Ariyon Bakare facts for kids

Ariyon Bakare is an English actor, writer, and director. He was born in 1971. He is famous for his many roles in plays, TV shows, and movies.

In 1998, he made history. He was the first Black man to play a main role in a BBC period drama. This was in the show A Respectable Trade. People praised his acting, saying it showed great strength and quiet anger. This was a big moment for British television. Since then, he has had many important roles. These include shows like Doctors, His Dark Materials, and Carnival Row. In 2025, he won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Mr Loverman.

Ariyon Bakare has also directed TV shows. He received money to develop his first movie, Kodak Cowboy. He also started a group called iC4RE to help with racial justice. He is a long-time supporter of WaterAid. This group helps people get clean water. In 2025, he gave an important speech about water access and fairness for everyone.

Early Life and Learning

Ariyon Bakare was born around 1971 in London. His father was from Nigeria. He grew up living in different parts of east London. When he was 15, he left home because of problems with his father. He was homeless for a year while he finished school. He was very close to his stepmother.

Six months after going back home, Ariyon moved to New York at age 17. He wanted to become a dancer. He trained at famous dance schools, like the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. After two years, he learned that dancers often stop performing when they are still young. The very next day, he decided to stop dancing. He then started to focus on acting. He moved back to London when he was 20. There, he studied acting at Drama Centre London.

His first acting job was with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). He said that while working with the RSC, he also took jobs in Scotland. He also learned how to write scripts and sing soul and opera music.

Acting Career Highlights

Film and Television Roles

Ariyon Bakare's big break on TV came in 1998. He played Mehuru in A Respectable Trade. This was a four-part BBC show. He played an enslaved African man who was very smart. He had to live in British society in the 1700s. Critics said his acting was "powerful and understated." This role was the first time a Black man had a main part in a BBC period drama.

From 2001 to 2005, he played Dr. Ben Kwarme in the BBC soap opera Doctors. For this role, he was nominated for Best Actor in 2005.

After leaving Doctors, Bakare went back to direct and write some episodes. He then helped write and starred in a Channel 4 show called Stealing Lives. In 2008, he played a bad guy in the BBC show Spooks. In 2009, he appeared in Casualty.

In 2011, Bakare played a taxi driver named Carl Lucas. This was in the last episode of Law & Order UK. In 2013, he appeared in Dancing on the Edge. He played Wesley Holt, a band manager. Bakare also 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.

He played a Rebel pilot in the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In 2019, he started playing Lord Boreal in the BBC show His Dark Materials.

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

Stage Performances

Ariyon Bakare has also acted in many plays. He has performed at the RSC and the Lyric Hammersmith. He played Florindo in A Servant to Two Masters at the Young Vic theatre.

He also starred with Janet Suzman in the play Dream of the Dog. In this play, he played a stylish South African architect named "Look Smart."

Awards and Recognitions

For his role in Doctors, Ariyon Bakare was nominated for Best Actor. This was at the 2004 British Soap Awards.

In 2005, he was nominated for Best Actor at the Royal Television Society (RTS) Midlands Awards. This was also for his role as Dr. Ben Kwarme in Doctors.

He received a special mention at the Ian Charleson Awards. This was for his role as Florindo in A Servant to Two Masters.

Bakare also won several Best Actor awards for a short film called Waiting for Time (2019). These awards include:

• Best Actor in a Short Film – Wild Indie Sci-Fi & Fantasy Film Festival (2020)
• Best Actor – Overcome Film Festival (2020)
• Best Actor – IndieFest Film Awards (2020)
• Best Actor – European Cinematography Awards (2020)
• Best Actor – Five Continents International Film Festival (2020)

In 2025, Ariyon Bakare won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actor. This was for his acting in Mr Loverman.

Film and TV Appearances

Stage Appearances