Tansy has undergone extensive surgeries to treat neurofibramatosis type 1 (NF1) and Rakie is Patron of The Childhood Tumour trust. 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. Rakie Ayola. T 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. She states of this: Shakespeare keeps coming my way. In an interview with the publication she explained the kinds of events the charity puts on for children. [51], Ayola has undertaken the following roles from her screen and televisual debut in 1993, to the present day.[52][53]. [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. We have a mix of boys and girls, one character whos mixed-raced and deaf but were not going to be restrained by any of that. Throughout her career, Ayola has been outspoken on the subject of racial discrimination in the entertainment industry. 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 was born in May 1968, making her 52-years-old. ", "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? [11] She states of this: "Shakespeare keeps coming my way. [8] She went on to appear in Gone With the Wind sequel Scarlett,[7] and star in Welsh soap opera Tiger Bay. It would be nice just to stay put for a while. Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola (born May 1968) is a Welsh actress, best known for her role as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City. Series 1: Meet the Cast That was when, as confirmed by the BBC listings archive, Hello Dolly!, starring Barbra Streisand, was first broadcast in the UK, watched by a viewing audience that included an eight-year-old Ayola. 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. 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. To her, they were her parents, despite no paperwork to say why I was in their care. EastEnders (TV Series 1985-2022) - Rakie Ayola as Ms. French. 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. 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. TV lovers will recognise Rakie for her role in BBC medical drama Holby City as nurse Kyla Tyson. She has loved Streisand ever since, even writing to Jimll Fix It asking Jimmy Savile to arrange a meeting. It was my second home!, In her later years at school, when asked what she wanted to do for a living, she would say: I want to act. Her careers officer suggested she consider being a drama teacher instead. She left high school before sitting her A Levels in order to pursue her ambition of becoming an actress. [9] Ayola's first job was selling jeans on Bessemer Road Market in Cardiff. She previously explained: I made the decision purely because I was pregnant, but I wasnt really ready to put down the character of Kyla. Ayolas 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. Download 'Don't Speak' on iTunes. Ayola's heritage means she is Yoruba by descent, although she does not speak the language. HEIGHT : 5ft 5. Im very sorry to have to let her go.. Their second daughter, Shani, was born in January 2009. Rakie Ayola Wiki Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Family. But in her 50s, Ayola has found a confidence that she did not have in her 20s. Also learn how She earned most of networth at the age of 52 years old? [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. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. In 2001, she became a presenter of the BBC Wales arts programme Double Yellow, alongside poet Owen Sheers and performance artist Mark Rees. Movies. Indeed she is! Period, aiming to provide affordable sanitary protection to Zimbabwean women. 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. The Pact series 2: Start date, whos in it and how many episodes are there? For a full list of present characters, see list of characters from EastEnders. She began her professional career in classical theater, but by the early 1990s was . [7] Variety's David Rooney said of her performance: "In the film's most naturalistic turn, Ayola is a constant pleasure to watch. DS Holland heads up the investigation to unravel the conspiracy surrounding the death and if you recognise her then it its probably because shes been in some major British TV shows. I just burst into tears.. While her character is good at her job, shes not the stereotypical police officer. She is an actress and producer, known for Been So Long (2018), Twelfth Night (2018) and No Offence (2015). 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.. The Bafta-winning actor is returning to The Pact as a different character. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2003. 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. The little girl in me went: Youve actually been dreaming about this for ever.. 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. She pre-empts the confusion some might feel with her stepping into a different role within the same series, but explains how it happened. You suddenly realise youre doing exactly the thing they asked of you even though you didnt plan to. But the way the BBC axed it mid-series was unforgivable. Can you list the top facts and stats about Rakie Ayola? The 39-year-old, who has played the role of Kyla Tyson since February 2006, is to be. The Pact series 2 ending explained after that almighty twist! Ayola plays the character, DS Holland, and is appearing in a total of six episodes. The 90-minute film imagined how Anthonys life would have been if hed lived. Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola (born May 1968) is a Welsh actress, best known for her role as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City. She was cared for by her birth mothers cousin from Sierra Leone and his Welsh wife. On a trip to New York, she found the DVD in a shop. They met when acting together on stage in Hamlet. Rakie Ayola. 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. [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. She told the FT that her drama teacher and head of studies at college encouraged her passion for drama and love of Shakespeare. Are you watching The Pact series 2? [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. She first rose to prominence in the lead role of the 1993 Jeanette Winterson screenplay Great Moments in Aviation. 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. Rakie Ayolas income source is mostly from being a successful Actress. In 1996, Ayola appeared at the National Theatre in Helen Edmundsons adaptation of Leo Tolstoys War and Peace. The project, however, was largely unsuccessful, with Ayola stating: it just made me decide that if theres anything I dont want to do, its produce films, because Im rubbish at it. ", "Welsh homes: Ideal for luxuriating and relaxing", "Evil Genius 2: World Domination Emma Gameplay Trailer (Feat. Ayola has also performed in Twelfth Night in the lead roles of both Olivia and Viola. Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola (born May 1968) is a Welsh actress, best known for her role as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City. She appeared as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City from its eighth to eleventh series. [6], During a 1998 production of Hamlet, Ayola met her future husband, fellow actor Adam Smethurst son of Love Thy Neighbour star Jack Smethurst. For a full list of present characters, see list of characters from EastEnders . Trending: 17,487th This Week. In 2004, Rakie married fellow actor Adam Smethurst who has starred in TV dramas including Casualty and Marple and Lewis. The mum-of-two went on to appear in episodes of Black Mirror, Stella and Silent Witness. That introduced me to the very vibrant amateur scene in Cardiff; I auditioned for anything I was eligible for.. She has also worked in theatre, film and television, appearing in a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances. She had previously appeared in Holby Citys sister show Casualty, and had made an appearance in Holby Citys fifth series as patient Marianne Lawson. 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