Ruth Negga portrayed Mildred Loving in a biopic.
A biographical film , or biopic ( [ ˈbaɪəʊpɪk ] abbreviation for biographical motion picture ) , is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people . Loving is a 2016 American historical drama film which tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving , the plaintiffs in the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia , which invalidated state laws prohibiting interracial marriage . Loving v. Virginia . The case was brought by Mildred Loving , a black woman , and Richard Loving , a white man , who had been sentenced to a year in prison in Virginia for marrying each other . Ruth Negga . For her portrayal of Mildred Loving in Loving ( 2016 ) , Negga was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress , Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama , Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead and Critics ' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress , as well as the BAFTA Rising Star Award .