# Chipo Chung
**Chipo Chung** (full name Chipo Tariro Chung; born 1977 in [Dar es Salaam](https://www.edgepedia.org/dar-es-salaam), Tanzania) is a Zimbabwean-Chinese actress and activist based in London, known for screen roles including the voice of Icarus in *Sunshine* (2007), Vivian in *Camelot* (2011), The Master in *Into the Badlands* (2017–2019), Eleanor Bennett in *Black Cake* (2023), and Sandy in *Silo* (2023–2026).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1496158/) • [2](https://university.open.ac.uk/arts/research/pvcrs/2019/chung) • [3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/chipo-chung/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; grew up in Zimbabwe[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1496158/) • [4](https://www.rada.ac.uk/about-us/governance-advisors/chipo-chung/) |
| Identity | Zimbabwean-Chinese actress and activist based in London[2](https://university.open.ac.uk/arts/research/pvcrs/2019/chung) |
| Education | Yale University undergraduate, concentrated on theater studies with one Classics semester[2](https://university.open.ac.uk/arts/research/pvcrs/2019/chung) |
| Signature stage role | Dido in Kimberley Sykes' 2017 Royal Shakespeare Company production of *Dido, Queen of Carthage*[2](https://university.open.ac.uk/arts/research/pvcrs/2019/chung) |
| Notable screen roles | Icarus (voice) in *Sunshine*; Annabelle Hsin in *In the Loop*; The Master in *Into the Badlands*; Eleanor Bennett in *Black Cake*; Sandy in *Silo*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1496158/) • [3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/chipo-chung/) |
| Voice work | Min in *Octonauts: Above & Beyond*; Hong-Mei in *Thomas & Friends*; narrator in *Senua's Saga: Hellblade II* (2024)[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/chipo-chung/) • [6](https://diziyoo.com/chipo-chung-filmleri-dizileri) |
| Activism | Helped start the charity S.A.F.E., which delivers theater for social change to marginalized communities in Kenya, first as a Director and then as a Trustee[4](https://www.rada.ac.uk/about-us/governance-advisors/chipo-chung/) |
## Early life and training
Chung was born in Tanzania and grew up in Zimbabwe.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1496158/) • [4](https://www.rada.ac.uk/about-us/governance-advisors/chipo-chung/) In an interview with Jan Haywood, a scholar of classical reception, she described Zimbabwe as a post-colonial country where she loved classical poetry as a teenager, and said her ambition was to attend RADA and work at the [Royal Shakespeare Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-shakespeare-company).[2](https://university.open.ac.uk/arts/research/pvcrs/2019/chung) She took an undergraduate degree at Yale, concentrating on theater studies within a liberal arts program, and read the *Iliad* and other classical texts during one Classics semester.[2](https://university.open.ac.uk/arts/research/pvcrs/2019/chung)
## Screen career
**Early film and television.** Chung's early screen credits include *Proof* (2005) and the voice of the spaceship computer Icarus in [Danny Boyle](https://www.edgepedia.org/danny-boyle)'s *Sunshine* (2007), followed by *The Last Enemy* (2008–09) and the [Armando Iannucci](https://www.edgepedia.org/armando-iannucci) satire *In the Loop* (2009), in which she played Annabelle Hsin.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1496158/) • [3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/chipo-chung/) Her agent's CV also credits her with a role as Denabese Tech in [Denis Villeneuve](https://www.edgepedia.org/denis-villeneuve)'s *Blade Runner 2049* and as the Editor in Fernando Meirelles' *360*.[3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/chipo-chung/)
**Television leads and recurring parts.** She played Vivian in the fantasy drama *Camelot* (2011), a role the South African TV site TVSA describes as her best-known starring part.[7](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=13461) She then played [Mary Magdalene](https://www.edgepedia.org/mary-magdalene) in NBC's *[A.D. The Bible Continues](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-d-the-bible-continues)* (2015), The Master across seasons 2 and 3 of AMC's *Into the Badlands* (2017–2019), and Maria Meng in [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4)'s *Chimerica*.[3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/chipo-chung/) • [8](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-209862/filmographie/) In genre television she appeared in *Doctor Who* as both Chantho and the Fortune Teller, played Xaphania in the third series of BBC's *His Dark Materials*, and had a single-episode role as Lowre in *Foundation* (2021).[3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/chipo-chung/)
**Recent work.** From 2023 she has played Sandy in Apple TV+'s *Silo*, credited for seasons 1 through 3, and took the lead role of Eleanor Bennett in Hulu's *Black Cake* (2023).[3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/chipo-chung/) • [8](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-209862/filmographie/) She played Michaela Moyone in the Apple series *[Constellation](https://www.edgepedia.org/constellation-2024-tv-series)* (2024).[8](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-209862/filmographie/) Upcoming credits include Aunt Felicity in *Flavia* (2026).[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/chipo-chung/) She has also worked as a producer, credited as associate producer on *Our River...Our Sky* (2021).[9](https://watch.plex.tv/person/chipo-chung)
## Voice work
[Voice acting](https://www.edgepedia.org/voice-acting) is a substantial part of her output. She voiced Min in *Octonauts: Above & Beyond* and Hong-Mei in *Thomas & Friends* and its film *Big World! Big Adventures!* (2018), and provided the narrator's voice in the 2024 video game *Senua's Saga: Hellblade II*.[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/chipo-chung/) • [6](https://diziyoo.com/chipo-chung-filmleri-dizileri)
## Classical theater
Chung has built a parallel stage career centered on classical texts. She played Ismene in *Phèdre* at the National Theatre in 2009, and Turandot at Hampstead Theatre, Portia and Octavius in *Julius Caesar* at Sheffield Crucible, and Theodora in *The Haunting of Hill House* at Liverpool Everyman, among many other stage credits.[2](https://university.open.ac.uk/arts/research/pvcrs/2019/chung) • [3](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/chipo-chung/)
Her 2017 casting as Dido in Kimberley Sykes' Royal Shakespeare Company production of [Christopher Marlowe](https://www.edgepedia.org/christopher-marlowe)'s *Dido, Queen of Carthage* followed about ten unsuccessful RSC auditions. She said she had almost given up on her classical career, and welcomed playing a part she considers African, since Carthage is in Africa, while noting that Virgil describes Dido as tall and golden-haired, which had led other productions to cast her differently.[2](https://university.open.ac.uk/arts/research/pvcrs/2019/chung) She has also observed that casting in the classical world skews male, with at least a 60:40 and often a 75:25 ratio of male to female parts in a Shakespeare play.[2](https://university.open.ac.uk/arts/research/pvcrs/2019/chung)
## Activism
Chung helped start the charity S.A.F.E., which delivers theater for social change to marginalized communities in Kenya, serving first as a Director and then as a Trustee.[4](https://www.rada.ac.uk/about-us/governance-advisors/chipo-chung/) She is listed on the governance advisors page of RADA, the drama school she aspired to attend as a student.[4](https://www.rada.ac.uk/about-us/governance-advisors/chipo-chung/) A survey of African actors in international cinema names her alongside [Djimon Hounsou](https://www.edgepedia.org/djimon-hounsou), Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Oyelowo, and [Lupita Nyong'o](https://www.edgepedia.org/lupita-nyongo) among accomplished African actors working in Hollywood productions.[10](https://www.nisc.co.za/media/docs/158748088021.pdf)
## References
1. [Chipo Chung, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1496158/)
2. [Chipo Chung, Practitioners' Voices in Classical Reception Studies, The Open University](https://university.open.ac.uk/arts/research/pvcrs/2019/chung)
3. [Chipo Chung CV, Conway Van Gelder Grant](https://www.conwayvangeldergrant.com/actors/chipo-chung/)
4. [Chipo Chung, RADA Governance Advisors](https://www.rada.ac.uk/about-us/governance-advisors/chipo-chung/)
5. [Chipo Chung, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/chipo-chung/)
6. [Chipo Chung Filmleri ve Dizileri, Diziyoo](https://diziyoo.com/chipo-chung-filmleri-dizileri)
7. [Chipo Chung, TVSA](https://www.tvsa.co.za/actors/viewactor.aspx?actorid=13461)
8. [Chipo Chung, Filmographie, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/personne/fichepersonne-209862/filmographie/)
9. [Chipo Chung, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/person/chipo-chung)
10. [The array of accomplished black and specifically African actors in Hollywood, NISC](https://www.nisc.co.za/media/docs/158748088021.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of Africa and the Middle East*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license