HAIR: KOTA SUIZU. MAKE-UP: SARAH REYGATE. NAILS: ROBBIE TOMKINS. DIGITAL ARTWORK: MARK ARRIGO. GUS BENNETT JR; ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES; PIXELATE.BIZVOGU E DA R LI NGYou’d be hard-pressed to find a more ambitious
pre-teen than Naomi Ackie at 11. Back then, the
London-born star of the recent Star Wars: The Rise
of Skywalker memorised the names of top Hollywood
agents she dreamed would one day represent her.
By 17, she had earned a coveted spot at London’s
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. “It was
my way in,” Ackie says, now aged 28 and finally
winding down from the Star Wars whirlwind. After
her role as one of the franchise’s first black female
leads, and a critically acclaimed turn in Netflix’s End
of the F***ing World, she is ready for an off-grid
adventure in Thailand. “The kind that feeds the
art you do,” she says. But that ambitious streak won’t
allow her to be away too long. Later this year, Ackie
will be seen in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe, an
examination of the Windrush generation for BBC
One. “I have just begun,” she smiles. Timothy HarrisonNaomi Ackie“Eat17 in Walthamstow
Village is perfect for a homey
dinner. Growing up, I used to
go to Marine Ices in Chalk Farm- legit the best ice cream.”
“I dip in and
out of books.
One of my
favourites is
The Power
by Naomi
Alderman.”“My
most-used
emoji?
The one
with the
warmest
smile and
a little
blush on its
cheeks.”“To learn
lines, I use
LineLearner,
and I write
ideas, poems
and to-do lists
in Notes.”“Amazing prints are what I
always look for in the vintage
shops on Brick Lane.”“I use Elizabeth Arden Eight
Hour Cream and Emma Hardie
Moringa Cleansing Balm [£47]- it’s beautiful.” Elizabeth Arden
Eight Hour Cream, £28
“Stella McCartney is
an incredible designer,
and her clothes are
sustainable, which is
really important to me.
I wore her for the Star
Wars world premiere- I love the dress-up
of this job.”
“Every week,
I get excited about
The Read podcast.
It’s pop culture
through the eyes of
queer African-
American hosts,
who are just
so funny and on
the ball.”“I’m obsessed with Tank and
the Bangas. I want them to come
out with a new album.”Naomi wears
silk-jacquard dress,
£1,750, Roland Mouret.
Earrings, £175, Ariana
Boussard-Reifel, at
Harvey Nichols.
Bracelet, from £210,
Giovanni Raspini.
Photograph: Laura
Bailey. Styling:
Julia Brenard80“No make-up
make-up is my
usual look. I love
Les Beiges Eau
de Teint by
Chanel [£48]
and Glossier
highlighter.”
Glossier
Niteshine
in Deep
Copper, £1704-20-FOB-Darling_1971690.indd 80 22/01/2020 11:13