Michaela Coel became a household name when she played the extremely awkward Tracey in the British sitcom Chewing Gum. Michaela’s HBO show, I May Destroy You, brought her fame in the U.S. as well. The show received a lot of awards buzz despite being snubbed by the Golden Globes. Michaela is profiled in Variety as one of six covers for their “Power of Women in Comedy” issue. Michaela, whose parents are Ghanaian, is dressed in ethnic Ghanaian clothing and jewelry, making a powerful statement. Michaela told Variety that she got into several podcasts, tv shows, and movies during the lockdown. Michaela said podcasts and movies were cathartic for her and helped her get through the pandemic. Below are a few highlights from her profile in Variety:

A good chunk of the content she consumed over the last year — from Misha Green’s “Lovecraft Country” to “Los Espookys,” from Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega and Fred Armisen — happens to be on the same network that broadcasts “I May Destroy You.” Of working with HBO, Coel says, “They just make great shows, so it’s incredible that I am on that network.”

“I love ‘Succession.’ I think it’s hilarious and absurd and grotesque and that is the kind of humor that I love the most,” Coel says, praising creator Jesse Armstrong, before gushing over Bill Hader’s comedy “Barry.” “I find [that show] stunning, mind-blowing, genius, just brilliant.”

Coel is also a big fan of Issa Rae and her hit series “Insecure,” noting the distinct and inclusive view of Los Angeles that Rae spotlights on the show. “I’m obviously not from LA, but it’s wonderful to find the threads and find surprising moments of mirroring or reflection,” she explains, sharing that she aimed to give audiences the same opportunity to see themselves reflected by the way she portrays London in “I May Destroy You.”

Coel spent most of her time in quarantine listening to podcasts. Listing off a few of her favorites, she says, “I definitely recommend ‘Rabbit Hole’ [from ‘The New York Times’]. ‘Nice White Parents’ is a fantastic podcast. Esther Perel’s ‘How’s Work?’ — she’s a French therapist and she does one-off sessions, either with married couples or colleagues. Lots of ‘Hidden Brain’ [hosted by] Shankar Vedantam; the Rich Roll podcast. Mark Hyman’s ‘The Doctor’s Farmacy’ — it’s all about health and nutrition and how to try and live well.”

[From Variety]

I fell in love with Michaela when I saw her in Chewing Gum several years ago. That show helped me get through a tough time in my life. Let’s just say I laughed hard every week. I am so happy to see Michaela’s career grow. I May Destroy You was an amazing show that should have been up for a Golden Globe. I was very irritated to see that it was snubbed while shows like Emily in Paris got nods. (Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Emily in Paris but it was not award-worthy material.)

Michaela looked absolutely stunning on the cover of Variety and her outfit gave me ideas for upcoming photoshoots. Michaela is striking and she looked like a bonafide goddess. I would love to see Michaela and Issa Rae do a show together. That would be the most hilariously awkward program ever. I liked several of Michaela’s podcast recommendations because I love listening to Esther Perel. The woman is fascinating. I want to start watching Succession because my favorite Swede Alexander Skarsgard is going to be in season two. And now that I know Michaela liked it, I will definitely be watching. I look forward to seeing what Michaela gets up to. But I may start a social media campaign for a Michaela Coel and Issa Rae show.

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