Background
Harris was born on 6 September 1976 in London, where she was raised, and where she attended Street Marylebone School. Her mother, Lisselle Kayla, is originally from Jamaica, and her father from Trinidad. They separated before she was born, and she was raised by her mother.
Her mother worked as a screenwriter on EastEnders and is now a healer.
Education
She graduated from Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1998 with a degree in Social and Political Sciences.
Career
She played Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre. Harris gained her training at the Bristol Old Vic School. Harris has appeared in television and film since she was nine, including a starring role on the remake of the science fiction series The Tomorrow People.
In November 2002, she starred in Danny Boyle"s post-apocalyptic film 28 Days Later.
In the same year, she starred in the television adaptation of Zadie Smith"s White Teeth. Since then, Harris has appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Manitoba"s Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World"s End and Michael Mann"s Miami Vice.
She also did a comic turn in Michael Winterbottom"s indie ensemble piece, A Cock and Bulletin Story. She starred in Channel 4"s adaptation of the novel Poppy Shakespeare, which was first shown on 31 March 2008.
She also appeared in British Broadcasting Corporation"s historical drama Small Island in December 2009.
She played Elizabeth Lavenza in Danny Boyle"s stage production of Mary Shelley"s Frankenstein for the National from 22 February to 2 May 2011. She plays the lead role in The First Grader, directed by Justin Chadwick, which premiered on 18 May 2011 in the Seattle International Film Festival. Harris co-starred in the 23rd James Bond film, Skyfall, playing Eve Moneypenny.
She is the first black actress to play Moneypenny, and is the first Moneypenny to be given a first name.
In 2012, Harris was the voice-over for the Boss Nuit Pour Femme advert starring actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Harris portrayed Winnie Mandela in the biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, based on the book of the same name, opposite actor Idris Elba.
The film was released on 29 November 2013. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela on viewing the film told Harris that it seemed like she wasn"t acting, but channeling her and that it was "the first time she felt truly captured on film".
Harris reprised her role as Eve Moneypenny in the 24th Bond film Spectre, which was released on 26 October 2015.
Harris has been in a relationship with Peter Legler since 2012.