3 things to know about breakout star of ‘The Undoing’ Noma Dumezweni

Her performance as the high-powered, high-priced lawyer Haley Fitzgerald stole the show

Nov 30, 2020

If you’re like us, you somehow got caught in the clutches of HBO’s limited series The Undoing the past six weeks. Now, you’re probably still trying to wrap your head around the show’s shocking finale.

The all-star cast including, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, and Donald Sutherland, was rounded out by the real showstopper, Noma Dumezweni.

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: Noma Dumezweni of ‘The Undoing’ appears onstage during the HBO segment of the 2020 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 15, 2020 in Pasadena, California. 697450 (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for WarnerMedia)

The gripping whodunit drama was deliciously captivating from the start and had fans gawking at the grandeur, the wardrobe, and the superb acting abilities of Dumezweni, who played a renowned defense attorney Haley Fitzgerald like she was born to do it.

Her performance as the high-powered, high-priced lawyer hired to defend a rich pediatric oncologist accused of murdering his lover is certainly worth mentioning during the 2021 nomination season.

Here are 3 things to know about the incredible Noma Dumezweni:

She’s no newbie. While plenty of people are just now discovering the actress, she has tons of roles under her belt. She earned herself a Tony nomination for playing Hermione Granger in the original West End and Broadway productions of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and appeared in titles like Mary Poppins Returns, Dirty Pretty Things, Normal People and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

Harry Potter was a gamechanger. Dumezweni’s role in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child landed her a Tony Award nomination and her Laurence Olivier Award. She earned her first in 2006 for A Raisin in the Sun.

“It was an absolute fucking privilege. It truly and utterly was. That’s why I’m sitting here now, is the truth. If I hadn’t had that experience, I doubt I would be sitting here in front of you, answering that question. To do it in the West End was a joy. I had never done a show that long,” she told Collider of the experience. “We, as actors, were there to fulfill the vision of the director, the storyteller, the writer, and J.K. [Rowling]. For them to say, “Yes, we want you to play Hermione,” amongst all of the other people, it was great.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 09: Noma Dumezweni, wins the Best Actress in a Supporting Role for ‘Harry Potter And The Cursed Child’, on stage during The Olivier Awards 2017 at Royal Albert Hall on April 9, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

She held her own with her infamous costars. Even though Noma Dumezweni was sharing scenes with Hollywood royalty, her performance stood apart from the rest.

“There’s a part of me going, “Well, just do your job.” I don’t need to be in their face. I will just be there because there have been times some people have not lived up to one’s hopes of who they are,” she told Variety about working with Kidman and Grant. “But, oh my fucking God. Gorgeous, sweetheart, work fucking ethic. Hugh and Nicole taught me — and they do it in different ways — that it’s the preparation.”