Between 2003 and 2008 she starred in Holby City and played Olivia Lennox in season five of Shetland. She is an actress and producer, known for Been So Long (2018), Twelfth Night (2018) and No Offence (2015). She won a BAFTA for her performance as bereaved mum Gee Walker in BBC1s drama Anthony. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. She has since concluded that the kind of audience they would like to bring in with shows like Double Yellow arent really into watching TV, but at the time was outspoken against the shows cancellation, stating: Ayola has undertaken the following roles from her screen and televisual debut in 1993, to the present day. Played by Aneurin Barnard. [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". Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. They have two daughters, Tansy and Shani, born in 2004 and 2009. [47] Ayola has an interest in travel, and has visited Peru and Kenya among other destinations. We had got on very well coming out of the first series. Can you list the top facts and stats about Rakie Ayola? 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 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. That was a six-week shoot and was gonna change my life, but it didnt, she explains. "[39] In 2008, Ayola offered her support to the Action for Southern Africa campaign Dignity! 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. 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. [29] 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",[21] stating: "I've been someone who's loved the uncertainty of acting. Period, aiming to provide affordable sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women. The Financial Times reports that Ayola attended Windsor Clive Primary and Glan Ely High School in Cardiff before studying at the Welsh College of Music and Drama (now known as the Royal Welsh College.) Performance & security by Cloudflare. [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. 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. She is married to Adam Smethurst. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. But last summer I started thinking it would be really nice not to have to look for a job every couple of weeks. In 1996, Ayola appeared at the National Theatre in Helen Edmundsons adaptation of Leo Tolstoys War and Peace. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2003. Ayolas first job was selling jeans on Bessemer Road Market in Cardiff. With her Bafta for best supporting actress for BBC Ones Anthony. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. I just want fairness". Thanks 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 spends her free time watching television, the theatre, cinema, concerts, indoor wall climbing [and] keeping fit [with] yoga [and] aerobics. She went on to appear in Gone With the Wind sequel Scarlett, and star in Welsh soap opera Tiger Bay. [21] In 2008, she starred in the Doctor Who episode "Midnight", playing an intergalactic Hostess alongside David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. Shes also played one-off roles in Black Mirror and Doctor Who. 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. That was when, as confirmed by the. She is from . If Im going to be a working mum Id rather just be one rather than be one intermittently. If you havent been nominated for a Bafta before 52 youre not meant to be nominated and take the Bafta home. I'm very sorry to have to let her go.". She has also worked in theatre, film and television, appearing in a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances. Movies. [27], From 7 February 2006 to 9 December 2008, Ayola starred in BBC medical drama Holby City as nurse Kyla Tyson. Download 'Don't Speak' on iTunes. Learn How rich is She in this year and how She spends money? [25] In 2016 she played Amber Haleford in "Tuesday's Child", S6:E2 of Vera. Rakie is a Trustee of ACT, the Actors' Children's Trust, and an Ambassador of PIPA, Parents in Performing Arts. 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. Christines an experienced social worker who is devoted to her family. She is set to portray DS Holland, who is in charge of the investigation. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. In 2001, Ayola founded a production company and directed a short film entitled Persephones Playground. 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. For a full list of present characters, see list of characters from EastEnders. [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). This is not Ayolas first time playing a mother in the aftermath of grief: her role as Gee Walker in BBC Ones Anthony won her the Bafta for best supporting actress in 2021. But behind her smile and no-nonsense manner is a web of secrets. She has expressed a desire to visit Brazil and Argentina, and has a romantic notion of travelling around Europe in a camper van. Im very sorry to have to let her go.. Ayola credits her chemistry with co-star Akim Mogaji, who played her on-screen husband Luke Roberts, for winning her her audition. A local reverend, Bob Morgan, allowed them to make use of his church hall for rehearsals. Their second daughter, Shani, was born in January 2009. 22 48 1,389 Show this thread Rakie Ayola Still Menopausal @RakieAyola She explains: "The role of Viola didn't sit that well with me for some reason but Olivia makes more sense. TV Shows. In 2017, Ayola took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It was at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama that Ayola would find what she calls her dramatic bone. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasn't really ready to put down the character of Kyla. Played by Rakie Ayola. Ayola has performed in Twelfth Night in the lead roles of both Olivia and Viola. If youre like Sharon, front and centre of a film like Dune, its not [usually] the first time in your 50s, as a Black British woman., Winning her own Bafta is a moment Ayola still hasnt quite comprehended. [35] The project, however, was largely unsuccessful, with Ayola stating: "it just made me decide that if there's anything I don't want to do, it's produce films, because I'm rubbish at it. EastEnders (TV Series 1985-2022) - Rakie Ayola as Ms. French - IMDb EastEnders (1985-2022) Rakie Ayola: Ms. French It looks like we don't have any photos or quotes yet. Ayola was nominated and shortlisted for the 'Female Performance in TV' award in the 2006 Screen Nation Awards, for her role as Kyla Tyson in Holby City. 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. In 2004, Rakie married fellow actor Adam Smethurst who has starred in TV dramas including Casualty and Marple and Lewis. Ayola was born in Cardiff, Wales in May 1968, to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father. Variety magazines David Rooney said of her performance: In the films most naturalistic turn, Ayola is a constant pleasure to watch. Be the first to contribute! Rakie is a Trustee of ACT, the Actors Childrens Trust, and an Ambassador of PIPA, Parents in Performing Arts. She remembers Harvey Weinstein staring at her on set, though not lasciviously. She has a collection of Troll dolls which she keeps under her bath. Unforced and appealing, she often succeeds in pulling the fanciful fireworks momentarily back down to Earth. 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. She told the FT that her drama teacher and head of studies at college encouraged her passion for drama and love of Shakespeare. This time she is taking the lead role of Christine, a social worker who has recently lost a child. 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. In 2021, she won a BAFTA for her role in the BBC One drama Anthony.[2]. Rakie Ayola: 'I seem to be able to breathe life into all this grief and loss' The Bafta-winning actor is returning to The Pact as a different character. She could potentially return to the seaside town, so its not clear yet if Rakie Ayola will appear in the next series of Grace. Ive loved that one month its Sahara in Morocco and the next Im doing a stage play, then its a six-part telly thing. Holby star Rakie Ayola. [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. Rakie Ayola. Read More: Line of Duty season 6: When will the new series air, who is in the cast and is there a trailer? The Pact series 2 ending explained after that almighty twist! 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. Then The Pact was recommissioned (for another series) so I thought I wouldnt hear from him for a year! She was approached about returning to the show in a more permanent role by BBC casting director Julie Harkin. In 2017, Rakie took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. [] Also, I have to say that Double Yellow was nominated for a Bafta Cymru award. Ayola. She says it occurred within two years of the events shown, so were still very raw, and that Christine is dealing with her adult children one of whom is due to be married and so theres anticipation of festivities. The little girl in me went: Youve actually been dreaming about this for ever.. The only way to get a look behind the scenes of our brand new magazine, Saturday. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. ", "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? It's an unusual move, but, she says, having connected with a group of performers of colour who have her back, she's learned. 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. She appeared from 7 February 2006 to 9 December 2008, from the series eight episode "I'll Be Back" to the series eleven episode "Sweet Bitter Love". We need to stay relevant and creative, so lets take care of each other Rakie Ayola. She was the lead copper investigating his death. [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 has an interest in travel, and has visited Peru and Kenya among other destinations. subscribe to BAFTA https://youtube.com/user/BA. During a 1998 production of Hamlet, Ayola met her future husband, fellow actor Adam Smethurst son of Love Thy Neighbour star Jack Smethurst. You suddenly realise youre doing exactly the thing they asked of you even though you didnt plan to. Rakie Ayola's character Christine lives in a house at Llantwit Major on the Bristol Channel coast.. Period, aiming to provide affordable sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women.[40]. [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]. 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. [8] She went on to appear in Gone With the Wind sequel Scarlett,[7] and star in Welsh soap opera Tiger Bay. The Pact series 2: Whos in the cast of the returning drama opposite Rakie Ayola? Jack. View DS Holland. 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. [11] She states of this: "Shakespeare keeps coming my way. 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. [10] She spends her free time "watching television, the theatre, cinema, concerts, indoor wall climbing [and] keeping fit [with] yoga [and] aerobics". 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. 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 . The Pact series 2 episode 5 review five things we want to know [Spoilers], The Pact series 2 episode 4 review: five burning questions we need answered, The Pact series 2 episode 3 review: five burning questions after that wedding, The Pact star Rakie Ayola praised over reaction to loaded question on BBC Breakfast, The Pact series 2 episode 2 review: five things we need to know, The Pact series 2 episode 1 review: Five burning questions we want answering. In an interview with the publication she said, My drama teacher took me to youth theatre. It was so unexpected. [8] Her subsequent film credits are romantic comedy The Secret Laughter of Women, set in Nigeria and starring Colin Firth,[15] thriller The i Inside, filmed in Sully Hospital, Cardiff, and starring Ryan Phillippe,[13] and Sahara, filmed in Morocco whilst Ayola was pregnant with her first child, starring Penlope Cruz. So, how much is Rakie Ayola worth at the age of 53 years old? 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. Bill Alexander was director. On a trip to New York, she found the DVD in a shop. I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasnt really ready to put down the character of Kyla. She was raised by her mothers cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. The actress first rose to fame when she bagged the lead of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in. Who plays ACC Vosper in ITV's Grace and what has she been in before? She was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. 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. ", "Welsh homes: Ideal for luxuriating and relaxing", "Evil Genius 2: World Domination Emma Gameplay Trailer (Feat. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. HUSBAND : Actor, Adam Smethhurst. . Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1897491aba2042 [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. Kyla Tyson is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Rakie Ayola. Ayola's heritage means she is Yoruba by descent, although she does not speak the language. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. The Pact airs later this month on BBC One. In the same year, she also starred as Prime Minister Opal Folami in BBC drama Noughts and Crosses. I liked that. The synopsis reads: "Grace is fixated by the disappearance of his beloved wife, Sandy, which haunts his thoughts. [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. 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. 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. In an interview with the publication she explained the kinds of events the charity puts on for children. 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 2001, she became a presenter of the BBC Wales arts programme Double Yellow, alongside poet Owen Sheers and performance artist Mark Rees. She joined the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre, London from 24 May 2017, playing the role of Hermione Granger. . Intense focus Rakie Ayola and Jordan Wilks in a scene from the forthcoming series of The Pact. In 2009, Ayola starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. 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. Grace is based on Peter James first two books, Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead and follows Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. But he got back in touch (with the script for series 2) and said: Just have a look at this., I didnt really know where I might fit in, but when I read it again through Christines eyes I thought, Ah, right, this is it. Rakie was born in May 1968, making her 52-years-old. Series 1: Meet the Cast [] They are not being sold as a reason to watch. She believes that her career would have taken her in a different direction were she not of ethnic origin, 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 its still very low and expectations are still very low. Christine's an experienced social worker who is devoted. She began her professional career in classical theater, but by the early 1990s was . 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 Pact series 2: Start date, whos in it and how many episodes are there? Rakie was born in May 1968, making her 52-years-old. "[14] Ayola recalls having been daunted at the prospect of working alongside so many established names, but has said it was a "wonderful experience". Ayola describes herself as optimistic, cynical, lazy, naive [and] honest. 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. 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. 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