[12] She has identified her dream role to be that of Isabella in Measure for Measure,[13] as she once lost out on the part and would like to prove herself capable of playing it. Learn How rich is She in this year and how She spends money? The actress stars in The Pact series 2 as the matriarch of the Rees family. Rakie was born in May 1968, making her 52-years-old. She is married to Adam Smethurst. 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. Take a visual walk through their career and see 2 images of the characters they've voiced. In an interview with the publication she explained the kinds of events the charity puts on for children. [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. It was something innovative from BBC Wales for a change. Rakie explains: The writer, Pete McTighe, and I were in the early stages of another project. 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. 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. She stated: "The script made me laugh out loud when I read it. The 90-minute film imagined how Anthonys life would have been if hed lived. 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. 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). 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. They have virtual sleepovers where everyone gets a party pack and does facials, foot spas and all sorts, she said. 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. It felt wrong to try to play that well when the woman who lived it was in the room.. If you havent been nominated for a Bafta before 52 youre not meant to be nominated and take the Bafta home. 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. Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix. 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) 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. [45] Ayola placed 17th in the awards in 2009. She has three grown-up children: Will (Lloyd Everitt); Jamie (Aaron Anthony); Megan (Mali Ann Rees). Describing her motivation, she states: I am not an overtly political person. [21] She has a collection of Troll dolls which she keeps under her bath. [7], Ayola began her career in the theatre, performing in a number of Shakespearean plays including Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth. [11] The pair married in May 2004, and Ayola gave birth to their first daughter, Tansy, in July that year. Throughout her career, Ayola has been outspoken on the subject of racial discrimination in the entertainment industry. 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. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. She was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in Ely, Cardiff. 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. In the same year, she also starred as Prime Minister Opal Folami in BBC drama Noughts and Crosses. Rakie Ayola in The Pact series 2 was in series 1 as different character! 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. So, who is Rakie Ayola and what might you have seen her in? She has loved Streisand ever since, even writing to Jimll Fix It asking Jimmy Savile to arrange a meeting. Rakie, who is 54, grew up on a council estate in Cardiff. 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. So, instead of bowing to this altar, theyve said, Okay, we have this family thats half-black, half-white, half-American, half-British. Shes also played one-off roles in Black Mirror and Doctor Who. I really got on with the writer of The Pact, Pete McTighe: wed been doing video calls, talking about working together. "[34], Throughout her career, Ayola has been outspoken on the subject of racial discrimination in the entertainment industry. In the first series, which saw a group of women dump their evil bosss body in the woods, Rakie played DS Holland. But behind her smile and no-nonsense manner is a web of secrets. I just burst into tears.. 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! Who plays ACC Vosper in ITV's Grace and what has she been in before? They have two daughters, Tansy and Shani, born in 2004 and 2009. Ayola credits her chemistry with co-star Akim Mogaji, who played her on-screen husband Luke Roberts, for winning her her audition. In 2017, Ayola took over the role of Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. [47] Ayola has an interest in travel, and has visited Peru and Kenya among other destinations. Currently taking BBC One by storm - episodes 5 and 6 air next . Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. They have two children. Louie. Ayola was born in Cardiff in May 1968 to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father. The Pact actress Rakie Ayola has opened up about the possibility of a second season. View Jack. 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 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. She went on to play troubled nurse Kyla Tyson in Holby City from 2006-8, who endured domestic violence and alcoholism. Download 'Don't Speak' on iTunes. Menu. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. Ayola also took on the formidable role of Prime Minister Opal Folami in BBCs Noughts and Crosses. See also Release Dates | Official Sites | Company Credits | Filming & Production | Technical Specs I got no response, which is probably a good thing., After her secondary school drama teacher told Ayolas adoptive mother one hour a week of drama is not enough for this child, mother and daughter would drive to Orbit youth theatre in Cardiff every Saturday. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Contents: 2020s: 2023 2022 2021 2020 2010s: 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. While her character is good at her job, shes not the stereotypical police officer. He felt I was too dark. The film was not released for two years, then went straight to TV in the UK and straight to DVD in the US. [37] 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 they're never Welsh. 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. She spends her free time watching television, the theatre, cinema, concerts, indoor wall climbing [and] keeping fit [with] yoga [and] aerobics. [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. 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. She pre-empts the confusion some might feel with her stepping into a different role within the same series, but explains how it happened. 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. [23] In 2009, Ayola starred in the CBBC musical comedy My Almost Famous Family. And then he came back with The Pact series two and said we want you to play the lead and have an exec producer role. ", "Welsh homes: Ideal for luxuriating and relaxing", "Evil Genius 2: World Domination Emma Gameplay Trailer (Feat. 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. The only way to get a look behind the scenes of our brand new magazine, Saturday. Rakie Ayola, a Welsh actress best known for her roles in Grace, Black Mirror, Noughts + Crosses and Doctor Who. You suddenly realise youre doing exactly the thing they asked of you even though you didnt plan to. The mum-of-two went on to appear in episodes of Black Mirror, Stella and Silent Witness. 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. She was cared for by her birth mothers cousin from Sierra Leone and his Welsh wife. No Doubt She has also worked in theatre, film and television, appearing in a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances. 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. [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 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.. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. [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. Are you watching The Pact series 2? In an interview with the publication she said, My drama teacher took me to youth theatre. This is a list of characters from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. Period, aiming to provide affordable sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women.[40]. [3] They met again two years later, during a production of Twelfth Night, and went on to become a couple. Period, aiming to provide affordable sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women. At 53 years old, Rakie Ayola height is 1.65m . Ayola describes herself as "optimistic, cynical, lazy, naive [and] honest". It would be nice just to stay put for a while. The little girl in me went: Youve actually been dreaming about this for ever.. She stated: The script made me laugh out loud when I read it. [8] Ayola has stated that it was Barbra Streisand's performance in Hello, Dolly! [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. CREDITS. Christines an experienced social worker who is devoted to her family. subscribe to BAFTA https://youtube.com/user/BA. A BBC Breakfast host has caused a stir with Twitter users after suggesting that some people would describe the characters in BBC drama The Pact as a "woke . Were not going to tiptoe around Marthas disability or anything. I liked that. Rakie Ayola is a voice actor known for voicing Zalika. [38] In 2001, Ayola founded a production company and directed a short film entitled Persephone's Playground. Ayola began her career in the theatre, performing in a number of Shakespearean plays including Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth. Dark family secrets, a mysterious death, and friends sworn to silence, new BBC thriller The Pact has all this and more. Rakie Olufunmilayo AyolaListen (born May 1968) is a Welsh actress known for her work in theatre and television. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. And then Holby came along, so I'm very grateful".[9]. The pair married in May 2004, and Ayola gave birth to their first daughter, Tansy, in July that year. Whats happened to us all, professionally and creatively, since, is not at all what was meant to happen, she says. Then The Pact was recommissioned (for another series) so I thought I wouldnt hear from him for a year! The Pact premiered on May 17 on BBC One at 9 p.m. You can watch it on catchup on BBC iPlayer. I just want fairness. Rakie Ayola also starred in one of 2020s most heart-rending TV shows. Click to reveal [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. 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