Popular actor and Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) alum Arséma Thomas, MPH ’18, will deliver the keynote address at the Yale School of Public Health’s annual Commencement on May 19, 2025.

Best known for their powerful performance as young Lady Agatha Danbury in the Netflix period drama “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” Thomas frequently uses their platform to challenge stereotypes and advocate for health, exemplifying the powerful ways YSPH graduates are using their training for good around the world.

Thomas says that whether in pursuing public health or acting, they are driven by the same ethos: "that we have the same foundation of justice and love above all.” Thomas says that the focus is on having “a human-to-human connection,” whether on-set or using their YSPH master’s degree in Health Policy and Management to launch two start-ups, Enki and Mosaic Collective, both focused on supporting the health and well-being of women across the globe.

Thomas’ background spans multiple continents and industries, from their childhood in sub-Saharan Africa to working as an associate with the United Nations Population Fund. They speak six languages: English, French, Spanish, Yoruba, Amharic, and American Sign Language.

Currently, Thomas stars in “She Taught Love,” a romantic drama streaming on Hulu and Disney+ in which they play Mali Waters, a sports agent at the center of a beautiful love story. Writing for Unbothered, Kathleen Newman-Bremang called Thomas’ depiction “magnetic” and one of the top performances of the year.

During their time at Yale, Thomas was a fellow in the Global Health Justice Partnership sponsored by YSPH and Yale Law School, and worked in the YSPH student affairs office. They also pursued a degree from the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Before coming to Yale, Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in Biophysics from Carnegie Mellon University, and worked in a maternal and child mobile health clinic in Northern Kenya and at the Kakumah Refugee Camp on the Kenya-Sudan border.