Rakie Ayola

Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola, known professionally as Rakie Ayola, is a distinguished Welsh actress born on 11 May 1968 in Cardiff to a Sierra Leonean mother and Nigerian father, making her Yoruba by descent though she does not speak the language. Raised in the Ely district of Cardiff by her mother's cousin and his wife, she developed an early passion for performance after seeing Barbra Streisand in Hello, Dolly!, leading her to join the Orbit Youth Theatre, South Glamorgan Youth Theatre, and the National Youth Theatre of Wales before attending the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Before drama school, she worked selling jeans at Bessemer Road Market and later as a chambermaid while studying, landing her first professional role with the 'Made in Wales' theatre company six weeks before graduation. Her screen debut came in the 1993 film Great Moments in Aviation alongside Jonathan Pryce and John Hurt, followed by early television recognition as Bernie Roberts in the ITV series Soldier Soldier, while she simultaneously built a classical stage repertoire with Shakespearean productions including Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, and Macbeth.

Ayola achieved widespread recognition for her portrayal of nurse Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City from 2006 to 2008, a role she departed to welcome her second child after signing a three-year contract. In 2017, she joined the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as Hermione Granger, and has also appeared in feature films such as Dredd, Sahara, and Now Is Good, showcasing her versatility across genres. Her performance in the BBC drama Anthony earned her a BAFTA in 2021, alongside BAFTA Cymru wins for Anthony and The Pact, and a Black British Theatre Award for On Bear Ridge in 2020. Her advocacy focuses on challenging the glass ceiling for black actors and increasing visibility for Welsh characters of color in mainstream media, leading her to found her own production company in 2001 to produce the short film Persephone's Playground for Cannes. She later established Shanty Productions with her husband, actor Adam Smethurst, whom she married in 2004 and with whom she has two daughters. Made a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2003, Ayola continues to be celebrated for her contributions to British theatre and television, balancing her acclaimed career with her roles as a trustee for the Actors' Children's Trust and ambassador for Parents in Performing Arts.