Zawe Ashton

Acting

Zawe Ashton

Born

1984-07-25 (42)

Place of birth

London, England, UK

Known for

Acting

Credits

53 titles

Zawedde Emma Ashton (born 25 July 1984) is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is best known for her roles in the comedy dramas Fresh Meat and Not Safe for Work, the Netflix horror thriller film Velvet Buzzsaw and for her portrayal of Joyce Carol Vincent in Dreams of a Life (2011). She will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Dar-Benn in The Marvels (2023). She was born in Hackney, London to an English father and a Ugandan mother. She was a member of the National Youth Theatre and graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Known for

Film credits

2020s · 7 titles

The Marvels poster
5.9

When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, Carol's powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe.

The Marvels

2023

All of You poster
6.3

Laura and Simon have been best friends since college. Over the years, they've realized their bond is more than platonic. Can they—and should they—risk everything to explore a love that has existed all along?

All of You

2025

Mr Malcolm's List poster
5.9

When she fails to meet an item on his list of requirements for a bride, Julia Thistlewaite is jilted by London’s most eligible bachelor, Mr. Malcolm. Feeling humiliated and determined to exact revenge, she convinces her friend Selina Dalton to play the role of his ideal match. Soon, Mr. Malcolm wonders whether he’s found the perfect woman...or the perfect hoax.

Mr Malcolm's List

2022

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of The Marvels poster
5.3

Take an intergalactic trip with the cast and crew of "The Marvels" as they tell their experiences making this weird and wonderful film. Step into all the departments of production and discover how they created complex fight scenes, countless alien life forms, and some of the most elaborate sets ever. From dance parties to kitten days, the cast and crew had an unforgettable time making the movie.

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of The Marvels

2024

Broken English poster
7.6

A survivor, provocateur and true original, Marianne has spent more than six decades defying expectations — releasing over thirty-five albums while constantly reinventing herself. Made with her full involvement, Broken English is an intimate and unflinching exploration of a fractured yet unbreakable life shaped by fame, creativity and relentless public scrutiny.

Broken English

2026

Mog's Christmas poster
7.3

Mog feels a little ignored during the Thomas family's Christmas preparations. When she spots the huge Christmas tree, she freaks out and climbs to the roof, where she refuses to move no matter how hard the family tries.

Mog's Christmas

2023

Maryland poster
8.0

Two women named Mary -- both recently sexually assaulted by the same man -- meet at the police station and enter into the world that victims of assault have to endure, guided by a police constable and his colleague. As the action unfolds, it is commented on by the Furies -- a chorus of murdered women seen and heard only by the viewer. Flashes of wit and humour temper a dark and difficult subject.

Maryland

2022

2010s · 16 titles

Nocturnal Animals poster
7.4

Susan Morrow receives a book manuscript from her ex-husband – a man she left 20 years earlier – asking for her opinion of his writing. As she reads, she is drawn into the fictional life of Tony Hastings, a mathematics professor whose family vacation turns violent.

Nocturnal Animals

2016

Greta poster
6.5

A young woman returns a lonely widow’s lost purse, leading to an unlikely relationship between the two — until the young woman discovers the widow might not be all that she seems.

Greta

2019

Blitz poster
6.2

A tough cop is dispatched to take down a serial killer who has been targeting police officers.

Blitz

2011

Velvet Buzzsaw poster
5.4

Big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce. After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.

Velvet Buzzsaw

2019

Tomato Soup poster
5.5

Set in the parallel worlds of gritty, urban reality and bright, sunny fantasy, Tomato Soup is the story of a teenage boy's journey to avenge the death of a loved one whilst trying to imagine a better life for himself.

Tomato Soup

2010

Oasis poster
7.1

A Scottish chaplain embarks on an epic journey through space. Based on Michel Faber's 'The Book Of Strange New Things'.

Oasis

2017

Dreams of a Life poster
6.5

A filmmaker sets out to discover the life of Joyce Vincent, who died in her bedsit in North London in 2003. Her body wasn't discovered for three years, and newspaper reports offered few details of her life - not even a photograph.

Dreams of a Life

2011

Lapland poster
NR

Recently widowed Eileen Lewis,son Pete and his wife Mandy and daughter Paula with her spouse Ray,plus the grandchildren, leave Birkenhead to spend Christmas in Lapland.

Lapland

2011

Weekender poster
5.4

The exploits of two friends who make the move from partying at illegal warehouse raves to becoming successful promoters at the peak of the Manchester, Amsterdam, and Ibiza rave scene in the early 90s.

Weekender

2011

Flinch poster
NR

Paula, her son Carl, and his estranged partner Emily, join family members to mark the birthday of their missing son. As Carl fights to convince Emily to come home, new information comes to light about the missing boy, the implications of which are worse than anyone could have imagined.

Flinch

2014

No artwork available
NR

Three orphans take on a pair of snooty toffs in the Old Town Dog Show.

The Tall Tales of Urchin

2016

Little Soldier poster
NR

Anya lives and cares for her mother, Amanda. When Derek threatens to come between them, 10 year old Anya takes matters into her own hands in order to protect her home. Little Soldier is a darkly comic drama about the power of one girl's imagination to change her own world.

Little Soldier

2016

World's Tiniest Masterpieces poster
9.0

Miniaturist sculptor Willard Wigan makes artworks often only visible through a microscope. Can he carve a carpet fibre, then place it inside a human cell?

World's Tiniest Masterpieces

2018

A bloody muddle poster
NR

Carl and Katie are the kind of people that never normally meet, but they're also the kind of people that retreat to the toilets when they need to sort themselves out. But some muddles need more than a big mirror and the smell of cleanliness, sometimes they need a nose bleed.

A bloody muddle

2011

No artwork available
NR

A documentary on the last year of Prince's life, including interviews with close friends.

Prince: the Last Year of a Legend

2018

Egypt's Lost Pyramid poster
NR

Follows archaeologists working on a 4,000-year-old pyramid containing a burial chamber, still apparently sealed. As light enters the tomb for the first time, the artifacts contained within reveal a gripping detective story as although there are no signs of entry, the contents have been disturbed. To solve the mystery, Egyptologists explore the nearby Black Pyramid to see how pyramid builders used every trick in the book to protect the treasures, discovering a dark and complex labyrinth of dummy tombs, false passages and stone portcullises to fool robbers.

Egypt's Lost Pyramid

2019

2000s · 3 titles

Series credits

Doctor Who poster
7.6

The Doctor is a Time Lord: a 900 year old alien with 2 hearts, part of a gifted civilization who mastered time travel. The Doctor saves planets for a living—more of a hobby actually, and the Doctor's very, very good at it.

Doctor Who

2005

The Handmaid's Tale poster
8.1

Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.

The Handmaid's Tale

2017

The Last Leg poster
5.7

Adam Hills and co-hosts Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker provide some offbeat commentary on the significant moments of the past seven days.

The Last Leg

2013

Misfits poster
7.6

When five young outsiders on Community Service get caught in a strange storm, they discover that they have developed superpowers.

Misfits

2009

Playhouse Presents poster
6.0

Playhouse Presents is a series of self-contained TV plays, made by British broadcaster Sky Arts. The series started airing on 12 April 2012, on Sky Arts 1. Each episode is written by a different writer with a different cast.

Playhouse Presents

2012

Fresh Meat poster
7.2

Six students — Vod Nordstrom, Oregon Shawcross, Josie Jones, Kingsley Owen, JP Pembersley, and Howard McGregor — are freshmen (save for second year Howard) at Manchester Medlock University. Having applied late to accommodation, they live in a shared, off-campus house in Whalley Range rather than the halls of residence.

Fresh Meat

2011

Case Histories poster
7.8

Case Histories is a British drama television series based on the Jackson Brodie detective novels by Kate Atkinson. It stars Jason Isaacs as Jackson Brodie.

Case Histories

2011

The Big Narstie Show poster
4.3

Grime legend and social media sensation Big Narstie hosts an anarchic studio show along with his co-host, and the hottest comedian in town, Mo Gilligan.

The Big Narstie Show

2018

Game On poster
7.6

Following the lives of three 20-somethings sharing a flat in Battersea. They're young, bright and sexy - so why aren't they having a good time ? Join Matthew (the agoraphobic, self-obsessed, macho man); Martin (the wimpish, sex-starved underdog) and Mandy (the gorgeous blonde, who always ends up with the wrong men), in this outrageously funny flat-share comedy that is anything but politically correct.

Game On

1995

Psychobitches poster
6.8

Psychobitches is a British sketch comedy programme created by Jeremy Dyson for Sky One Arts. Rebecca Front stars as The Therapist, who holds sessions with famous historical and spiritual women, exploring their psychological issues via anachronistic humour, with such individuals like Mary Magdalene, Bonnie Parker, and Lucille Ball appearing in contemporary settings. Blending historical figures with modern comedy, it features a cast of well-known British talent in a variety of roles as the iconic women.

Psychobitches

2013

Psychobitches poster
6.8

Psychobitches is a British sketch comedy programme created by Jeremy Dyson for Sky One Arts. Rebecca Front stars as The Therapist, who holds sessions with famous historical and spiritual women, exploring their psychological issues via anachronistic humour, with such individuals like Mary Magdalene, Bonnie Parker, and Lucille Ball appearing in contemporary settings. Blending historical figures with modern comedy, it features a cast of well-known British talent in a variety of roles as the iconic women.

Psychobitches

2013

Doctor Who Extra poster
NR

Doctor Who Extra brings you unprecedented access to the making of Doctor Who... Featuring interviews with Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman, it's the ultimate backstage pass!

Doctor Who Extra

2014

Comic Relief poster
6.0

Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make the public laugh, while raising money to help people around the world and in the United Kingdom. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, an annual (previously biennial) telethon held in March. The first live fundraising evening, held on 4 April 1986, featured comedians and pop stars, including Rowan Atkinson, Billy Connolly, Stephen Fry, Kate Bush and co-founder Lenny Henry.

Comic Relief

1988

Not Safe for Work poster
6.8

Not Safe for Work is a 2015 British comedy-drama series created and written by D.C. Moore for Channel 4. A group of disillusioned Londoner civil servants are forced to relocate to Northampton after public sector cuts, focusing on their personal and professional struggles as they navigate a new, less glamourous office environment.

Not Safe for Work

2015

Wanderlust poster
6.1

Joy Richards is a therapist trying to find a way to keep the spark with her husband, Alan, after a cycling accident causes her to reassess their relationship. As family, friends, neighbours and clients live their lives, stories of love, lust and forbidden desire emerge.

Wanderlust

2018

Guerrilla poster
4.6

Set against the backdrop of one of the most explosive times in U.K. history, discover the story of a politically active couple whose relationship and values are tested when they liberate a political prisoner and form a radical underground cell in 1970s London.

Guerrilla

2017

24 Hours in Police Custody poster
7.0

The landmark documentary series that captures real life drama at its most intense, following police detectives around the clock as they investigate major crimes.

24 Hours in Police Custody

2014

The Demon Headmaster poster
7.0

The Demon Headmaster is a British television series based on the children's books by Gillian Cross of the same name. Made for CBBC, the drama was first broadcast between 1996 and 1998. The first series contained six episodes, and aired twice weekly from 2 to 18 January 1996, the second series contained seven episodes, and aired once a week from 25 September to 6 November 1996, and the third series contained six episodes, and aired twice weekly from 6 to 22 January 1998. School location scenes in the first series were filmed at Hatch End High School, in Hatch End, Harrow, North West London and The Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. Other scenes were filmed around West London and the Vulcan Tower is in fact the Atrium building in Uxbridge. CGI was used to make this building appear on a traffic island close to Warwick Avenue tube station. Some scenes in the later series were filmed in the village of Sarratt, Hertfordshire and other locations in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

The Demon Headmaster

1996

Oasis poster
6.9

Set in the near future, Oasis tells the story of priest Peter Leigh, who is called to a remote planet where a mysterious multinational company is building the first permanent off-Earth human colony. The planet, Oasis, is humanity’s last chance to escape from Earth’s impending collapse, but it quickly becomes apparent that it may not be as hospitable to humanity as it seems...

Oasis

2017

Spice Girls: How Girl Power Changed Britain poster
5.5

Twenty five years since their debut album Spice, the story of how five British women became a global phenomenon, reflecting and influencing a generation in the process.

Spice Girls: How Girl Power Changed Britain

2021

The Crust poster
9.0

The Crust is a British television series about a pizza parlour which was originally shown by CBBC.

The Crust

2005

The Battle for Black Music: Paid in Full poster
8.0

Charting the shocking story of how some of music’s most loved artists - from Louis Armstrong to Prince - were exploited by the music industry on the basis of their race.

The Battle for Black Music: Paid in Full

2024

Behind the camera

No artwork available
NR

Stella's day job is to inhabit an adult bear costume and become Happy Bear, the shopfront mascot for toy store 'Happy Toys'. The humdrum of the working day is punctured when Stella's father Len comes in to the store with Stella's daughter Kass, who is unaware her mother works as Happy Bear. Len offers Stella an ultimatum: she must compromise her own needs and her job for the needs of her child. Stella is torn, but when she sees Kass, she realises she hasn't been as present as she should have been. After a strange turn of events, the mother and daughter relationship is transformed inside the magical and timeless world of the toy shop.

Happy Toys

2014

No artwork available
NR

Stella's day job is to inhabit an adult bear costume and become Happy Bear, the shopfront mascot for toy store 'Happy Toys'. The humdrum of the working day is punctured when Stella's father Len comes in to the store with Stella's daughter Kass, who is unaware her mother works as Happy Bear. Len offers Stella an ultimatum: she must compromise her own needs and her job for the needs of her child. Stella is torn, but when she sees Kass, she realises she hasn't been as present as she should have been. After a strange turn of events, the mother and daughter relationship is transformed inside the magical and timeless world of the toy shop.

Happy Toys

2014

The Place We Go To Hide poster
9.0

Two sleepwalkers, Martha and Quentin, check into a hotel as returning guests and live parallel lives during their waking hours. Little do they know that in their sleep, they fall for each other time and time again. The film poses the question: When it comes to human connection, are we actually sleepwalking through our waking lives?

The Place We Go To Hide

2014

The Place We Go To Hide poster
9.0

Two sleepwalkers, Martha and Quentin, check into a hotel as returning guests and live parallel lives during their waking hours. Little do they know that in their sleep, they fall for each other time and time again. The film poses the question: When it comes to human connection, are we actually sleepwalking through our waking lives?

The Place We Go To Hide

2014

The Place We Go To Hide poster
9.0

Two sleepwalkers, Martha and Quentin, check into a hotel as returning guests and live parallel lives during their waking hours. Little do they know that in their sleep, they fall for each other time and time again. The film poses the question: When it comes to human connection, are we actually sleepwalking through our waking lives?

The Place We Go To Hide

2014