She has spoken critically of the way the BBC treated the soap, moving it around the schedules and declining to commission a second series. [6] She left high school before sitting her A Levels in order to pursue her ambition of becoming an actress. She is an actress and producer, known for, Zombie Army 4: Dead War: Return to Hell and Free Left 4 Dead Character Pack, Zombie Army 4: Dead War: Terminal Error Trailer, Zombie Army 4: Dead War: Free New Gen Upgrade, Zombie Army 4: Dead War: Dead Zeppelin Trailer, Zombie Army 4: Dead War: Alpine Blitz Trailer. [7] She explains: "I've always wanted to act. 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. I liked that. But last summer I started thinking it would be really nice not to have to look for a job every couple of weeks. [8] She went on to appear in Gone With the Wind sequel Scarlett,[7] and star in Welsh soap opera Tiger Bay. But because youre the dark-skinned woman, theres no actual picture of you. TV Shows. [] It left everyone very, very miserable, and very dispirited, and it made me angry. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. In 1996, Ayola appeared at the National Theatre in Helen Edmundsons adaptation of Leo Tolstoys War and Peace. They have two children. EastEnders (TV Series 1985-2022) - Rakie Ayola as Ms. French. She stated: The script made me laugh out loud when I read it. Welsh actress Rakie Ayola is to leave Holby City at the end of the year, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal. [7] Variety's David Rooney said of her performance: "In the film's most naturalistic turn, Ayola is a constant pleasure to watch. In 2004, Rakie married fellow actor Adam Smethurst who has starred in TV dramas including Casualty and Marple and Lewis. Bill Alexander was director. Home . Yes, eagle-eyed viewers, Rakie Ayola was also in The Pact series 1 playing a different character! In October 2008, Rakie announced that she would be leaving Holby City to have her second child. The story picks up 18 months after the death of her fourth child, Liam. As far as I'm aware, the BBC only allowed it to be nominated for that one award, for the graphics. Ayola credits her chemistry with co-star Akim Mogaji, who played her on-screen husband Luke Roberts, for winning her her audition. The Pact series 2: Whos in the cast of the returning drama opposite Rakie Ayola? The mum-of-two went on to appear in episodes of Black Mirror, Stella and Silent Witness. [18] She posed nude but for a pair of yellow rubber gloves to promote the show's launch, and was highly critical of the BBC when the show was cancelled midway through its second series. 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. It would be nice just to stay put for a while. Menu. DATE OF BIRTH : 1968. On a trip to New York, she found the DVD in a shop. 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. Toby Stephens, Rakie Ayola and newcomer Charithra Chandran join "Alex Rider" season 2 on Amazon Prime Video U.K. and IMDb TV in the U.S. Normally when youre nominated at 52, you were nominated also at 22 and 32. Shes one of those women. They met again two years later, during a production of Twelfth Night, and went on to become a couple. [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. 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. I've loved that one month it's Sahara in Morocco and the next I'm doing a stage play, then it's a six-part telly thing. Rakie Ayola can pinpoint the exact moment that she knew she wanted a career in showbusiness: 8.15pm on 19 December 1976. She is from . Having formed a support group of Black female actors over the years, she now feels able to imagine more. After graduating, Ayola starred in Soldier, Soldier, Maisie Raine, and Eastenders. That was a six-week shoot and was gonna change my life, but it didnt, she explains. 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. [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. In 2017, Ayola took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. "[36] She believes that her career would have taken her in a different direction were she not Black, stating: "I could not have played any of the roles I have played on TV if I was white [] I am very aware of where the glass ceiling is and it's still very low and expectations are still very low". [11] She states of this: "Shakespeare keeps coming my way. [] I also like the fact that there were a lot of politically-correct boxes being ticked, but the writers and producer haven't been restrained by that. Rakie, who is 54, grew up on a council estate in Cardiff. Rakie Ayola also starred in one of 2020s most heart-rending TV shows. That was when, as confirmed by the BBC listings. Rakie is a Trustee of ACT, the Actors Childrens Trust, and an Ambassador of PIPA, Parents in Performing Arts. She had previously appeared in Holby City's sister show Casualty,[9] and had made an appearance in Holby City's fifth series as patient Marianne Lawson. [6], During a 1998 production of Hamlet, Ayola met her future husband, fellow actor Adam Smethurst son of Love Thy Neighbour star Jack Smethurst. Im very sorry to have to let her go.. She appeared as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City from its eighth to eleventh series. She is an actress and producer, known for Been So Long (2018), Twelfth Night (2018) and No Offence (2015). Their second daughter, Shani, was born in January 2009. Born in Wales of Nigerian descent, actress Rakie Ayola is a familiar presence on British television. 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. Shes also played one-off roles in Black Mirror and Doctor Who. The actress first rose to fame when she bagged the lead of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. She is set to portray DS Holland, who is in charge of the investigation. 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. She has three grown-up children: Will (Lloyd Everitt); Jamie (Aaron Anthony); Megan (Mali Ann Rees). [16] Ayola says of her film career: "I really like doing film [but] I've not done enough big films though to really know the difference between film and television."[11]. Discover Rakie Ayolas Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Im very sorry to have to let her go.. 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. 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. 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. 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. "[24] She has also been cast in the film Dredd. I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasnt really ready to put down the character of Kyla. It wasn't some sort of reverential hands-off approach to what we're presenting. No Doubt In 2001, Rakie appeared in EastEnders as teacher Miss French. She has loved Streisand ever since, even writing to Jimll Fix It asking Jimmy Savile to arrange a meeting. Variety magazines David Rooney said of her performance: In the films most naturalistic turn, Ayola is a constant pleasure to watch. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. 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 She was raised by her mothers cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions. If you havent been nominated for a Bafta before 52 youre not meant to be nominated and take the Bafta home. Performance & security by Cloudflare. She previously explained: I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasnt really ready to put down the character of Kyla. [] They are not being sold as a reason to watch. Rakie was born in May 1968, making her 52-years-old. 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. [7], Ayola began her career in the theatre, performing in a number of Shakespearean plays including Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth. Rakie Ayola talks about attending her first BAFTA Awards and what it was like playing Gee Walker in Anthony. Rakie Ayola is a voice actor known for voicing Zalika. Be the first to contribute! Its an unusual move, but, she says, having connected with a group of performers of colour who have her back, shes learned to dream bigger. In October 2008, Ayola announced that she would be departing from Holby City in order to have a second child, stating: Ive had a great time and Ill miss it. But the way the BBC axed it mid-series was unforgivable. The Pact series 2: Start date, whos in it and how many episodes are there? Then The Pact was recommissioned (for another series) so I thought I wouldnt hear from him for a year! [26], In 2020, she won the Best Female Actor in a Play award at the Black British Theatre Awards for her performance in On Bear Ridge for National Theatre Wales and the Royal Court. The Bafta-winning actor is returning to The Pact as a different character. The drama was based on the real-life 2005 murder of Anthony Walker in a racist attack in Liverpool. Rakie is a Trustee of ACT, the Actors' Children's Trust, and an Ambassador of PIPA, Parents in Performing Arts. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. Ayola was born in Cardiff, Wales in May 1968, to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father. This time she is taking the lead role of Christine, a social worker who has recently lost a child. The Pact series 2 episode 5 review - five things we want to know [Spoilers] The Pact series 2 episode 4 review: five . When she took the award and went offstage, she crouched on the floor and sobbed, thinking about her mother, who had died at the age she now was. Christines an experienced social worker who is devoted to her family. Ayola often speaks of her pride in her Welsh upbringing, describing herself as an Ely girl through and through. I love the fact that I get to play people who are much more articulate than I'll ever be". Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Ayola placed 17th in the awards in 2009. Rakie was born in May 1968, making her 52-years-old. "[11] 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". 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