Marie Humbert

EARLY LIFE

Marie Humbert was born in Geneva, Switzerland, to a Swiss-French father from Geneva and a Ghanaian mother from Akim Oda in Ghana’s Eastern Region. She grew up as an expatriate child, living in multiple countries. This international upbringing shaped her identity as a global citizen. She was educated first in the French system until age 14 before switching to the English system. She developed a love for the arts early, organizing shows for family and friends. She later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Drama/Theatre Arts from Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, then trained professionally at the prestigious Cours Florent acting school in Paris, where she received the Lesley Chatterley Award for Best Actress in 2009. She is fully bilingual in English and French.

CAREER

Humbert began acting as a child and pursued formal training in her late teens. Her breakthrough came with the role of Makena in the hit web and television series An African City (2014), created by Nicole Amarteifio. The series received international coverage from outlets including The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and the BBC. She has described the character as reflecting aspects of her own experience returning to Ghana. Her first major feature film role was Susan in Shirley Frimpong-Manso’s Potomanto (2013). The performance earned her a nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 10th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) and recognition at the Ghana Movie Awards. She later starred as Ebaner (Ebaner Temple) in the series 40 and Single, whose pilot won the Audience Award for Episodic Pilot at the 2018 LA Film Festival. She appeared as Kelly Spencer in the Netflix film The Set Up (2019). Other credits include When Love Happens Again, Adams Apples, Oasis, and various short films and series. At the 2016 Ghana Movie Awards she received dual nominations for Best Actress in a Drama Series and Discovery of the Year. She has cited Issa Rae and Meryl Streep among her professional inspirations. Beyond acting, Humbert works as an art consultant focused on contemporary African art. She is dedicated to elevating historically marginalized African artists and changing narratives around African creativity. She created the YouTube series Cocktails Over Fashion, featuring conversations with African designers and fashion entrepreneurs. She also hosts the podcast Reclaim Your Power (available on Spotify and iTunes), which addresses women’s empowerment and gender-based violence.

PERSONAL LIFE

Humbert maintains a relatively private personal life. In earlier interviews she confirmed she was not married. She has spoken about choosing to relocate to Ghana after years of international living, describing the move as a personal homecoming that informed her role in An African City. She identifies strongly with both her Swiss and Ghanaian heritage and frequently discusses themes of African identity, belonging, and women’s empowerment. She is involved in advocacy work, including as an Oxfam Ghana Enough! project advocate focusing on gender-based violence and women’s rights.

Humbert is passionate about ethical fashion and occasionally models or collaborates with designers whose values align with hers. She continues to advocate for African creative talent, women’s rights, and more authentic representations of African stories and identities on screen and in the art world. She remains active across acting, art consultancy, content creation, and social advocacy.