It was at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama that Ayola would find what she calls her dramatic bone. Holby star Rakie Ayola. Having formed a support group of Black female actors over the years, she now feels able to imagine more. This March, ITV is giving us another crime drama to get our teeth into. "[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". "[14] Ayola recalls having been daunted at the prospect of working alongside so many established names, but has said it was a "wonderful experience". [] 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. CHILDREN : Two daughters, Tansy (b.2004) and Shani (b.2009) FAMILY : Her mother, from Sierra Leone, was the second wife of a wealthy Nigerian. They have two children. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 1968-05-. In 1996, Ayola appeared at the National Theatre in Helen Edmundsons adaptation of Leo Tolstoys War and Peace. Its a cause very close to Ayolas heart, as Vanity Fair reports, her eldest daughter, Tansy, was diagnosed with incurable neurofibromatosis type one when she was eight. When shes not acting Ayola spends a lot of time advocating for the Childhood Tumour Trust (CTT). There were pictures of all the big stars, and youre not even on the back, even though the blurb couldnt tell the story without the story of the character you were playing. Ayola plays the character, DS Holland, and is appearing in a total of six episodes. And then Holby came along, so I'm very grateful".[9]. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1897d5e9d97ba1 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. Wikiwand is the world's leading Wikipedia reader for web and mobile. I got no response, which is probably a good thing., After her secondary school drama teacher told Ayolas adoptive mother one hour a week of drama is not enough for this child, mother and daughter would drive to Orbit youth theatre in Cardiff every Saturday. We had fantastic editors, sound people, camera people, and the directors were all amazing. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. "[7] She then went on to attend the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying for a three-year acting diploma. Ayola has worked in theatre, film and television, appearing in a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances, Hollywood films The i Inside and Sahara, and British television shows including Soldier Soldier, EastEnders, Sea of Souls and Doctor Who. I really got on with the writer of The Pact, Pete McTighe: wed been doing video calls, talking about working together. But I had this dramatic vein, so leaned into that.. 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. In 2017, Ayola took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. 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. 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 . It was so unexpected. She was cared for by her birth mothers cousin from Sierra Leone and his Welsh wife. . Were not going to tiptoe around Marthas disability or anything. I liked that. She began her professional career in classical theater, but by the early 1990s was . How old is Rakie Ayola? 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.. I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasn't really ready to put down the character of Kyla. 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. [10] She spends her free time "watching television, the theatre, cinema, concerts, indoor wall climbing [and] keeping fit [with] yoga [and] aerobics". [1] 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. But the way the BBC axed it mid-series was unforgivable. 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. [23] In 2009, Ayola starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. This industry has never been easy for Ayola; her transition from Cardiff to London had in some ways mired her career. [12] Ayola often speaks of her pride in her Welsh upbringing,[49] describing herself as "an Ely girl through and through". Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 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 left high school before sitting her A Levels in order to pursue her ambition of becoming an actress. Rakie Ayola (Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayoola) was born on 1968-05- in Cardiff, is an Actress. On a trip to New York, she found the DVD in a shop. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. In an interview with the publication she said, My drama teacher took me to youth theatre. All those professionals whose work has just been thrown out - I hate that. Your IP: The action you just performed triggered the security solution. They have two daughters, Tansy and Shani, born in 2004 and 2009. She told the FT that her drama teacher and head of studies at college encouraged her passion for drama and love of Shakespeare. She is from . Rakie Ayola. Following youth theatre and amateur dramatics, she studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The actor Sharon Duncan-Brewster had brought together Ayola, Noma Dumezweni, Michelle Greenidge, Michele Austin and Martina Laird, among other Black female actors and told them: This business is about to decide it doesnt need us any more. This brand new story makes way for new characters with the cast, including Cardiff-born, Bafta-winning actress Rakie Ayola (Anthony), who takes centre stage alongside serving as executive producer. His daughter, Eluned Morgan, now Baroness Ely, the Welsh health minister, reminded me when we met recently that I was never out of that church. I'm very sorry to have to let her go. Adam Smethurst, with whom she has two daughters. Ayola signed a three-year contract to play Kyla,[30] and described herself as "very similar" to her character,[31] speaking positively about her working relationship with co-stars Jaye Jacobs and Sharon D. Clarke,[32] as well as the "dream" storylines her character was given. See also Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs That was when, as confirmed by the BBC listings archive, Hello Dolly!, starring Barbra Streisand, was first broadcast in the UK, watched by a viewing audience that included an eight-year-old Ayola. Ayolas first prolific television role was in the ITV drama Soldier Soldier, in which she starred throughout its third series in 1993 as soldiers wife Bernie Roberts. [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. For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for List of former EastEnders characters. [38] In 2001, Ayola founded a production company and directed a short film entitled Persephone's Playground. They met again two years later, during a production of Twelfth Night, and went on to become a couple. "EastEnders" Episode dated 2 August 2001 (TV Episode 2001) Rakie Ayola as Ms. French. Indeed she is! In 2004, Rakie married fellow actor Adam Smethurst who has starred in TV dramas including Casualty and Marple and Lewis. [] They are not being sold as a reason to watch. Im very sorry to have to let her go.. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. 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. Ayola has also performed in Twelfth Night in the lead roles of both Olivia and Viola. No Doubt She appeared as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical . Rakie Ayola held a dream of winning a Bafta for 43 years and won the 2021 best supporting actress prize for her role as Gee Walker in BBC's Anthony (Picture: Backgrid) Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1897491aba2042 She has expressed a desire to visit Brazil and Argentina, and has a romantic notion of travelling around Europe in a camper van. [8] Ayola has stated that it was Barbra Streisand's performance in Hello, Dolly! She is married to fellow actor Adam Smethurst, with whom she has two daughters. Rakie Ayola was born on 11 May 1968 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. that inspired her to act as a child,[5] though credits her adoptive mother with encouraging her to act professionally. Ayola attributes her ability to carry these roles with such emotional high stakes, whether fictional or biographical, to the dramatic vein she found at drama school: I dont know why, I seem to be able to breathe life into these women whove got this tragic story, all this grief and loss. She also refers to the death of her adoptive mother, Olive, when she was 14, as a moment that has perhaps allowed her to access those depths of grief. [4] Ayola's heritage means she is Yoruba by descent, although she does not speak the language. When he ends up dead they all have serious questions to answer. Christine's an experienced social worker who is devoted. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Shes one of those women. Period, aiming to provide affordable sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. But in her 50s, Ayola has found a confidence that she did not have in her 20s. [1] 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. This dramatic vein pulses in her role in the upcoming second series of The Pact. And fans of ITV1s Grace series, which began in 2021 and stars John Simm as DS Roy Grace, will recognise her as no-nonsense copper ACC Alison Vosper. Ayola. 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. If you havent been nominated for a Bafta before 52 youre not meant to be nominated and take the Bafta home. [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. It told the true story of 18-year-old Anthony Walker, who was murdered by two white men in an unprovoked racist attack in 2005. Christine is the matriarch of the Rees family. 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. Ayola has an interest in travel, and has visited Peru and Kenya among other destinations. Ayola describes herself as "optimistic, cynical, lazy, naive [and] honest". With her Bafta for best supporting actress for BBC Ones Anthony. 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. She remembers Harvey Weinstein staring at her on set, though not lasciviously. 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. 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. Jack. Christines an experienced social worker who is devoted to her family. [28] She was approached about returning to the show in a more permanent role by BBC casting director Julie Harkin. [8] She went on to appear in Gone With the Wind sequel Scarlett,[7] and star in Welsh soap opera Tiger Bay. subscribe to BAFTA https://youtube.com/user/BA. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Dark family secrets, a mysterious death, and friends sworn to silence, new BBC thriller The Pact has all this and more. EastEnders (TV Series 1985-2022) - Rakie Ayola as Ms. French. She is working and taking care of the others.. Rakie Ayolas husband is actor Adam Smethurst, the son of Jack Smethurst. 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. In October 2008, Rakie announced that she would be leaving Holby City to have her second child. Ayola's first major television role was in the ITV drama Soldier Soldier, in which she starred throughout its third series in 1993 as soldier's wife Bernie Roberts. We have a mix of boys and girls, one character whos mixed-raced and deaf but were not going to be restrained by any of that. [3] She was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. 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. Rakie Ayola, a Welsh actress best known for her roles in Grace, Black Mirror, Noughts + Crosses and Doctor Who. It would be nice just to stay put for a while. Rakie is a Trustee of ACT, the Actors Childrens Trust, and an Ambassador of PIPA, Parents in Performing Arts. In 2008, she starred in the Doctor Who episode Midnight, playing an intergalactic Hostess alongside David Tennants Tenth Doctor. She has loved Streisand ever since, even writing to Jimll Fix It asking Jimmy Savile to arrange a meeting. We have a mix of boys and girls, one character who's mixed-raced and deaf but we're not going to be restrained by any of that. She explains: Ive always wanted to act. Click to reveal 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. Ayola was born in Cardiff in May 1968 to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father. I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasn't really ready to put down the character of Kyla. That was really interesting to play.. 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.. Jack played Eddie Booth in popular 70s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour. Ive loved that one month its Sahara in Morocco and the next Im doing a stage play, then its a six-part telly thing. After graduating, Ayola starred in Soldier, Soldier, Maisie Raine, and Eastenders. Rakie was born in May 1968, making her 52-years-old. Describing her motivation, she states: "I am not an overtly political person. 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. She is set to portray DS Holland, who is in charge of the investigation. In 2001, she became a presenter of the BBC Wales arts programme Double Yellow, alongside poet Owen Sheers and performance artist Mark Rees. We need to stay relevant and creative, so lets take care of each other., And Ayola speaks of the ascendancy of each of the women present in that conversation. Between 2003 and 2008 she starred in Holby City and played Olivia Lennox in season five of Shetland. He didnt write this boss lady Theres a quietness to her control and I found that compelling. The Bafta-winning actor is returning to The Pact as a different character. 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. 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. In 2009, Ayola starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. "Rakie Ayola's response to the 'some . Who plays ACC Vosper in ITV's Grace and what has she been in before? [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. Sign up for Bustle UK's twice-weekly newsletter, featuring the latest must-watch TV, moving personal stories, and expert advice on the hottest viral buys. The 39-year-old, who has played the role of Kyla Tyson since February 2006, is to be. She was approached about returning to the show in a more permanent role by BBC casting director Julie Harkin. 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. [48] She has expressed a desire to visit Brazil and Argentina, and has "a romantic notion of travelling around Europe in a camper van". His unorthodox police methods have come under scrutiny once again and Grace is walking a career tightrope and risks being moved from the job he loves most. She won a BAFTA for her performance as bereaved mum Gee Walker in BBC1s drama Anthony. Series 1: Meet the Cast In the first series, which saw a group of women dump their evil bosss body in the woods, Rakie played DS Holland. Rakie has had roles in Shetland, Silent Witness, Midsomer Murders and No Offence, as well as Hollywood films The i Inside and Sahara. 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. For a full list of present characters, see list of characters from EastEnders . 22 48 1,389 Show this thread Rakie Ayola Still Menopausal @RakieAyola Between 2003 and 2008 she starred in Holby City and played Olivia Lennox in season five of Shetland. Bill Alexander was director. 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. But it was 2021 which really propelled Rakie to fame. [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. [46] [45] Ayola placed 17th in the awards in 2009. Samantha Bond)", BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rakie_Ayola&oldid=1137572574, Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners, Articles with dead external links from February 2019, Articles with dead external links from April 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from July 2022, Articles with dead external links from October 2017, Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Episode "That Old Black Magic" parts 1 and 2, Episode 17.3 " The Ballad of Midsomer County", This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 09:59. They met when acting together on stage in Hamlet. Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions. Rakie Ayola was born on 11 May 1968 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. She has also worked in theatre, film and television, appearing in a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances. She pre-empts the confusion some might feel with her stepping into a different role within the same series, but explains how it happened. I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasnt really ready to put down the character of Kyla. 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. [11] The pair married in May 2004, and Ayola gave birth to their first daughter, Tansy, in July that year. Ayola placed 17th in the awards in 2009. Download 'Don't Speak' on iTunes. 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Ayola credits her chemistry with co-star Akim Mogaji, who played her on-screen husband Luke Roberts, for winning her her audition. Shes also played one-off roles in Black Mirror and Doctor Who. Rakie Ayola. The drama was based on the real-life 2005 murder of Anthony Walker in a racist attack in Liverpool. 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. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Intense focus Rakie Ayola and Jordan Wilks in a scene from the forthcoming series of The Pact. Rakie was born in May 1968, making her 52-years-old. 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 who is Rakie and who did she play in Holby City? Rakie Ayola stars in The Pact series 2 as new character Christine and, yes, if youre wondering, she was in series one as someone else! Played by Rakie Ayola. She stated: The script made me laugh out loud when I read it. But behind her smile and no-nonsense manner is a web of secrets. That was when, as confirmed by the BBC listings. When I saw this woman singing and dancing in a big hat, I thought: I want to do what she is doing sing and dance in the street and for it to be OK, Ayola says. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. In the summer of 1992, having moved to Elephant and Castle, she remembers auditioning for Beeban Kidrons drama Great Moments in Aviation, which she starred in alongside John Hurt, Jonathan Pryce and Vanessa Redgrave. In 2021, she won a BAFTA for her role in the BBC One drama Anthony.[2]. Unforced and appealing, she often succeeds in pulling the fanciful fireworks momentarily back down to Earth. But because youre the dark-skinned woman, theres no actual picture of you. I love the fact that I get to play people who are much more articulate than I'll ever be". Rakie Ayola talks about attending her first BAFTA Awards and what it was like playing Gee Walker in Anthony. Rakie Ayolas income source is mostly from being a successful Actress. After graduating, Ayola starred in Soldier, Soldier, Maisie Raine, and Eastenders. 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. It would be nice just to stay put for a while. ", "Black Wales; After Halle Berry and Denzil Washington's Oscar success, we find out what it means to be black and Welsh today", "Are we less racist than the rest of Britain? [51], Ayola has undertaken the following roles from her screen and televisual debut in 1993, to the present day.[52][53]. Nigerian father but I was pregnant, but I was n't really ready to put down the character Kyla. Others.. Rakie Ayolas husband is actor Adam Smethurst, with whom has... For winning her her audition sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women response to show. Him for a while her birth mothers cousin from Sierra Leone and his wife in,... Plays the character of Kyla the others.. Rakie Ayolas husband is Adam! Their final appearance 18-year-old Anthony Walker in BBC1s drama Anthony. [ 2 ] -. The top of the investigation her birth mothers cousin from Sierra Leone and his wife. 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