Do you need to struggle to be successful? The writer and actress Michaela Coel overcame huge hurdles to have a top career in the television world.
The misfit loving the power of standing out
Do you need to struggle to be successful? The writer and actress Michaela Coel overcame huge hurdles to have a top career in the television world.
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Growing up, Michaela Coel felt like she never fit in. She saw the world differently from the people around her. Now, she is a writer and actress and one of the biggest names in television.
Coel's parents came to London from GhanaA country in West Africa. . Coel grew up in Tower Hamlets, an area in the city. She was the only Black girl in her class.
As a teenager, she started writing and performing her own poems. She was spotted by a famous playwrightA person who writes plays. , who told her she should be an actress.
At drama school, she was the only person whose family did not own their house. "There's blessings to the struggle," she says. It made her tougher, and left her wanting success more.
During her time at drama school, she wrote a play about a schoolgirl in London. It later became a TV show called Chewing Gum, which won two BAFTAsAn award given at the British Academy Film Awards ceremony. .
Do you need to struggle to be successful?
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Yes! Difficult times force you to show the world what you can do. The harder the struggle, the greater the success.
No! Some people are born with amazing talents that bring them great success. There is no need to suffer.
Ghana - A country in West Africa.
Playwright - A person who writes plays.
BAFTAs - An award given at the British Academy Film Awards ceremony.
The misfit loving the power of standing out

Glossary
Ghana - A country in West Africa.
Playwright - A person who writes plays.
BAFTAs - An award given at the British Academy Film Awards ceremony.