Zawe Ashton

Zawe Ashton is an actress and playwright best known for her roles in Velvet Buzzsaw, The Marvels and Fresh Meat. Ashton was raised in London, England, and began acting at a young age. She joined the Anna Scher Theatre School as a child and later graduated from the Manchester School of Theatre at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Ashton began her career in British television with roles on Holby City, Casualty and The Bill. Her breakout role came in 2011 when she starred as Vod in Channel 4’s Fresh Meat. She gained further attention with her performance in Not Safe for Work and continued working steadily in both drama and comedy across film and television.

On the big screen, Ashton has appeared in Blitz (2011), Dreams of a Life (2011) and Velvet Buzzsaw (2019). She made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as the villain Dar-Benn in The Marvels in 2023.

The actress is also an accomplished playwright and author and published her debut memoir, Character Breakdown, in 2019.

Ashton has been in a relationship with actor Tom Hiddleston since 2019. The couple got engaged in 2022 and welcomed their first child that same year. In June 2025, the two announced they are expecting their second baby.