Michaela Coel admits she’s ‘lost friends’ over casting for her projects

I May Destroy You creator Michaela Coel has admitted she’s “lost friends” after deciding not to cast them in her projects.

The actor and writer first broke through with the 2015 hit Chewing Gum, about a sex-obsessed virgin, but it was her critically acclaimed 2020 drama I May Destroy You that catapulted her into the spotlight. The blistering Bafta and Emmy-winning show was a semi-autobiographical comedy-drama about a young writer named Arabella, played by Coel, whose life is changed when she is spiked and raped.

Coel, 38, has sometimes cast friends in her work, with her real-life drama school classmate Paapa Essiedu playing one of Arabella’s best friends – but mixing friendship and business hasn’t always gone well for the star.

Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar, Coel admitted that some loved ones have responded badly after missing out on roles in her shows.

“I’ve lost friends that I’ve never got back,” she said. “It’s so sad when it doesn’t work out. And I understand the pain of that, because I’ve not gotten parts, and it hurts.”

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Production is currently underway on Coel’s long-awaited new series, First Day On Earth.

Once again, Coel has written the drama – which comprises of 10 hour-long episodes – and will star as the lead character, Henri, a British writer who travels to Ghana to visit her estranged father.

Filming is currently underway and Coel will be joined in the cast by Thandiwe Newton, Maxine Peake, Danny Sapani and Ncuti Gatwa.

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She previously told Variety: “First Day on Earth is another very personal story for me which I hope will engage viewers from all over the world, and I can’t wait for audiences to go on Henri’s journey with her.

“The process of creating [it] thus far has been a beautifully intimate experience.

“I am excited to embark on the next phase to eventually offer this as another televisual gift for anyone willing to accompany Henri on what will be a wild odyssey!”

First Day On Earth is the first project Coel has penned since I May Destroy You arrived on our screens in 2020. When I May Destroy You aired, it was praised by sexual assault survivors and described as “redefining victimhood”. It is widely considered one of the best TV shows of all time.