[33] She was made a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2003. 22 May 2021. [15] In 1996, Ayola appeared at the National Theatre in Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. In 2017, Rakie took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Rakie Ayola is an actress appearing in the BCC's TV Program, The Pact. Indeed she is! The hit West End musical Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is set to have its cast refreshed, with Holby City's Rakie Ayola taking over as Hermione Granger and Waterloo Road's Jamie Glover . She remembers Harvey Weinstein staring at her on set, though not lasciviously. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. Ayola has an interest in travel, and has visited Peru and Kenya among other destinations. Pedro Pascals Cameo In Buffy The Vampire Slayer Is The Ultimate Throwback, Courteney Cox Reunited With Her 'Friends' Co-Stars For The Best Reason, The Real Reason Selena Gomez Hid Her Love Of Friends' For Years, Nicola Coughlan Just Leaked The Funniest BTS Snap From 'Bridgerton' S3. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Rakie Olufunmilayo AyolaListen (born May 1968) is a Welsh actress known for her work in theatre and television. [] They are not being sold as a reason to watch. She previously explained: I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasnt really ready to put down the character of Kyla. Rakie Ayolas husband is actor Adam Smethurst, the son of Jack Smethurst. Now Read: Line of Duty trailer 2021: Explosive new clip teases explosive car chases and a shock H clue, Married at First Sight Australia couple Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli welcome, EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale schedule change: When are the soaps on this, Dad-of-22 Noel Radford criticised for 'retiring' from pie shop to spend more time with, P!nk preparing daughter Willow 'for the real world' after painful relationship with. Currently taking BBC One by storm - episodes 5 and 6 air next . Ayola. [10] She worked as a chambermaid whilst attending drama school, and, six weeks prior to graduation, was offered a job with the 'Made in Wales' theatre company which enabled her to obtain her union card. The charity works to connect children and families living with neurofibromatosis type one. Ayola says of her film career: I really like doing film [but] Ive not done enough big films though to really know the difference between film and television.. Movies. [6] Her first acting role was for the Welsh Eisteddfod when still at primary school, playing a lady-in-waiting at the court of King Arthur. [46] Rakie Ayola. She has loved Streisand ever since, even writing to Jimll Fix It asking Jimmy Savile to arrange a meeting. I decided at 16 I wanted to make my living acting, but even if I couldnt, Id be in an amateur theatre company. She then went on to attend the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying for a three-year acting diploma. Following youth theatre and amateur dramatics, she studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. More at IMDbPro Contact info Agent info Resume Born May 11, 1968 Add to list Won 1 BAFTA Award 1 win total Photos 13 Known for DS Holland heads up the investigation to unravel the conspiracy surrounding the death and if you recognise her then it its probably because shes been in some major British TV shows. That was really interesting to play.. Ayola placed 17th in the awards in 2009. Her subsequent film credits are romantic comedy The Secret Laughter of Women, set in Nigeria and starring Colin Firth, thriller The i Inside, filmed in Sully Hospital, Cardiff, and starring Ryan Phillippe, and Sahara, filmed in Morocco whilst Ayola was pregnant with her first child, starring Penlope Cruz. Period, aiming to provide affordable sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women. T hanks to the internet, Rakie Ayola can pinpoint the exact moment that she knew she wanted a career in showbusiness: 8.15pm on 19 December 1976. [18] She has since concluded that "the kind of audience they would like to bring in with shows like Double Yellow aren't really into watching TV",[12] but at the time was outspoken against the show's cancellation, stating: I'm still really angry about Double Yellow, about how the whole thing was handled. Normally when youre nominated at 52, you were nominated also at 22 and 32. [12], Ayola's first film appearance was in the 1993 film Great Moments in Aviation, written by Jeanette Winterson, in which she starred alongside Jonathan Pryce and John Hurt. In 2017, Ayola took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. You suddenly realise youre doing exactly the thing they asked of you even though you didnt plan to. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. They have two children. It was my second home!, In her later years at school, when asked what she wanted to do for a living, she would say: I want to act. Her careers officer suggested she consider being a drama teacher instead. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1897d5e9d97ba1 It's an unusual move, but, she says, having connected with a group of performers of colour who have her back, she's learned to dream bigger. In 2005, WalesOnline voted Ayola the 29th sexiest woman in Wales, saying of her: One of our favourite thesps, shes black, beautiful and the term yummy mummy should have been made for her. She placed 40th in 2008, with the Western Mail noting: the last 15 years have only seen Rakie become more beautiful and more successful. At 53 years old, Rakie Ayola height is 1.65m . that inspired her to act as a child, though credits her adoptive mother with encouraging her to act professionally. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. [3] She was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. Ayola has appeared in television shows including Black Mirror, Noughts + Crosses, Doctor Who, Silent Witness and EastEnders, a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances and feature films such as Great Moments in Aviation, The i Inside and Sahara. So, who is Rakie Ayola and what might you have seen her in? 1am - 4am, Don't Speak [38] In 2001, Ayola founded a production company and directed a short film entitled Persephone's Playground. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. From 7 February 2006 to 9 December 2008, Ayola starred in BBC medical drama Holby City as nurse Kyla Tyson. After a series of three meetings, a year after the birth of her first child, she agreed to assume the role of Kyla, despite being nervous about signing such a long contract, stating: Ive been someone whos loved the uncertainty of acting. [18], Ayola's other notable television appearances include the BBC psychological thriller Green-Eyed Monster (2001),[19] soap opera EastEnders (2001),[20] Waking the Dead (2001), London's Burning (2001),[21] Offenders (2002),[22] Murder in Mind (2003), The Canterbury Tales (2003) and Sea of Souls (2004). She is set to portray DS Holland, who is in charge of the investigation. Rakie Ayola's wins Supporting Actress Win for Anthony at the Virgin Media BAFTA TV Awards 2021.subscribe to BAFTA https://youtube.com/user/BAFTAonlinecheck. For a full list of present characters, see list of characters from EastEnders . It's an unusual move, but, she says, having connected with a group of performers of colour who have her back, she's learned. She has a collection of Troll dolls which she keeps under her bath. She presented the film at the Cannes film festival, using it as part of her campaign for increased black representation in theatre, films and television. View Jack. Trending: 17,487th This Week. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2003. She has also worked in theatre, film and television, appearing in a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances. She explains: Ive always wanted to act. So, she can be described by her friends husband as this dragon lady, and you think theres nothing about her thats a dragon, but you keep watching and see, actually, shes got stuff going on in her head. Read More: Line of Duty season 6: When will the new series air, who is in the cast and is there a trailer? You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola (born May 1968) is a Welsh actress, best known for her role as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City. [21] In 2008, she starred in the Doctor Who episode "Midnight", playing an intergalactic Hostess alongside David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. Rakie Ayola: I seem to be able to breathe life into all this grief and loss, hanks to the internet, Rakie Ayola can pinpoint the exact moment that she knew she wanted a career in showbusiness: 8.15pm on 19 December 1976. She found Christine to be a complicated character who subverts representations of harsh matriarchal figures, praising McTighes restrained writing, Shes manipulative and controlling, but its so quiet. They have virtual sleepovers where everyone gets a party pack and does facials, foot spas and all sorts, she said. I really got on with the writer of The Pact, Pete McTighe: wed been doing video calls, talking about working together. Ayola was born in London but raised by her mothers cousin in Wales. Unforced and appealing, she often succeeds in pulling the fanciful fireworks momentarily back down to Earth. Ayola recalls having been daunted at the prospect of working alongside so many established names, but has said it was a wonderful experience. I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasn't really ready to put down the character of Kyla. But behind her smile and no-nonsense manner is a web of secrets. We had got on very well coming out of the first series. She explains: The role of Viola didnt sit that well with me for some reason but Olivia makes more sense. She has also appeared in modern performances, assuming the title role of Dido, Queen of Carthage at the Globe Theatre in London in 2003, which she described as a dream of a part. She was the lead copper investigating his death. So, how much is Rakie Ayola worth at the age of 53 years old? Rakie quit Holby when she was pregnant with her second daughter. [15] She acted alongside Pauline Quirke in both Maisie Raine and Being April, deeming Quirke to be a "fantastic" actress, and one she would work alongside again "like a shot". Ayola told Radio Times: She probably wasnt a brilliant bobby on the beat; she would have done what she needed to do, but thats not where her strengths are, she said on the Radio Times, Her strengths are in detecting understanding the kind of person that would commit a crime and why they would do it, then looking into that.. [27], From 7 February 2006 to 9 December 2008, Ayola starred in BBC medical drama Holby City as nurse Kyla Tyson. Rakie was born in May 1968, making her 52-years-old. Wikiwand is the world's leading Wikipedia reader for web and mobile. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. In 2008, she starred in the Doctor Who episode Midnight, playing an intergalactic Hostess alongside David Tennants Tenth Doctor. [] Also, I have to say that Double Yellow was nominated for a Bafta Cymru award. Rakie Ayola, a Welsh actress best known for her roles in Grace, Black Mirror, Noughts + Crosses and Doctor Who. [6] She left high school before sitting her A Levels in order to pursue her ambition of becoming an actress. Series 3 of Grace is currently in production but at the end of the last Brighton-based series Rakie Ayolas character Alison Vosper departed for a new job in London. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1897491aba2042 subscribe to BAFTA https://youtube.com/user/BA. Series 1: Meet the Cast But by this time, she had been involved in the South Glamorgan youth theatre and other local amateur dramatic companies, and while she wasnt blind to the fact she was the only young Black actor in these spaces, she didnt think that she should be limited in ambition due to skin colour. [] The one time I was asked to play a Welsh character on screen was in Tiger Bay for BBC Wales, but I know if that series had been called Radyr Park or Cyncoed Close I wouldn't have been in it". In 2016 she took on the role of matriarch Nora Attah, the head of a crime family, in series 2 of Channel 4s police comedy drama No Offence. Ayola credits her chemistry with co-star Akim Mogaji, who played her on-screen husband Luke Roberts, for winning her her audition. She was cared for by her birth mothers cousin from Sierra Leone and his Welsh wife. This dramatic vein pulses in her role in the upcoming second series of The Pact. That introduced me to the very vibrant amateur scene in Cardiff; I auditioned for anything I was eligible for.. [47] Ayola has an interest in travel, and has visited Peru and Kenya among other destinations. Ayola studied at Windsor Clive Primary and Glan Ely High School, and was a member of the Orbit Youth Theatre, South Glamorgan Youth Theatre, South Glamorgan Youth Choir and the National Youth Theatre of Wales. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. In 2001, she became a presenter of the BBC Wales arts programme Double Yellow, alongside poet Owen Sheers and performance artist Mark Rees. In 2009, Ayola starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. When shes not acting Ayola spends a lot of time advocating for the Childhood Tumour Trust (CTT). She received Honourable Mention for the same role the following year, and was shortlisted again in 2008. She appeared in Holby City from its eighth to eleventh series, from 2006 to 2008, and in 2009 starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Ayola has appeared in television shows including Black Mirror, Noughts + Crosses, Doctor Who, Silent Witness and EastEnders, a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances and feature films such as Great Moments in Aviation, The i Inside and Sahara. She is married to Adam Smethurst. She acted alongside Pauline Quirke in both Maisie Raine and Being April, deeming Quirke to be a fantastic actress, and one she would work alongside again like a shot. In 2017, Ayola took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. But because youre the dark-skinned woman, theres no actual picture of you. Played by Aneurin Barnard. Ayola is an advocate of increased ethnic representation in the entertainment industry, and in 2001 founded her own production company, producing the short film Persephone's Playground for the Cannes Film Festival in order to further her campaign. But the way the BBC axed it mid-series was unforgivable. Ayola is an advocate of increased ethnic representation in the entertainment industry, and in 2001 founded her own production company, producing the short film Persephones Playground for the Cannes film festival in order to further her campaign. The little girl in me went: Youve actually been dreaming about this for ever.. The BBC drama sees Ayola, who has lived in London since the 1990s, return to Wales, where she was brought up on a council estate in Cardiff by her Sierra Leonean birth mothers cousin and his Welsh wife. She appeared as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical . TV Shows. A local reverend, Bob Morgan, allowed them to make use of his church hall for rehearsals. Rakie Ayola is a voice actor known for voicing Zalika. I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasnt really ready to put down the character of Kyla. Rakie Ayola can pinpoint the exact moment that she knew she wanted a career in showbusiness: 8.15pm on 19 December 1976. If Im going to be a working mum Id rather just be one rather than be one intermittently. Contents: 2020s: 2023 2022 2021 2020 2010s: 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 So it didn't find its audience, and of course you can't force people to watch it, so if it wasn't going to get a third series then fine, that happens all the time. [5] Ayola studied at Windsor Clive Primary and Glan Ely High School, and was a member of the Orbit Youth Theatre, South Glamorgan Youth Theatre, South Glamorgan Youth Choir and the National Youth Theatre of Wales. CREDITS. Shes also played one-off roles in Black Mirror and Doctor Who. He felt I was too dark. The film was not released for two years, then went straight to TV in the UK and straight to DVD in the US. In an interview with the publication she explained the kinds of events the charity puts on for children. Ayola made her screen debut in 1993 and has since worked in many movies and TV series such as The I Inside, Sahara, Been So Long, Nightshift, Doctor Who, Black Mirror, Grace, to name a few. She was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. With her Bafta for best supporting actress for BBC Ones Anthony. She could potentially return to the seaside town, so its not clear yet if Rakie Ayola will appear in the next series of Grace. It wasn't some sort of reverential hands-off approach to what we're presenting. Rakie is a Trustee of ACT, the Actors Childrens Trust, and an Ambassador of PIPA, Parents in Performing Arts. Born in Wales of Nigerian descent, actress Rakie Ayola is a familiar presence on British television. [32] She said of the show: In October 2008, Ayola announced that she would be departing from Holby City in order to have a second child, stating: "I've had a great time and I'll miss it. that inspired her to act as a child,[5] though credits her adoptive mother with encouraging her to act professionally. [41] She received Honourable Mention for the same role the following year,[42] and was shortlisted again in 2008. Dark family secrets, a mysterious death, and friends sworn to silence, new BBC thriller The Pact has all this and more. She has noted having casting directors accept the notion of characters being both black and Welsh to be a particular problem, explaining that: I get offered a lot of very different roles, but theyre never Welsh. They met when acting together on stage in Hamlet. Helen and Christine have nothing in common, but what the two series have in common is a pact at the heart of them., Ayola is tight-lipped on the plot of the second series, not even revealing the manner of Christines sons death. But last summer I started thinking it would be really nice not to have to look for a job every couple of weeks. Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions. Ayola believes that black actors receive less recognition than their white counterparts, explaining; If you get a show with six stars and one is black you are more likely to see interviews with the five white actors. [17] She has spoken critically of the way the BBC treated the soap, moving it around the schedules and declining to commission a second series. The mum-of-two went on to appear in episodes of Black Mirror, Stella and Silent Witness. Between 2003 and 2008 she starred in Holby City and played Olivia Lennox in season five of Shetland. She left high school before sitting her A Levels in order to pursue her ambition of becoming an actress. Watching Barbra Streisand in Hello, Dolly on TV as a child made Rakie want to take up acting. They have two daughters, Tansy and Shani, born in 2004 and 2009. [] It left everyone very, very miserable, and very dispirited, and it made me angry. [11] In 1991 she played Hazel in John Godber's Up 'n' Under at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff. All those professionals whose work has just been thrown out - I hate that. HUSBAND : Actor, Adam Smethhurst. [25] In 2016 she played Amber Haleford in "Tuesday's Child", S6:E2 of Vera. Also learn how She earned most of networth at the age of 52 years old? She remembers attending those awards, the room sparse due to Covid restrictions, and looking around to see her competitors including Helena Bonham Carter and Sophie Okonedo, expecting that they would win, being shocked when her name was called and taking a while to move from her seat. The Bafta-winning actor is returning to The Pact as a different character. We have estimated Rakie Ayolas net worth, money, salary, income, and assets. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. "Rakie Ayola's response to the 'some . I liked that. 132.148.83.54 [43] In 2005, WalesOnline voted Ayola the 29th sexiest woman in Wales, saying of her: "One of our favourite thesps, she's black, beautiful and the term "yummy mummy" should have been made for her. Click to reveal She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. After graduating, Ayola starred in Soldier, Soldier, Maisie Raine, and Eastenders. The Bafta-winning actor is returning to The Pact as a different character. DS Holland - Rakie Ayola (Image: BBC / Little Door (The Pact) / Warren Orchard) Rakie is another Welsh actor with a great CV and has played a wealth of great characters. The Pact series 2 ending explained after that almighty twist! See also Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs Rakie Olufunmilayo AyolaListen is a Welsh actress known for her work in theatre and television. So why is she back in the new role? In 2001, Ayola founded a production company and directed a short film entitled Persephones Playground. And then he came back with The Pact series two and said we want you to play the lead and have an exec producer role. Ayola often speaks of her pride in her Welsh upbringing, describing herself as an Ely girl through and through. Describing her motivation, she states: I am not an overtly political person. The actress first rose to fame when she bagged the lead of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in. [48] She has expressed a desire to visit Brazil and Argentina, and has "a romantic notion of travelling around Europe in a camper van". 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[10] She spends her free time "watching television, the theatre, cinema, concerts, indoor wall climbing [and] keeping fit [with] yoga [and] aerobics". She states of this: Shakespeare keeps coming my way. It wasnt some sort of reverential hands-off approach to what were presenting. She has also been cast in the film Dredd. Rakie Ayola's character Christine lives in a house at Llantwit Major on the Bristol Channel coast.. In 2001, she also played Miss French in EastEnders, while other credits include Doctor Who, Sea of Souls and CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. Throughout her career, Ayola has been outspoken on the subject of racial discrimination in the entertainment industry.