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. Home . "[44] She placed 40th in 2008, with the Western Mail noting: "the last 15 years have only seen Rakie become more beautiful and more successful". 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. that inspired her to act as a child,[5] though credits her adoptive mother with encouraging her to act professionally. [51], Ayola has undertaken the following roles from her screen and televisual debut in 1993, to the present day.[52][53]. Ayola has also performed in Twelfth Night in the lead roles of both Olivia and Viola. 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. [23] In 2009, Ayola starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. The actress stars in The Pact series 2 as the matriarch of the Rees family. A local reverend, Bob Morgan, allowed them to make use of his church hall for rehearsals. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. But I had this dramatic vein, so leaned into that.. This dramatic vein pulses in her role in the upcoming second series of The Pact. Period, aiming to provide affordable sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women. The only way to get a look behind the scenes of our brand new magazine, Saturday. Between 2003 and 2008 she starred in Holby City and played Olivia Lennox in season five of Shetland. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 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. Born in Wales of Nigerian descent, actress Rakie Ayola is a familiar presence on British television. The actress first rose to fame when she bagged the lead of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. CHILDREN : Two daughters, Tansy (b.2004) and Shani (b.2009) FAMILY : Her mother, from Sierra Leone, was the second wife of a wealthy Nigerian. Rakie quit Holby when she was pregnant with her second daughter. ", "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? The story picks up 18 months after the death of her fourth child, Liam. Ayola was born in Cardiff, Wales in May 1968, to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father. Who plays ACC Vosper in ITV's Grace and what has she been in before? Ive loved that one month its Sahara in Morocco and the next Im doing a stage play, then its a six-part telly thing. 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. You suddenly realise youre doing exactly the thing they asked of you even though you didnt plan to. So, instead of bowing to this altar, theyve said, Okay, we have this family thats half-black, half-white, half-American, half-British. In 2004, Rakie married fellow actor Adam Smethurst who has starred in TV dramas including Casualty and Marple and Lewis. Season 1 aired in 2020 and was met with rave reviews. Rakie Ayola. She is a member of famous Actress with the age 53 years old group. . [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. I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasn't really ready to put down the character of Kyla. 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. Be the first to contribute! 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. Download 'Don't Speak' on iTunes. 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). #Rakie #Ayola #Wiki Biography #Age #Height #Husband #Net #Worth #Family, 20162022 Characters Wiki Copyright all rights reserved, Brid Brennan Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Family, Sarah-Jane Dias Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Family, Stella Morandy Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Family, Minnie Pearl Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Family, Rakie Ayola Height, Weight & Measurements. 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. 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 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. Llantwit Major. 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. Kyla Tyson is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Rakie Ayola. [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. [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. Simon Beale See also Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs In 2021, she won a BAFTA for her role in the BBC One drama Anthony.[2]. 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. Tansy has undergone extensive surgeries to treat neurofibramatosis type 1 (NF1) and Rakie is Patron of The Childhood Tumour trust. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. Rakie Ayola stars as Christine in the cast of The Pact series 2. 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. Rakie Ayola Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Family. I really got on with the writer of The Pact, Pete McTighe: wed been doing video calls, talking about working together. I was very proud of it. How old is Rakie Ayola? Series 1: Meet the Cast So why is she back in the new role? At 53 years old, Rakie Ayola height is 1.65m . "Noma Dumezweni on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child's next steps", "Bafta Television Awards 2021: The main nominations", "I thought I was diabetic - but I was pregnant", "BBC - Press Office - Sea of Souls Rakie Ayola", "Education: Actress honoured with fellowship", "BBC Online - Just the Job - Take it from me", "Interview: Rakie's lesson one: Fake blood just sticks to the cotton wool", "He m@il She m@il; Rakie Ayola answers your questions", "To be but not to be - the 'perfect' Hamlet pairing", "My Axed Show Anger - Star Rakie blasts Beeb", "Sexy brief's soap role fits like a glove", "I was just a baby but mum left me behind; TV sitcom star Rakie Ayola on her traumatic childhood", "CBBC's new musical comedy My Almost Famous Family: Rakie Ayola is mum and diva Shalondra", "Motherhood leaves Rakie with nothing to Dredd from acting", "Who are the new Harry Potter and the Cursed Child cast? In 2021, she won a BAFTA for her role in the BBC One drama Anthony.[2]. 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: 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. Jack played Eddie Booth in popular 70s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour. She is getting on with life the way people do. Christine's an experienced social worker who is devoted. Shes one of those women. 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. The little girl in me went: Youve actually been dreaming about this for ever.. Rakie Ayola as new character Christine in The Pact series 2 The actress stars in The Pact series 2 as the matriarch of the Rees family. But she is bearing. The Pact premiered on May 17 on BBC One at 9 p.m. You can watch it on catchup on BBC iPlayer. 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. [] Also, I have to say that Double Yellow was nominated for a Bafta Cymru award. 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. If I'm going to be a working mum I'd rather just be one rather than be one intermittently. [] I also like the fact that there were a lot of politically-correct boxes being ticked, but the writers and producer havent been restrained by that. Ayolas first job was selling jeans on Bessemer Road Market in Cardiff. [] They are not being sold as a reason to watch. 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.. That was when, as confirmed by the BBC listings. Rakie Ayola is an actress appearing in the BCC's TV Program, The Pact. I'm very sorry to have to let her go.". But behind her smile and no-nonsense manner is a web of secrets. In 2017, Rakie took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I liked that. The drama was based on the real-life 2005 murder of Anthony Walker in a racist attack in Liverpool. subscribe to BAFTA https://youtube.com/user/BA. She left high school before sitting her A Levels in order to pursue her ambition of becoming an actress. It wasn't some sort of reverential hands-off approach to what we're presenting. Im very sorry to have to let her go.. I just want fairness. She went on to appear in Gone With the Wind sequel Scarlett, and star in Welsh soap opera Tiger Bay. For a full list of present characters, see list of characters from EastEnders . Rakie Ayola was born on 11 May 1968 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. Christines an experienced social worker who is devoted to her family. 22 48 1,389 Show this thread Rakie Ayola Still Menopausal @RakieAyola [45] Ayola placed 17th in the awards in 2009. 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. We have estimated Rakie Ayolas net worth, money, salary, income, and assets. [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. Ayola was born in Cardiff, Wales in May 1968, to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father. In 2017, Ayola took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. She explains: "The role of Viola didn't sit that well with me for some reason but Olivia makes more sense. She told the FT that her drama teacher and head of studies at college encouraged her passion for drama and love of Shakespeare. 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. She was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. Adam Smethurst, with whom she has two daughters. HEIGHT : 5ft 5. If you havent been nominated for a Bafta before 52 youre not meant to be nominated and take the Bafta home. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Rakie Ayola is a voice actor known for voicing Zalika. She has identified her dream role to be that of Isabella in Measure for Measure, as she once lost out on the part and would like to prove herself capable of playing it. Her new character, Christine, has no connection at all to DS Holland. Ayola credits her chemistry with co-star Akim Mogaji, who played her on-screen husband Luke Roberts, for winning her her audition. Take a visual walk through their career and see 2 images of the characters they've voiced. The show's writer Pete has spoken about the importance of the location. Rakie Ayola also starred in one of 2020s most heart-rending TV shows. Dark family secrets, a mysterious death, and friends sworn to silence, new BBC thriller The Pact has all this and more. This industry has never been easy for Ayola; her transition from Cardiff to London had in some ways mired her career. The mum-of-two went on to appear in episodes of Black Mirror, Stella and Silent Witness. [48] She has expressed a desire to visit Brazil and Argentina, and has "a romantic notion of travelling around Europe in a camper van". But it was 2021 which really propelled Rakie to fame. Ayola was born in London but raised by her mothers cousin in Wales. Wikiwand is the world's leading Wikipedia reader for web and mobile. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. [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 first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. Unforced and appealing, she often succeeds in pulling the fanciful fireworks momentarily back down to Earth. 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. 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! Ayolas other notable television appearances include the BBC psychological thriller Green-Eyed Monster (2001), soap opera EastEnders (2001), Waking the Dead (2001), Londons Burning (2001), Offenders (2002), Murder in Mind (2003), The Canterbury Tales (2003) and Sea of Souls (2004). TV lovers will recognise Rakie for her role in BBC medical drama Holby City as nurse Kyla Tyson. She previously explained: I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasnt really ready to put down the character of Kyla. Christine is the matriarch of the Rees family. I was so bad with the budget that I just said yes to everything and then had to worry about how to pay for things at the end. 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. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. 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. 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. The Pact airs later this month on BBC One. Shawn Fonteno Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family, David Brisbin Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family, Del Armstrong Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family, Anel Lopez Gorham Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Family. Rakie is a Trustee of ACT, the Actors' Children's Trust, and an Ambassador of PIPA, Parents in Performing Arts. Rakie is a Trustee of ACT, the Actors Childrens Trust, and an Ambassador of PIPA, Parents in Performing Arts. 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 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. 132.148.83.54 The Pact series 2: Whos in the cast of the returning drama opposite Rakie Ayola? That was really interesting to play.. In 2001, she became a presenter of the BBC Wales arts programme Double Yellow, alongside poet Owen Sheers and performance artist Mark Rees. 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.