Alrick Riley facts for kids

Alrick Riley (born in 1964) is a talented English television director and writer. He has won a special award called a BAFTA TV Award. Before becoming a director, he was also a child actor.

He is well-known for directing episodes of popular British TV shows like Spooks (also known as MI-5 in some places) and Hustle. More recently, he has directed episodes for the American fantasy drama Once Upon a Time.

Life and Career

Alrick Riley was born in London, England. When he was a young child, he was quite shy. His parents, who are from Jamaica, encouraged him to join an acting club. They hoped it would help him become more outgoing.

He started acting when he was eleven years old. His first role was as an extra on the BBC TV comedy show Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. After that, he appeared in other TV series like Johnny Jarvis and Me and My Girl. He also acted in the 1979 film Scum.

After finishing high school, Alrick decided he didn't want to act anymore. However, he still loved the entertainment business. He and a friend bought an 8 mm camera. This is when Alrick discovered his passion for directing.

His mother was at first worried about him becoming a director. She thought it would be hard for him to succeed as a black television director. But Alrick went on to study at West Midlands University and then at the National Film & Television School. While there, he directed two short films, Money Talk and Concrete Garden. These films were shown at many international film festivals. Alrick looks up to famous directors like Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. He says that Charles Burnett is the person who truly made him love film.

Alrick Riley has directed many different TV shows. Some of these include Silent Witness, Ashes to Ashes, Death in Paradise, Castle, NCIS, The Walking Dead, and Bridgerton. He also helped write for the British comedy show Desmond's.

In 1999, Alrick Riley won a BAFTA TV Award. He shared this award with Eric Coulter and Harry Bradbeer for their work on the UK series The Cops. This was a very special moment because it was the first time a black man had won this important award.