[38] In 2001, Ayola founded a production company and directed a short film entitled Persephone's Playground. 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. [3] She was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. Will, Jamie and Megan dont understand why their mum never talks about her past. 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. Christines an experienced social worker who is devoted to her family. Just three weeks after giving birth to Rakie she left her in the care of her cousin in Cardiff and his wife. The series begins after four employees decide to play a prank on their controlling boss. Llantwit Major. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. I love the fact that I get to play people who are much more articulate than I'll ever be". She could potentially return to the seaside town, so its not clear yet if Rakie Ayola will appear in the next series of Grace. Who plays Assistant Chief Constable Alison Vosper in ITV1s Grace? That introduced me to the very vibrant amateur scene in Cardiff; I auditioned for anything I was eligible for.. Period, aiming to provide affordable sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women.[40]. She is a member of famous Actress with the age 53 years old group. Ayola has also performed in Twelfth Night in the lead roles of both Olivia and Viola. Sharp-eyed viewers will remember that Rakie also appeared in The Pact season 1. 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 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. The Bafta-winning actor is returning to The Pact as a different character. Rakie says of her character: When we meet her thats the weight shes carrying the weight of having lost a child. View Jack. [] It left everyone very, very miserable, and very dispirited, and it made me angry. 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. "[39] In 2008, Ayola offered her support to the Action for Southern Africa campaign Dignity! BBC / Little Door (The Pact) / Warren Orchard, was diagnosed with incurable neurofibromatosis type one. The synopsis reads: "Grace is fixated by the disappearance of his beloved wife, Sandy, which haunts his thoughts. In her latest role, Ayola plays DS Holland, the senior detective investigating the death of Jack Holland. We need to stay relevant and creative, so lets take care of each other Rakie Ayola. From 7 February 2006 to 9 December 2008, Ayola starred in BBC medical drama Holby City as nurse Kyla Tyson. Grace is based on Peter James first two books, Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead and follows Detective Superintendent Roy Grace. The Pact series 2 ending explained after that almighty twist! She was approached about returning to the show in a more permanent role by BBC casting director Julie Harkin. . I liked that. "[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". 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. It wasnt some sort of reverential hands-off approach to what were presenting. She has also been cast in the film Dredd. Click to reveal For a full list of present characters, see list of characters from EastEnders . Rakie was born in May 1968, making her 52-years-old. She previously explained: I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasnt really ready to put down the character of Kyla. [47] Ayola has an interest in travel, and has visited Peru and Kenya among other destinations. They met again two years later, during a production of Twelfth Night, and went on to become a couple. The little girl in me went: Youve actually been dreaming about this for ever.. [] 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. Im not sure why because its so gorgeous.) This is Ayolas second outing in the series, having played an entirely different character, a detective investigating the death of a brewery manager, in the first season. 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. [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. She is getting on with life the way people do. [23] In 2009, Ayola starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. She appeared as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City from its eighth to eleventh series. The Pact series 2 ending explained after that almighty twist! Simon Beale [] 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. No Doubt 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. The 39-year-old, who has played the role of Kyla Tyson since February 2006, is to be. What actor wouldnt want to do this? Some people will feel for Christine, some people will loathe her.. 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. 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. 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. Rakie Ayola talks about attending her first BAFTA Awards and what it was like playing Gee Walker in Anthony. Born in Wales of Nigerian descent, actress Rakie Ayola is a familiar presence on British television. 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. It was something innovative from BBC Wales for a change. [15] In 1996, Ayola appeared at the National Theatre in Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. Ayola placed 17th in the awards in 2009. I learned later that he really didnt want me to get the job. Watching Barbra Streisand in Hello, Dolly on TV as a child made Rakie want to take up acting. Read on to find out why and to learn about her two characters past and present in The Pact. In 2008, she starred in the Doctor Who episode Midnight, playing an intergalactic Hostess alongside David Tennants Tenth Doctor. They met when acting together on stage in Hamlet. The mum-of-two went on to appear in episodes of Black Mirror, Stella and Silent Witness. 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. Rakie Ayola. The Pact series 2: Start date, whos in it and how many episodes are there? [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. Intense focus Rakie Ayola and Jordan Wilks in a scene from the forthcoming series of The Pact. Click to reveal Variety magazines David Rooney said of her performance: In the films most naturalistic turn, Ayola is a constant pleasure to watch. It's an unusual move, but, she says, having connected with a group of performers of colour who have her back, she's learned. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. They have virtual sleepovers where everyone gets a party pack and does facials, foot spas and all sorts, she said. 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. She is set to portray DS Holland, who is in charge of the investigation. In 2001, Ayola founded a production company and directed a short film entitled Persephones Playground. 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. 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. I love the fact that I get to play people who are much more articulate than Ill ever be. 173.236.136.90 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.. All those professionals whose work has just been thrown out - I hate that. But last summer I started thinking it would be really nice not to have to look for a job every couple of weeks. Rakie Olufunmilayo AyolaListen is a Welsh actress known for her work in theatre and television. It felt wrong to try to play that well when the woman who lived it was in the room.. 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). Ayola was born in London but raised by her mothers cousin in Wales. 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. Ayola has performed in Twelfth Night in the lead roles of both Olivia and Viola. She told the FT that her drama teacher and head of studies at college encouraged her passion for drama and love of Shakespeare. Ayola made her screen debut in 1993 and has since worked in many movies and TV series such as The I Inside, Sahara, Been So Long, Nightshift, Doctor Who, Black Mirror, Grace, to name a few. The story picks up 18 months after the death of her fourth child, Liam. 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. Shes one of those women. But behind her smile and no-nonsense manner is a web of secrets. [27], From 7 February 2006 to 9 December 2008, Ayola starred in BBC medical drama Holby City as nurse Kyla Tyson. 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. During a 1998 production of Hamlet, Ayola met her future husband, fellow actor Adam Smethurst son of Love Thy Neighbour star Jack Smethurst. This March, ITV is giving us another crime drama to get our teeth into. ", "Miriam-Teak Lee and Rakie Ayola win at Black British Theatre Awards", "Meet the Derry woman with stars in her eyes", "I was going potty before I joined Holby", "To be but not to be - the 'perfect' Hamlet pairing. Be the first to contribute! If you havent been nominated for a Bafta before 52 youre not meant to be nominated and take the Bafta home. [21] In 2008, she starred in the Doctor Who episode "Midnight", playing an intergalactic Hostess alongside David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. Speaking about the obligation that came with the role to the Evening Standard, Ayola said I was so nervous because [Gee] was there and I got quieter and quieter as we went on and got closer to the event [the killing]. She has spoken critically of the way the BBC treated the soap, moving it around the schedules and declining to commission a second series. 132.148.83.54 [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. Normally when youre nominated at 52, you were nominated also at 22 and 32. Shooting took place in the area between Cardiff and Port Talbot (Youre going west along beautiful coastline that rarely gets filmed. 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. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. Rakie Ayola was born on 11 May 1968 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. We're not going to tiptoe around Martha's disability or anything.' So, instead of bowing to this altar, theyve said, Okay, we have this family thats half-black, half-white, half-American, half-British. She states of this: Shakespeare keeps coming my way. 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. Rakie Ayola (Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayoola) was born on 1968-05- in Cardiff, is an Actress. Series 2: Meet the Characters View Series 2: Meet the Characters. She has a collection of Troll dolls which she keeps under her bath. [3] They met again two years later, during a production of Twelfth Night, and went on to become a couple. 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