Muna Otaru
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Muna Otaru was born in Liverpool, England to Nigerian parents Nana Otaru and Saidu Otaru, a sea-captain in the Merchant Navy. She was raised in Lagos, Nigeria and later moved to the United States in her teens.
She is best known for her critically acclaimed performance in the supporting lead role of 'Mad' in the American action thriller film "The Keeping Room" (2014), directed by Daniel Barber. It screened at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival. Starring alongside Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld and Sam Worthington, Muna's moving performance saw her garner international praise.
She was featured on the The Playlist's 'On The Rise 2015: 20 Actresses To Watch' and Indiewire named her one of 'The 21 Biggest Indie Breakout Actors of 2014.' The film was subsequently released in the UK in 2016, and Muna was named one of The Guardian's Braddie Awards' Best Supporting Actresses of 2016.
In 2014, she starred in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's play, "Details" which tells the story of an email exchange between two women whose relationship is hampered not only by distance but also the near-invisible status of gay women in Nigeria. It was part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival "Letters Home," a collection of four 20-minute theatrical pieces. It won a Scotsman Fringe First Award.
In 2017, she starred in BBC One's original drama series "Broken," created by award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern, playing opposite Sean Bean. It has been highly praised by international critics as a "rare masterpiece". Muna received an honourable mention at the 2018 Screen Nation Awards for her performance on the series.
She is best known for her critically acclaimed performance in the supporting lead role of 'Mad' in the American action thriller film "The Keeping Room" (2014), directed by Daniel Barber. It screened at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival. Starring alongside Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld and Sam Worthington, Muna's moving performance saw her garner international praise.
She was featured on the The Playlist's 'On The Rise 2015: 20 Actresses To Watch' and Indiewire named her one of 'The 21 Biggest Indie Breakout Actors of 2014.' The film was subsequently released in the UK in 2016, and Muna was named one of The Guardian's Braddie Awards' Best Supporting Actresses of 2016.
In 2014, she starred in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's play, "Details" which tells the story of an email exchange between two women whose relationship is hampered not only by distance but also the near-invisible status of gay women in Nigeria. It was part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival "Letters Home," a collection of four 20-minute theatrical pieces. It won a Scotsman Fringe First Award.
In 2017, she starred in BBC One's original drama series "Broken," created by award-winning writer Jimmy McGovern, playing opposite Sean Bean. It has been highly praised by international critics as a "rare masterpiece". Muna received an honourable mention at the 2018 Screen Nation Awards for her performance on the series.