Ethiopian-Irish actress, Ruth Negga is a popular public figure. Negga was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to an Irish mother and an Ethiopian father. Her parents met while her mother was working as a nurse in Ethiopia.

She started her career by acting in theatre plays but she was destined to be seen on the silver screen. Negga made her screen debut in the Irish film Capital Letters (2004), playing the lead role of Taiwo. Later, she went on to play the lead role of Mary in the film Isolation the following year. She has also starred in Colour Me Kubrick (2005), with John Malkovich, and the short films The Four Horsemen, 3-Minute 4-Play and Stars. Negga appeared as Dame Shirley Bassey in the BBC production Shirley in 2011 and won the IFTA Award for Best Actress (Television) for her performance.

In 2013, Negga was booked for a recurring role as Raina on the American TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She was seen in 17 episodes of the program. Her recent project includes the film, Ad Astra.