actress has landed her biggest role to date in Loving, playing one half of a real-life interracial couple who defied mixed marriage laws in 1960s Virginia. The part has landed her an Oscar nomination at this year’s (17) ceremony, but Ruth is aware there’s still a long way to go when it comes to breaking stereotypes on the silver screen.
“What’s so offensive for people of colour is that others assume we don’t run the whole gamut of human experience,” she sighed to Britain’s Stylist magazine. “That a black person couldn’t be a nerd, that kind of idea. This idea that you are not allowed to own your own humanity fully. I just find it so bizarre that you are given limited colours to work with. It’s something we have to keep addressing and never get complacent about.”
Her powerful performance opposite Joel Edgerton in Loving has earned her recognition around the globe and after its screening in Cannes last year (16) she was surprised to receive a standing ovation in a restaurant. Despite finding the experience quite “embarrassing”, the 35-year-old is pleased that people appreciate her work, with even Meryl Streep giving her a shout out during her speech on diversity in Hollywood at the Golden Globes.
“That was one of the most surreal moments of my life,” Ruth recalled of Meryl referencing her Ethiopian heritage. “I was like, ‘Don’t freak out because then you will just look really ugly and unattractive!’ I wish there was an internal camera so you could see what my brain and insides were doing, which was having an incredible moment.”
Ruth is also making her mark on the small screen and can currently be seen in TV series Preacher opposite Dominic Cooper, following a role in programme Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D from 2013 to 2015.