Danai Jekesai Gurira (born February 14, 1978) is a Zimbabwean-American actress and playwright. She is best known for her starring roles as Michonne on the AMC horror drama series The Walking Dead (2012–2020, 2022) and as Okoye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films, beginning with Black Panther (2018) and most recently appearing in its sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). Gurira is also the playwright of the Broadway play Eclipsed, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play.