Rakie Ayola
Known for Acting · 47 credits
- Born
- 1968-05-11 (age 58)
- Place of birth
- Cardiff, Wales, UK
- Also known as
- Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola
Biography
Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola is a Welsh actress.
She was born in Cardiff in May 1968, to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father, and was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in the Ely district of the city.
She studied at 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.
She went on to attend the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying for a three-year acting diploma. In 2023 Rakie Ayola was the 18th recipient of the prestigious BAFTA Cymru Siân Phillips Award. At the same ceremony she also won the Bafta Cymru Best Actress Award for her performance in BBC1 series The Pact Season 2 on which she was an Executive Producer. In 2021 Rakie Ayola won BAFTA Best Supporting Actress for BBC1 film Anthony by Jimmy McGovern. Ayola has appeared in television shows including Kaos, The Pact Season 1, Grace, Shetland, No Offence, Midsomer Murders, Black Mirror, Noughts + Crosses, Doctor Who, Silent Witness and EastEnders, a number of Shakespearean theatrical performances and feature films such as Been So Long, Now Is Good, Great Moments in Aviation, The i Inside, Dredd, and Sahara. She appeared as Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama Holby City from its eighth to eleventh series.
Known For
TV Shows (29)
Ready, Steady, Cook
1994
as Self - Guest
Doctor Who
2005
as Hostess
Midsomer Murders
1997
as Alice Winning
Holby City
1999
as Kyla Tyson
Question Time
1979
as Self - Panellist
Black Mirror
2011
as Shelly
Vera
2011
as Amber Haleford
Shetland
2013
as Olivia Lennox
Screen Two
1985
as Gabriel Angel
Waking the Dead
2001
as Pauline
Soldier Soldier
1991
as Bernie Roberts
Alex Rider
2020
as Jo Byrne
Murder in Mind
2001
as Cally
Grace
2021
as ACC Alison Vosper
No Offence
2015
as Nora Attah
KAOS
2024
as Persephone
Flowers
2016
as Morag
Canterbury Tales
2003
as Nicky Constable
Scarlett
1994
as Pansy
Being April
2002
as Taneshia
Sea of Souls
2004
as Yemi
Falling
2026
as Muriel
The Pact
2021
as DS Holland / Christine Rees
Maisie Raine
1998
as D.C. Helen Tomlin
Saving Lives in Cardiff
2024
as Self - Narrator
Bargain Hunt Famous Finds
2008
Code of a Killer
2015
as Helena Adarkwa
My Almost Famous Family
2009
as Shalondra
Nightshift
1993
Movies (18)
Dredd
2012
as Chief Judge
Sahara
2005
as Mrs. Nwokolo
Now Is Good
2012
as Phillippa
Brexit: The Uncivil War
2019
as Camilla
Bad Apples
2026
as Sylvia
The I Inside
2004
as Nurse Clayton
Great Moments in Aviation
1994
as Gabriel Angel
Hope Is Lost
2025
as Hope (voice)
National Theatre at Home: The Authenticator
2026
as Abi
Been So Long
2018
as Martina
Under Milk Wood
2014
as Voice
Mothers, Missiles and the American President
2021
as Narrator
The Secret Laughter of Women
1999
as Talking Drum
King Lear
2016
as Goneril
Black Church Bay
Hedgehog
as Consultant
Anthony
2020
as Gee Walker
Diamond Sky
2025
as Suzzane Kirk
About Rakie Ayola
Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola is a Welsh actress. She was born in Cardiff in May 1968, to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father, and was raised by her mother's cousin and his wife in the Ely district of the city. She studied at 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. She went on to attend the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, studying for a three-year acting diploma. In 2023 Rakie Ayola was the 18th recipient… With 47 credits spanning from 1979 to 2026, Rakie Ayola has appeared in 18 films and 29 TV shows.
Fans searching for Rakie Ayola movies, Rakie Ayola filmography, or the latest projects starring Rakie Ayola can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Rakie Ayola Movies
- Dredd (2012) — as Chief Judge
- Sahara (2005) — as Mrs. Nwokolo
- Now Is Good (2012) — as Phillippa
- Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019) — as Camilla
- Bad Apples (2026) — as Sylvia
Where to Watch Rakie Ayola Films
Most Rakie Ayola movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Rakie Ayola, check our movies catalogue and browse page.