Dakota Blue Richards facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dakota Blue Richards
Richards in 2012
Born	(1994-04-11) 11 April 1994 (age 31) Chelsea, London, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2006–present

Dakota Blue Richards (born 11 April 1994) is an English actress. She became famous at age 13 when she starred as Lyra Belacqua in the movie The Golden Compass. She also played important roles like April in Dustbin Baby and Maria in The Secret of Moonacre. In 2011, she joined the cast of the British teen drama Skins as Franky Fitzgerald. Dakota has acted in many TV shows, movies, and plays.

Early Life and School

Dakota Blue Richards was born in London, England. Her family later moved to Sussex. She went to Newlands School, St Paul's Primary School, and Blatchington Mill School. She also studied acting at KBis Theatre School in Brighton.

Her Acting Career

Starring in The Golden Compass

Dakota was inspired to become an actress after seeing a play called His Dark Materials. She really wanted to play the character Lyra. About 10,000 people tried out for the role! The author of the books, Philip Pullman, said that as soon as he saw Dakota's audition, he knew she was the one. The director, Chris Weitz, agreed.

The Golden Compass, with Dakota as Lyra, came out in December 2007. It earned a lot of money worldwide. People had different opinions about her acting. Some said she did a "decent job" or was "enchanting." One reviewer even called her "terrific casting." Roger Ebert, a famous movie critic, said Dakota was "a delightful find" and that she was "pretty, plucky, forceful, self-possessed, charismatic."

Joining the Cast of Skins

Dakota Blue Richards appeared in the fifth and sixth seasons of the TV show Skins. This popular teen drama started airing on E4 in January 2011. She played a character named Franky Fitzgerald. Franky was known for her unique style, having two gay dads, and a sad past involving cyber-bullying.

Dakota originally auditioned for a different role, but she ended up becoming Franky. She said it was "crazy to be part of this Skins phenomenon" because of all the attention that came with it.

Other Roles and Projects

Richards (left) as April with Marion (played by Juliet Stevenson) in Dustbin Baby

Richards in Dustbin Baby

Before The Golden Compass was even released, Dakota was chosen for another movie called The Secret of Moonacre. This was her second film based on a book, where she played Maria Merryweather. Filming began in October 2007, and the movie came out in February 2009.

In December 2008, Dakota played April Johnson in Dustbin Baby. This was a BBC TV movie based on a book by Jacqueline Wilson. Dakota said April was a challenging character to play because she was very different from herself. April had a tough life, but also faced normal teenage problems like arguing with parents.

In 2012, Dakota acted in a British indie film called The Fold. She played Eloise, the daughter of a priest. The movie won awards for its script and as best picture at some film festivals.

Dakota also starred in the ITV thriller Lightfields. This was a five-part supernatural drama about three families living in the same house with a ghost at different times.

In 2013, she appeared in a sci-fi thriller called The Quiet Hour. In this film, she played Sarah, a sister trying to survive in England after an apocalypse. She also filmed a short movie called Girl Power that same year.

Dakota made her first stage appearance in 2015 in a play called Arcadia.

From 2016 to 2018, she played WPC Shirley Trewlove in the TV series Endeavour. In 2018, she was cast as Margaret Osborne in the ITV drama Beecham House, which aired in 2019.

Her Life Outside Acting

Dakota Blue Richards has supported several important causes. In 2008, she attended a camp that brought together teenagers from different backgrounds to talk about human rights and fairness.

Since 2010, she has supported Action for Children. This charity helps young people in the United Kingdom who are facing difficulties. In 2011, she helped promote a new project for the charity.

Dakota also supports The Young Actors Group. This is an acting school in Brighton that opened in 2014. It helps children and teenagers get the training they need to work professionally in movies and on stage.

Dakota enjoys modern and abstract art. She is a fan of photographer Christian Coigny and artists like Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst. She also loves films from Studio Ghibli, a famous Japanese animation studio.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Dakota Blue Richards para niños