Zawe Ashton

Zawe Ashton
Ashton in December 2013
Born	Zawedde Ashton (1984-07-21) 21 July 1984 (age 32) Hackney, London, England
Occupation	Actress, playwright
Years active	1995–present

Zawedde "Zawe" Ashton (/ˈzæwiː/; born 25 July 1984) is an English actress, playwright and director best known for her roles in Channel 4 comedy dramas Not Safe for Work (as Katherine) and as Vod in Fresh Meat. Her credits include the feature films Blitz and St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold.

Ashton was born in Hackney, London, the eldest of three children born to an Ugandan mother, Victoria, and an English father, Paul Ashton, both teachers; her father later worked for Channel 4 in educational programming. Her maternal grandfather, Paulo Muwanga, was President and Prime Minister of Uganda. She attended the Anna Scher Theatre School and was a member of the National Youth Theatre. She attended both William Patten and Thornhill Primary schools. For secondary education, Ashton attended both Elizabeth Garrett Anderson and Parliament Hill Schools. She studied at the City and Islington College where she's still remembered as an A star student, then at the Manchester Metropolitan University School of Theatre, where she gained a degree in acting.

Ashton attended the Anna Scher Theatre, after school junior classes, and later became a member of the Anna Scher YPs (Young Professionals). As a teenager, in the late 1990s she starred in a BBC2 science show Science in Action as one of the three curious children.