By: Natasha Archary
Michaela Coel made Emmy history as the first black woman to win an award in the Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category. Her series I May Destroy You is a gripping tale of sexual assault, in which she also stars.
The story of Arabella is painfully yet beautifully scripted and it’s a story so many women share. After a night out with friends, she has trouble remembering the events of the night before. What follows is 12-episodes in a series that has reached phenomenal acclaim.
I May Destroy You was the most critically acclaimed television programme of 2020, and the British drama was described by The New York Times as “the perfect show for an anxious world.”
Awards for the series includes, a BAFTA for Best Mini-Series, Best Director: Drama, Best Writer: Drama and Best Actress.
The series received nine nominations at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series; it won two awards including Outstanding Writing for Coel.
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The award-winning actress initially turned down Netflix’s $1 million offer to own the rights of her series exclusively. This would have meant that Michaela would be denied the ability to retain any percentage of the copyright to her work.
HBO picked up the show and Michaela told Vulture, “I remember thinking, ‘I’ve been going down rabbit holes in my head, like people thinking I’m paranoid, I’m acting sketchy, I’m killing off all my agents.’ Then she said those words to me, and I finally realized — I’m not crazy. This is crazy.”
Her acceptance speech was dedicated to every survivor of sexual assault.
“Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn’t comfortable. I dare you. In a world that entices us to browse the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves, and to, in turn, feel the need to be constantly visible — for visibility, these days, seems to somehow equate to success — do not be afraid to disappear. From it, from us, for a while. And see what comes to you in the silence. I dedicate this story to every single survivor of sexual assault.”
