When was the last time somebody’s eyes stopped you in your tracks? That’s what happened the first time I saw Ruth Negga as Nikki in E4’s Misfits. It was 2010 and I was rooted to the spot. The Ethiopian-Irish actor has eyes as large as pools, a smile that puckers her lips into a twisted rosebud and the cheekbones of a silent film star. It’s an arresting face, the face of a stereotypical bad girl.
I next saw her the following year, in the lead role in Shirley, and I remember thinking, “Oh, she’s a star.” It’s not a perfect film, but Negga was sad and wild and powerful and vibrant as required. Watching her, just one of a wave of young stars emerging from shores close to home, feels exciting – it’s a cliche to say she moves like a cat, but it’s true. She seems to prowl deliberately, and watching her puts you on high alert – with her, nothing seems impossible. She brings much the same changeable energy to her turn as villainous Raina in Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD.
But it’s her next role I’m seriously excited about. She will be Tulip O’Hare in the TV adaptation of the cult comic book series Preacher (opposite real-life paramour Dominic Cooper). I read the comics in my early 20s and was blown away by the saga of family and religion. Tulip is no delicate flower; she’s a (literal) sharpshooter and tough as old boots, a strong character in deed and word. She could also be Negga’s big break, placing her squarely in Hollywood’s sights. She has no dialogue in this first trailer, but it’s early yet – we’ll be seeing much more of that arresting face, you can just tell.
