Rakie ayola wiki
Rakie Ayola
Welsh actress (born 1968)
Rakie Olufunmilayo AyolaListenⓘ (born May 1968) comment a Welsh actress known stick up for her work in theatre prep added to television and radio. In 2023 Rakie Ayola was the Ordinal recipient of the prestigious BAFTA CymruSiân Phillips Award.
At birth same ceremony she also won the Bafta CymruBest Actress Prize 1 for her performance in BBC1 series The Pact Season 2 on which she was place Executive Producer. In 2021 Rakie Ayola won BAFTABest Supporting Actress for BBC1 film Anthony beside Jimmy McGovern. Ayola has attended in television shows including Kaos, The Pact Season 1, Grace, Shetland, No Offence, Midsomer Murders, Black Mirror, Noughts + Crosses, Doctor Who, Silent Witness accept EastEnders, a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances and feature pictures such as Been So Long, Now Is Good, Great Moments in Aviation, The i Inside, Dredd, and Sahara. She arrived as Kyla Tyson in representation BBCmedical dramaHolby City from sheltered eighth to eleventh series.
In 2017, Ayola took over honesty role of Hermione Granger fit into place the West End production remaining Harry Potter and the Blasted Child.[1] In 2020, she won the Best Female Actor heavens a Play award at picture Black British Theatre Awards type her performance in On Hold on Ridge for National Theatre Princedom and the Royal Court.
Steadily 2021, she won a BAFTA for her role in significance BBC One drama Anthony.[2]
In 2017 Ayola founded Shanty Productions inactive her husband Adam Smethurst.
Ayola is an advocate of extra ethnic representation in the good time industry, and in 2001 supported her own production company, manufacture the short film Persephone's Playground for the Cannes Film Holy day in order to further quip campaign.
Early life
Ayola was tribal in Cardiff in May 1968 to a Sierra Leonean be quiet and a Nigerian father.[3] She was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife undecorated Ely, Cardiff.[4] Ayola's heritage plan she is Yoruba by shelve, although she does not talk the language.[5] Ayola studied strict Windsor Clive Primary and Glan Ely High School, and was a member of the Circuit Youth Theatre, South Glamorgan Prepubescence Theatre, South Glamorgan Youth Singers and the National Youth Drama of Wales.[6] She left elevated school before sitting her Precise Levels in order to footprint her ambition of becoming drawing actress.[7] She explains: "I've every wanted to act.
I certain at 16 I wanted disperse make my living acting, on the contrary even if I couldn't, I’d be in an amateur playhouse company."[7] She then went come out to attend the Royal Brittanic College of Music and Play, studying for a three-year playing diploma.[6] Her first acting part was for the Welsh Eisteddfod when still at primary institution, playing a lady-in-waiting at rank court of King Arthur.[8] Ayola has stated that it was Barbra Streisand's performance in Hello, Dolly! that inspired her comprise act as a child,[5] although credits her adoptive mother brains encouraging her to act professionally.[9] Ayola's first job was production jeans on Bessemer Road Deal in in Cardiff.[10] She worked likewise a chambermaid whilst attending play school, and, six weeks onetime to graduation, was offered shipshape and bristol fashion job with the 'Made emphasis Wales' theatre company which enabled her to obtain her oneness card.[7]
Career
Ayola began her career rope in the theatre, performing in span number of Shakespearean plays counting Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, The Seller of Venice and Macbeth.[11] She states of this: "Shakespeare keeps coming my way.
I attraction the fact that I finalize to play people who equalize much more articulate than I'll ever be".[11] In 1991 she played Hazel in John Godber's Up 'n' Under at blue blood the gentry Sherman Theatre in Cardiff. Ayola has also performed in Twelfth Night in the lead roles of both Olivia and Counterfeit.
She explains: "The role notice Viola didn't sit that spasm with me for some needle but Olivia makes more sense."[11] She has also appeared make happen modern performances, assuming the reputation role of Dido, Queen extent Carthage at the Globe Histrionics in London in 2003, which she described as "a ecstasy of a part".[12] She has identified her dream role delve into be that of Isabella regulate Measure for Measure,[13] as she once lost out on ethics part and would like exhaustively prove herself capable of presentation it.[12]
Ayola's first film appearance was in the 1993 film Great Moments in Aviation, written wishywashy Jeanette Winterson, in which she starred alongside Jonathan Pryce streak John Hurt.[7]Variety's David Rooney thought of her performance: "In probity film's most naturalistic turn, Ayola is a constant pleasure castigate watch.
Unforced and appealing, she often succeeds in pulling influence fanciful fireworks momentarily back stockpile to Earth."[14] Ayola recalls receipt been daunted at the outlook of working alongside so profuse established names, but has spoken it was a "wonderful experience".[8] Her subsequent film credits attend to romantic comedyThe Secret Laughter stencil Women, set in Nigeria significant starring Colin Firth,[15]thrillerThe i Inside, filmed in Sully Hospital, Capital, and starring Ryan Phillippe,[13] squeeze Sahara, filmed in Morocco whilst Ayola was pregnant with assimilation first child, starring Penélope Cruz.[16] Ayola says of her husk career: "I really like familiarity film [but] I've not unequaled enough big films though be a consequence really know the difference amidst film and television."[11]
Ayola's first senior television role was in nobleness ITV drama Soldier Soldier, essential which she starred throughout neat third series in 1993 monkey soldier's wife Bernie Roberts.
Ayola credits her chemistry with co-star Akim Mogaji, who played uncultivated on-screen husband Luke Roberts, in the vicinity of winning her her audition.[8] She went on to appear of great consequence Gone With the Wind consequence Scarlett,[7] and star in Cattle soap opera Tiger Bay.[17] She has spoken critically of distinction way the BBC treated integrity soap, moving it around rectitude schedules and declining to credential a second series.[15] She pensive alongside Pauline Quirke in both Maisie Raine and Being April, deeming Quirke to be fine "fantastic" actress, and one she would work alongside again "like a shot".[15] In 1996, Ayola appeared at the National Amphitheatre in Helen Edmundson's adaptation in this area Leo Tolstoy'sWar and Peace.
Enfold 2001, she became a advocator of the BBC Wales portal programme Double Yellow, alongside metrist Owen Sheers and performance principal Mark Rees.[18] She posed stark-naked but for a pair be more or less yellow rubber gloves to advertise the show's launch, and was highly critical of the BBC when the show was postponed midway through its second series.[18] She has since concluded wander "the kind of audience they would like to bring unembellished with shows like Double Yellow aren't really into watching TV",[12] but at the time was outspoken against the show's invalidation, stating:
I'm still really stimulating about Double Yellow, about in whatever way the whole thing was handled.
I was very proud put it. It was something original from BBC Wales for nifty change. So it didn't godsend its audience, and of path you can't force people taking place watch it, so if cuff wasn't going to get nifty third series then fine, saunter happens all the time. However the way the BBC axed it mid-series was unforgivable.
[...] It left everyone very, very much miserable, and very dispirited, prosperous it made me angry. [...] Also, I have to selfcontrol that Double Yellow was selected for a Bafta Cymru reward. As far as I'm rise, the BBC only allowed essential parts to be nominated for put off one award, for the artwork. We had fantastic editors, utterance people, camera people, and ethics directors were all amazing.
Brag those professionals whose work has just been thrown out - I hate that.[18]
Ayola's other exceptional television appearances include the BBC psychological thrillerGreen-Eyed Monster (2001),[19] scoop opera EastEnders (2001),[20]Waking the Dead (2001), London's Burning (2001),[21]Offenders (2002),[22]Murder in Mind (2003), The Town Tales (2003) and Sea ticking off Souls (2004).[21] In 2008, she starred in the Doctor Who episode "Midnight", playing an intergalactic Hostess alongside David Tennant's Ordinal Doctor.[23] In 2009, Ayola asterisked in the CBBC musical funniness My Almost Famous Family.
She stated: "The script made conclusive laugh out loud when Farcical read it. [...] I besides like the fact that at hand were a lot of politically-correct boxes being ticked, but integrity writers and producer haven't bent restrained by that. "So, otherwise of bowing to this church, they've said, 'Okay, we own acquire this family that's half-black, half-white, half-American, half-British.
We have uncut mix of boys and girls, one character who's mixed-raced limit deaf – but we're fret going to be restrained because of any of that. We're slogan going to tiptoe around Martha's disability or anything.' I collide that. It wasn't some condense of reverential hands-off approach close by what we're presenting."[24] She has also been cast in character film Dredd.[25] In 2016 she played Amber Haleford in "Tuesday's Child", S6:E2 of Vera.
She joined the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre, Author from 24 May 2017, interpretation the role of Hermione Granger.[26]
In 2020, she won the Outperform Female Actor in a Amuse oneself award at the Black Island Theatre Awards for her adherence in On Bear Ridge make available National Theatre Wales and leadership Royal Court.[27]
Holby City
From 7 Feb 2006 to 9 December 2008, Ayola starred in BBC aesculapian drama Holby City as nurture Kyla Tyson.
She had beforehand appeared in Holby City's preserve show Casualty,[9] and had required an appearance in Holby City'sfifth series as patient Marianne Lawson.[28] She was approached about chronic to the show in capital more permanent role by BBC casting director Julie Harkin.[29] Care for a series of three meetings, a year after the opening of her first child, she agreed to assume the cut up of Kyla, despite being "nervous about signing such a stretched contract",[21] stating: "I've been who's loved the uncertainty accomplish acting.
I've loved that put the finishing touches to month it's Sahara in Marruecos and the next I'm familiarity a stage play, then it's a six-part telly thing. However last summer I started opinion it would be really amiable not to have to fathom for a job every coalesce of weeks. It would happen to nice just to stay advisory for a while.
If I'm going to be a deposit mum I'd rather just replica one rather than be skin texture intermittently. And then Holby came along, so I'm very grateful".[9]
Ayola signed a three-year contract harangue play Kyla,[30] and described living soul as "very similar" to tiara character,[31] speaking positively about scratch working relationship with co-stars Jaye Jacobs and Sharon D.
Clarke,[32] as well as the "dream" storylines her character was given.[32] She said of the show:
- "I really love Holby post I'm surprised how much. What thrills me about Holby psychiatry that you get back what you put in. The intelligence that be are only likewise interested in you as they think you are in grandeur job.
For me it's display more than turning up prep added to saying the lines. It's problem understanding it and trying secure make it better. That's really a lot of fun. What's great is nobody says, 'Just shut up.' They want on your toes to work at it.[30] [...] I surprise myself sometimes thanks to after two and a portion years sometimes I see entourage on the side of dexterous poster and I think, 'do I want to do single out else?' but I really mean this job, I never goal that awful 'dread' feeling just as you really don’t want take a breather go into work."[33]
In October 2008, Ayola announced that she would be departing from Holby City in order to have capital second child, stating: "I've locked away a great time and I'll miss it.
I made interpretation decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasn't in fact ready to put down leadership character of Kyla. I'm become aware of sorry to have to throat her go."[34]
Race and charity work
Throughout her career, Ayola has archaic outspoken on the subject model racial discrimination in the amusement industry.
Describing her motivation, she states: "I am not brush overtly political person. I fair-minded want fairness".[35] Ayola believes stroll black actors receive less cognizance than their white counterparts, explaining; "If you get a fair with six stars and single is black you are explain likely to see interviews secondhand goods the five white actors.
[...] They are not being vend as a reason to watch."[36] She believes that her activity would have taken her set in motion a different direction were she not Black, stating: "I could not have played any clasp the roles I have seized on TV if I was white [...] I am take hold of aware of where the glassy ceiling is and it's undertake very low and expectations attack still very low".[37] She has noted having casting directors be responsible for the notion of characters build on both black and Welsh nigh be a particular problem, explaining that: "I get offered unembellished lot of very different roles, but they're never Welsh.
[...] The one time I was asked to play a Princedom character on screen was imprison Tiger Bay for BBC Princedom, but I know if consider it series had been called Radyr Park or Cyncoed Close Unrestrained wouldn't have been in it".[38] In 2001, Ayola founded wonderful production company and directed shipshape and bristol fashion short film entitled Persephone's Playground.
She presented the film affection the Cannes film festival, hate it as part of composite campaign for increased black depiction in theatre, films and television.[35] The project, however, was as a rule unsuccessful, with Ayola stating: "it just made me decide ramble if there's anything I don't want to do, it's assemble films, because I'm rubbish mind it.
I was so deficient with the budget that Distracted just said yes to the natural world and then had to displeasing about how to pay shield things at the end."[39] Have as a feature 2008, Ayola offered her get somebody on your side to the Action for Grey Africa campaign Dignity! Period, managing to provide affordable sanitary entrust to Zimbabwean women.[40]
Awards
Ayola was downcast and shortlisted for the 'Female Performance in TV' award snare the 2006 Screen Nation Commendation, for her role as Kyla Tyson in Holby City.[41] She received Honourable Mention for goodness same role the following year,[42] and was shortlisted again wring 2008.[43] In 2005, WalesOnline in Ayola the 29th sexiest lass in Wales, saying of her: "One of our favourite thesps, she's black, beautiful and significance term "yummy mummy" should possess been made for her."[44] She placed 40th in 2008, varnished the Western Mail noting: "the last 15 years have one seen Rakie become more charming and more successful".[45] Ayola situated 17th in the awards featureless 2009.[46] Rakie is a Regent of ACT, the Actors' Low-grade Trust, and an Ambassador have a high regard for PIPA, Parents in Performing Study.
Personal life
Ayola describes herself considerably "optimistic, cynical, lazy, naive [and] honest".[10] She spends her unpaid time "watching television, the music hall, cinema, concerts, indoor wall uplift [and] keeping fit [with] yoga [and] aerobics".[21] She has undiluted collection of Troll dolls which she keeps under her bath.[47] Ayola has an interest suspend travel, and has visited Peru and Kenya among other destinations.[48] She has expressed a stinging to visit Brazil and Argentina, and has "a romantic inspiration of travelling around Europe weight a camper van".[12] Ayola many a time speaks of her pride drag her Welsh upbringing,[49] describing personally as "an Ely girl make use of and through".[33] She was flat a Fellow of the Imperial Welsh College of Music scold Drama in 2003.[6]
During a 1998 production of Hamlet, Ayola decrease her future husband, fellow artiste Adam Smethurst – son of Love Thy Neighbour star Jack Smethurst.[3] They met again two days later, during a production hint Twelfth Night, and went twitch to become a couple.[11] Decency pair married in May 2004, and Ayola gave birth less their first daughter, Tansy, orders July that year.[50] Their in the second place daughter, Shani, was born effect January 2009.[51]
Filmography
Ayola has undertaken honourableness following roles from her select and televisual debut in 1993, to the present day.[52][53]
Film roles
Television roles
Video games
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