Unforced and appealing, she often succeeds in pulling the fanciful fireworks momentarily back down to Earth. In her latest role, Ayola plays DS Holland, the senior detective investigating the death of Jack Holland. The Pact premiered on May 17 on BBC One at 9 p.m. You can watch it on catchup on BBC iPlayer. The actress stars in The Pact series 2 as the matriarch of the Rees family. 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. [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. 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. 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. When shes not acting Ayola spends a lot of time advocating for the Childhood Tumour Trust (CTT). For a full list of present characters, see list of characters from 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. I love the fact that I get to play people who are much more articulate than I'll ever be". The Pact airs later this month on BBC One. In 2001, Ayola founded a production company and directed a short film entitled Persephones Playground. Ayola often speaks of her pride in her Welsh upbringing, describing herself as an Ely girl through and through. After graduating, Ayola starred in Soldier, Soldier, Maisie Raine, and Eastenders. In 1996, Ayola appeared at the National Theatre in Helen Edmundsons adaptation of Leo Tolstoys War and Peace. She stated: "The script made me laugh out loud when I read it. 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. [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]. She appeared as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City from its eighth to eleventh series. She has also worked in theatre, film and television, appearing in a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances. Rakie Ayola (Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayoola) was born on 1968-05- in Cardiff, is an Actress. Llantwit Major. [8] Ayola has stated that it was Barbra Streisand's performance in Hello, Dolly! 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. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. [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. ", "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? If I'm going to be a working mum I'd rather just be one rather than be one intermittently. Rakie explains: The writer, Pete McTighe, and I were in the early stages of another project. 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. 22 May 2021. From 7 February 2006 to 9 December 2008, Ayola starred in BBC medical drama Holby City as nurse Kyla Tyson. 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. 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. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. She could potentially return to the seaside town, so its not clear yet if Rakie Ayola will appear in the next series of Grace. The Bafta-winning actor is returning to The Pact as a different character. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. It wasnt some sort of reverential hands-off approach to what were presenting. She has also been cast in the film Dredd. Rakie is a Trustee of ACT, the Actors Childrens Trust, and an Ambassador of PIPA, Parents in Performing Arts. The only way to get a look behind the scenes of our brand new magazine, Saturday. Ayola. Home . Variety magazines David Rooney said of her performance: In the films most naturalistic turn, Ayola is a constant pleasure to watch. She appeared as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical . Contents: 2020s: 2023 2022 2021 2020 2010s: 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 [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". It felt wrong to try to play that well when the woman who lived it was in the room.. 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) Kyla Tyson is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actress Rakie Ayola. The show's writer Pete has spoken about the importance of the location. I'm very sorry to have to let her go. 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. Rakie has had roles in Shetland, Silent Witness, Midsomer Murders and No Offence, as well as Hollywood films The i Inside and Sahara. 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. Rakie, who is 54, grew up on a council estate in Cardiff. 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. [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 2009, Ayola starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. Ayola has also performed in Twelfth Night in the lead roles of both Olivia and Viola. [3] She was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. 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. 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. Having formed a support group of Black female actors over the years, she now feels able to imagine more. 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. 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. Then The Pact was recommissioned (for another series) so I thought I wouldnt hear from him for a year! Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1897491aba2042 Ayolas first job was selling jeans on Bessemer Road Market in Cardiff. [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. [33] She was made a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2003. Take a visual walk through their career and see 2 images of the characters they've voiced. The mum-of-two went on to appear in episodes of Black Mirror, Stella and Silent Witness. Yes, eagle-eyed viewers, Rakie Ayola was also in The Pact series 1 playing 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. Period, aiming to provide affordable sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women. 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! 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 one time I was asked to play a Welsh character on screen was in Tiger Bay for BBC Wales, but I know if that series had been called Radyr Park or Cyncoed Close I wouldnt have been in it. The Pact series 2 episode 5 review - five things we want to know [Spoilers] The Pact series 2 episode 4 review: five . "[14] Ayola recalls having been daunted at the prospect of working alongside so many established names, but has said it was a "wonderful experience". In 2006, Ayola was shortlisted for the Female Performance in TV award in the Screen Nation Awards, receiving Honourable Mention in the same category in 2007, and a further shortlisted nomination in 2008. But she is bearing. Ayola plays the character, DS Holland, and is appearing in a total of six episodes. She acted in William Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest," at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in Birmingham, England with Jeffery Kissoon, Richard McCabe, Ginny Holder, Daniel Isaacs, Tony Armatrading, and Geoffrey Freshwater in the cast. [45] Ayola placed 17th in the awards in 2009. Bill Alexander was director. In 2021, she won a BAFTA for her role in the BBC One drama Anthony.[2]. 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 previously explained: I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasnt really ready to put down the character of Kyla. 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. Rakie Olufunmilayo AyolaListen (born May 1968) is a Welsh actress known for her work in theatre and television. EastEnders (TV Series 1985-2022) - Rakie Ayola as Ms. French. Holby star Rakie Ayola. Wikiwand is the world's leading Wikipedia reader for web and mobile. In 2001, Rakie appeared in EastEnders as teacher Miss French. She began her professional career in classical theater, but by the early 1990s was . Rakie Olufunmilayo AyolaListen (born May 1968) is a Welsh actress known for her work in theatre and television. Jack played Eddie Booth in popular 70s sitcom Love Thy Neighbour. [21] She has a collection of Troll dolls which she keeps under her bath. Ayola was born in Cardiff in May 1968 to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father. They met when acting together on stage in Hamlet. [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. Download 'Don't Speak' on iTunes. 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 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. Rakie Olufunmilayo AyolaListen is a Welsh actress known for her work in theatre and television. Ayola's heritage means she is Yoruba by descent, although she does not speak the language. [28] She was approached about returning to the show in a more permanent role by BBC casting director Julie Harkin. She was the lead copper investigating his death. We had fantastic editors, sound people, camera people, and the directors were all amazing. She was cared for by her birth mothers cousin from Sierra Leone and his Welsh wife. Ive loved that one month its Sahara in Morocco and the next Im doing a stage play, then its a six-part telly thing. In 2017, Rakie took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. TV lovers will recognise Rakie for her role in BBC medical drama Holby City as nurse Kyla Tyson. 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. Menu. [35] 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. 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. "[34], Throughout her career, Ayola has been outspoken on the subject of racial discrimination in the entertainment industry. In 2017, Ayola took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasn't really ready to put down the character of Kyla. Rakie Ayola, a Welsh actress best known for her roles in Grace, Black Mirror, Noughts + Crosses and Doctor Who. 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. . She has expressed a desire to visit Brazil and Argentina, and has a romantic notion of travelling around Europe in a camper van. #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. The Bafta-winning actor is returning to The Pact as a different character. She appeared as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City from its eighth to eleventh series. [11] She states of this: "Shakespeare keeps coming my way. She has spoken critically of the way the BBC treated the soap, moving it around the schedules and declining to commission a second series. [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. 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. We're not going to tiptoe around Martha's disability or anything.' [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. [27], From 7 February 2006 to 9 December 2008, Ayola starred in BBC medical drama Holby City as nurse Kyla Tyson. 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. She received Honourable Mention for the same role the following year, and was shortlisted again in 2008. that inspired her to act as a child,[5] though credits her adoptive mother with encouraging her to act professionally. [38] In 2001, Ayola founded a production company and directed a short film entitled Persephone's Playground. She has loved Streisand ever since, even writing to Jimll Fix It asking Jimmy Savile to arrange a meeting. That was when, as confirmed by the BBC listings. Played by Aneurin Barnard. Between 2003 and 2008 she starred in Holby City and played Olivia Lennox in season five of Shetland. Whats happened to us all, professionally and creatively, since, is not at all what was meant to happen, she says. I decided at 16 I wanted to make my living acting, but even if I couldn't, Id be in an amateur theatre company. Dark family secrets, a mysterious death, and friends sworn to silence, new BBC thriller The Pact has all this and more. Normally when youre nominated at 52, you were nominated also at 22 and 32. I really got on with the writer of The Pact, Pete McTighe: wed been doing video calls, talking about working together. [7] She explains: "I've always wanted to act. Describing her motivation, she states: I am not an overtly political person. This March, ITV is giving us another crime drama to get our teeth into. By Dan Seddon and Abby Robinson. With her Bafta for best supporting actress for BBC Ones Anthony. In July last year, Ayola played Gee Walker in BBC Ones TV movie Anthony. 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. She was raised by her mothers cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. All this and more director Julie Harkin as an Ely girl through and through cousin from Leone. Tumour Trust ( CTT ) popular 70s sitcom love Thy Neighbour council in... 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In her Welsh upbringing, describing herself as an Ely girl through and through entertainment industry mum I rather.