Arsema Thomas: The Radical Act of Choosing Your Own Life

Arsema Thomas never does things halfway. Before she stole the show as the smart and fierce Lady Danbury in the Netflix hit Queen Charlotte, she had already earned two degrees, worked in global health, and trained to be a reproductive rights activist. Thomas puts a lot of effort, passion, and purpose into everything she does, whether it’s studying saints from the 13th century or making jewelry to support anti-poaching militias.

In an honest interview, she talks about her first professional stage performance, the moment she got her big break, and her goal to change acting into a form of activism.

The Foundation: From Privilege to Purpose

Thomas’s journey is deeply tied to facing the hard questions that come with having privilege. She says that her upbringing, like her current role as Clare of Assisi, made her ask, “Why do I deserve what others don’t?” “What can I do with what I have?”

This moral obligation took her from global health to the arts and back again. She thinks that the two fields are related and that access is often the key to success in life, especially in acting. Now, her main goal is to use the platform she has to give a voice to people who need to be heard.

“I try to pass the mic,” she says. “Since I have the megaphone and didn’t ask for it, the most honest thing I can do is give it to someone who really needs to be heard.”

The Stage Debut: Taking the Saint Apart

Thomas recently made her professional stage debut in Poor Clare, where she played Clare of Assisi, a rich girl from the 13th century who became a spiritual revolutionary. It wasn’t the history that first drew her in; it was the surprisingly modern and easy-to-understand language of the script.

At first, Thomas was scared of the idea of playing a “perfect” saint, but he found a connection in Clare’s humanity. She learned that Clare’s beauty comes from being aware of herself and not giving up her whole identity. Thomas says, “She still loves pretty things.” “Fashion is part of who she is—not vanity, but a way to express herself and have some control over her life in a world where women had very few choices.”

Working in live theater, especially performing in the round at the Orange Tree theater, was hard but exciting because it was so close and personal. Thomas says that her company, which she calls a “real family,” gave her the trust she needed to “sit in that discomfort every night” and deal with issues of inequality and injustice without getting tired.

The Butcher Shop Call

While she was still a drama student, she worked a day job that was nothing like a grand period drama. This was the turning point in her career. Thomas remembers the amazing, surreal moment she got Queen Charlotte:

She remembers, “My agent called me on video while I was working at the butcher’s, which made me feel suspicious right away.” The call quickly grew to include her whole family, including her mom, sister, aunt, and uncle, who is an entertainment lawyer. Thomas froze when the news finally came out that she had been cast in Queen Charlotte. “I couldn’t handle it… I was in shock. “That one call changed everything.”

Putting on the famous shoes of Lady Danbury, a character made famous by Adjoa Andoh, felt like getting the version of herself that she “had always hoped might exist.” Thomas linked Agatha to the strong, long-lasting women in her own life, using her own past to build the character.

She was surprised by how much people connected with Agatha and her struggle. She said that the prequel really “revolutionised the period genre” by making people face their own discomfort with seeing Black characters in historical fiction.

Representation Without Reflection

Thomas sees acting as a way to change people’s minds, linking her past activism to her current job. But she still thinks the industry is moving too slowly.

She says, “There has been a lot of change on the surface, but real systemic progress would mean a complete restructuring, and we are nowhere near that.”

For Thomas, representation that doesn’t make people think is not progress. She says that casting a Black woman isn’t enough unless the industry looks into what that representation really means. She thinks that projects like Queen Charlotte, which is directed by a Black woman, are a big step forward that goes against wrong ideas about history. However, she believes that the system as a whole needs more Black women and people of color in high-level decision-making positions to make real, lasting change.

She also talks about how hard it is to get to the arts: “Theatre is expensive.” A lot of people can’t afford it, and the people who could benefit the most from these stories aren’t always there.

The Next Chapter: Creativity and Effect

When asked where she feels most free, Thomas says the stage, where she gets to live the story from start to finish every night. She says, “Theatre belongs to the actor,” stressing that the actor can always change the character.

Thomas is currently putting all of her energy into a new design project: a jewelry line that will be available in November. The Black Mambas, an all-women anti-poaching unit based in Zimbabwe, are a direct inspiration for this project.

Arsema Thomas is dedicated to using her platform to promote justice, community, and purpose, whether she’s in front of the camera or creating an alternative path through art and design.