
Age: 58
female
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.

Rakie Ayola

Katherine Simms
for Katherine Simms in Bride and Prejudice: A New Beginning
Suggested by mr95

Following the events of "Bride and Prejudice," Lalita and Darcy are happily married and living in London. However, their marriage is tested when they receive news that Lalita's younger sister, Lakshmi, is planning to marry a British man named Henry Simms. Lalita is thrilled for her sister, but Darcy is skeptical of the young man's intentions. Having experienced their own cultural differences and prejudices, Lalita and Darcy fear that Lakshmi and Henry may face similar challenges in their relationship. As the wedding plans begin, tensions rise between the two families, with Henry's mother disapproving of the match and Lalita's mother insisting on traditional Indian customs. Meanwhile, Lakshmi and Henry struggle to find common ground as they navigate their differences. Throughout the film, Lalita and Darcy must confront their own biases and preconceptions, while also mediating the conflicts between their families. Ultimately, they learn that love and acceptance require compromise and understanding, and that true happiness comes from recognizing the beauty in diversity.