Ariyon Bakare facts for kids

Ariyon Bakare is an English actor. He is known for his roles in popular TV shows. These include Doctors, Good Omens, and His Dark Materials. He has also appeared in other British dramas like The Bill and Casualty.

Ariyon Bakare's Early Life and Training

Ariyon Bakare was born around 1971. His father was from Nigeria. He grew up in different parts of east London. When he was 15, Bakare left home. He finished his education while he did not have a permanent home for about a year. He was very close to his stepmother.

Six months after returning home, Bakare moved to New York. He was 17 years old. He wanted to become a dancer. He trained at famous dance schools, like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. After two years, he learned that dancers often stop performing when they are still young. The next day, he decided to stop dancing. He then started to focus on acting instead.

When he was 20, he moved back to London. He began studying acting at Drama Centre London. His first professional acting job was with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). While working with the RSC, he also took on jobs in Scotland. He also learned how to write scripts and sing soul and opera music.

Ariyon Bakare's Acting Career

Roles in TV and Movies

From 2001 to 2005, Bakare played the character Ben Kwarme. This was in the BBC soap opera Doctors.

After leaving Doctors, Bakare returned to the show. He helped direct and write some episodes. He also co-wrote and starred in a Channel drama called Stealing Lives. In November 2008, he played a bad guy in the BBC drama Spooks. In October 2009, he appeared in Casualty.

In 2011, Bakare played a taxi driver named Carl Lucas. This was in the show Law & Order UK. In 2013, he appeared in Dancing on the Edge. He played Wesley Holt, a band manager. Bakare later appeared in Doctor Who in 2015. He was in the episode "The Woman Who Lived" with Maisie Williams. He played a lion-like creature named Leandro, who was the main bad guy in that episode.

He also had a small part as a Rebel pilot. This was in the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In 2019, he started appearing in the BBC TV series His Dark Materials. He played the important role of Lord Boreal.

In 2022, he played an older version of Alex Gilrey. This character was a suspect in a murder case. It was in the BBC TV mini-series Karen Pirie. This show was based on books by Val McDermid.

Stage Performances

Bakare has also performed in many plays. His theatre work includes shows at the RSC. He also performed at the Lyric Hammersmith. He played Florindo in a play called A Servant to Two Masters. This show was at the Young Vic theatre.

He also starred with Janet Suzman in a play called Dream of the Dog. In this play, he was an architect from South Africa named "Look Smart".

Awards and Nominations

Ariyon Bakare was nominated for an award for his role in Doctors. He was nominated for Best Actor at the 2004 British Soap Awards.

He was also nominated for an Ian Charleson Award. This was for his role as Florindo in A Servant to Two Masters at the Young Vic theatre.

Filmography

Stage Performances Table