
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)

Midsomer Murders
1997
as Alice Winning

Doctor Who
2005
as Hostess

Black Mirror
2011
as Shelly

Vera
2011
as Amber Haleford

Holby City
1999
as Kyla Tyson

Shetland
2013
as Olivia Lennox

Ready, Steady, Cook
1994
as Self - Guest

Waking the Dead
2001
as Pauline

Question Time
1979
as Self - Panellist

Screen Two
1985
as Gabriel Angel

Grace
2021
as ACC Alison Vosper

Soldier Soldier
1991
as Bernie Roberts

Alex Rider
2020
as Jo Byrne

Murder in Mind
2001
as Cally

KAOS
2024
as Persephone

No Offence
2015
as Nora Attah

Scarlett
1994
as Pansy

Falling
2026
as Muriel

Flowers
2016
as Morag

Canterbury Tales
2003
as Nicky Constable

Sea of Souls
2004
as Yemi

The Pact
2021
as DS Holland / Christine Rees

Maisie Raine
1998
as D.C. Helen Tomlin

Saving Lives in Cardiff
2024
as Self - Narrator

Code of a Killer
2015
as Helena Adarkwa
My Almost Famous Family
2009
as Shalondra
Bargain Hunt Famous Finds
2008

Being April
2002
as Taneshia
Nightshift
1993
Movies (18)

Dredd
2012
as Chief Judge

Sahara
2005
as Mrs. Nwokolo

Brexit: The Uncivil War
2019
as Camilla

Now Is Good
2012
as Phillippa

The I Inside
2004
as Nurse Clayton

Bad Apples
2026
as Sylvia

Been So Long
2018
as Martina

Anthony
2020
as Gee Walker

Under Milk Wood
2014
as Voice

The Secret Laughter of Women
1999
as Talking Drum

Great Moments in Aviation
1994
as Gabriel Angel
Diamond Sky
2025
as Suzzane Kirk

Mothers, Missiles and the American President
2021
as Narrator

King Lear
2016
as Goneril
Black Church Bay

National Theatre at Home: The Authenticator
2026
as Abi

Hope Is Lost
2025
as Hope (voice)

Hedgehog
as Consultant
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 CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Rakie Ayola Movies
- Dredd (2012) — as Chief Judge
- Sahara (2005) — as Mrs. Nwokolo
- Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019) — as Camilla
- Now Is Good (2012) — as Phillippa
- The I Inside (2004) — as Nurse Clayton
Where to Watch Rakie Ayola Films
Most Rakie Ayola movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo 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.